Loch Bhatachan

The water at Loch Bhatachan sits so still on a calm day you'd swear it's a sheet of dark glass. It's a modest highland loch near Ullapool, the sort of place that doesn't announce itself with car parks or visitor centres - you find it because you're exploring, not because it's on every tourism board.

What you get is pure Scottish landscape. The loch itself is small enough that you can take it in from the shore without hiking for hours, but large enough that it feels properly remote. The surrounding hills rise steeply, cloaked in heather and bracken, and on a clear day the light changes across the water every few minutes. Midges can be vicious in summer, so pick your season carefully.

This appeals most to photographers and landscape walkers who want something off the beaten track. Families with restless young kids might find it a bit underwhelming - there's not much to do once you've walked round and taken a photo. The loch itself isn't suitable for swimming or watersports as far as I could tell. Allow half an hour to an hour depending on whether you fancy a proper walk around the perimeter.

The nearest campsite is Port a Bhaigh, just a couple of miles away, which makes it an easy morning excursion from a highland park holiday. Ullapool is close enough for supplies and a proper dinner, so you're not roughing it entirely. It's the sort of place that rewards going slightly out of your way - worthwhile if you're in the area, not worth a detour on its own.