Even when flying VFR you are meant to set an MSA. Which, when I was learning, was to take the height of the highest obstacle in the grid on the CAA chart and add 1000'.
When I did my PPL we took an MSA from 1000' or 1300' depending above the highest terrain/spot height within 5nm each side of track.
However! This was not by any means the altitude to be flown, it was a last resort safety net as such if we were to accidentally end up in IMC.