Loch Kinnabus

The loch spreads out grey and still, hemmed in by heather moorland that rolls back toward the Paps of Jura. Loch Kinnabus sits on Islay's quieter eastern flank, a proper tonic if you've spent the morning queuing at the island's distilleries. The water's too cold for swimming unless you're properly mad, but the walk around it rewards with views that shift depending on light and weather - sometimes moody, sometimes almost Mediterranean when the sun hits the far shoreline.

Walkers will find this worthwhile. The circuit takes a couple of hours at a leisurely pace, and you'll see red-throated divers if you're lucky, plus the occasional white-tailed eagle if you're luckier. It's one of those Islay spots that feels genuinely remote even though you're never more than a few miles from a road. Birdwatchers should bring binoculars and patience.

There's no visitor infrastructure to speak of - no café, no car park with facilities - so bring water and don't expect signs telling you which way to walk. That's rather the point. It's free, obviously, and works brilliantly as a half-day break from the Islay Glamping Pods if you're staying nearby. The contrast between a morning distillery visit and an afternoon among the moor and water is exactly what makes Islay click. Go when the weather's settled; in rain it's bleak rather than atmospheric.