Loch a' Choire Bhuide

The water here is so dark it's almost black, which makes the sudden shimmer of light across Loch a' Choire Bhuide genuinely striking. It's a proper mountain loch tucked into the Highland terrain near Strathcarron, the kind of place where you realise why people move to Scotland and never leave.

There's no visitor centre or tea shop, which is rather the point. What you get is a walk in, usually a few kilometres depending on your route, and then a loch surrounded by heather-clad hills. The water itself is cold and peaty-coloured, and it fills a corrie - that's a glacial valley to most of us - so you're looking at genuine geography rather than a manicured lakeside.

Walkers will find this worthwhile. It's not a casual stroll, but it's not a full-day expedition either. Most people allow two to three hours for the round trip. The approach rewards you gradually, and that's when you realise you're somewhere remote enough to matter.

Families with young kids might find it a bit underwhelming unless they're already keen on hiking. There's no playground or café at the end, just lochan, stones, and views. If your children can manage a decent walk, though, they'll remember this place.

Shieldaig Camping & Cabins sits just four miles away, making this an easy morning or afternoon outing from a Highland holiday base. The loch works best when conditions are good - Scottish weather can turn in minutes - but on a clear day, it's exactly the kind of wild corner that justifies a park holiday in the area.