Loch Eireachain

The walk to Loch Eireachain is the whole point here - a proper Highland tramp that rewards you with a freshwater loch ringed by moorland and Ben Cruachan looming in the distance. From Taynuilt, it's roughly three miles in, gaining maybe 600 feet, and the path keeps mostly to rough terrain without being technical enough to deter anyone reasonably fit. The loch itself sits in a bowl of upland, peaceful and cold, the kind of place where you might see red deer picking through heather or golden eagles if you're lucky enough. There's no café, no facilities, no crowds. That's either brilliant or a turn-off depending on your mood. For walkers and anyone after genuine solitude in Argyll, it's worth the effort. Families with young children will find the hike a slog without much payoff other than scenery - there's no play area or easy loop walk to break it up. Allow three to four hours return, depending on fitness and how long you linger by the water. Best visited May through September when the weather's least likely to turn into a proper drenching. If you're camping at Loch Awe Camping Pods just down the road, Loch Eireachain makes a solid half-day expedition. The bigger Loch Awe itself is more developed and touristy by comparison - this feels like what the Highlands were before everyone had a motorhome.