Loch Erbusaig

The water here is properly dark - almost black when the cloud sits low - and it stretches out from Kyle of Lochalsh like something the landscape forgot to finish. Loch Erbusaig isn't famous, which is precisely why it's worth the drive from the main tourist trail.

You'll find parking near the shore and a decent walk along the water's edge if you're after movement. The loch itself is quiet, flanked by moorland that rolls back into the hills. No crowds, no gift shops, no entrance fee - just a genuinely remote corner of the Highlands that feels like you've stumbled onto something locals have kept to themselves. The views across to Skye are crackling on a clear day, though frankly the moody, grey afternoons suit it better.

This isn't a destination in itself. Rather, it's the sort of stop that makes sense if you're staying at Reraig Caravan & Camping just up the road - a fifteen-minute detour after breakfast. Walkers will get an hour out of it easily, pottering about the shore. Photographers, especially those who like their landscapes brooding rather than postcard-perfect, will find something here. Families with young kids might find it a bit bleak unless they're into rock-throwing and splashing about in the shallows.

Bring a windproof. There's bugger all shelter once you're out on the water's edge, and the weather can turn on you without warning. Time it for afternoon light if you can - the sun catches the far shore properly then.