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The warm-up over Auchnafree Hill makes things only slightly more serious. After a rough slope to start, there’s a grassy Landrover track that peeps into the hollow of the Blue Crags and pauses at King Kenneth’s Cairn. Back in the ninth century Kenneth MacAlpin, had he been so inclined, could have lain in the long grass here and surveyed a large chunk of his newly united Scotland.

‘Dowchty man he wes and stout,’ King Kenneth, according to the 11th-century Chronicle of the Kings of Alba. So he’d have revelled in the tough little ascent onto Biorach a’ Mheannain, the steep grass and the deer path weaving among the chunks of crag. It’s a moment of adventure that makes all the more enjoyable the gentle ramble along Ben Chonzie plateau.

Start at Loch Turret dam car park, and take a tarmac path to the east end of the dam. A stile and gate lead out to a Landrover track. Turn right, down-valley, for about 50 metres, then turn left off the track.

The southwest cairn on Auchnafree Hill

The steepish slope above the track has heather and bracken, but you start up firm grass. As the slope steepens, useful sheep paths wind up through the heather. Gain 200m of height to meet a grassy track. Turn left up this, soon ignoring a side-track down right. The main track runs above the rocky hollow Corrie Barvick, then bends left below King Kenneth’s Cairn on Choinneachain Hill. It deserves to be the main hill hereabouts but is 2m lower than Auchnafree. A path leads up to the cairn on its stony base.