Loch na Bà

The water here is remarkably still on a calm day - that's what strikes you first about Loch na Bà. It's a modest Highland loch near Pitlochry, the sort of place locals know about but visitors often miss while rushing between the bigger attractions. There's no fancy visitor centre or car park with a gift shop. You walk to it, and that's rather the point.

The loch itself is small enough that you can take it in properly without feeling rushed. The walk from the main road takes about forty minutes each way depending on your fitness and which route you choose, so allow a couple of hours total. It's gentle enough for families with older kids, though younger ones might struggle with the distance. The surrounding landscape - mixed woodland and open moorland - shifts subtly through the seasons, which means it's worth revisiting if you're camping locally for a week.

There's nothing to do here except look at it and breathe. That sounds dull until you're actually standing there. The lack of crowds and facilities is precisely what makes it work. It fits well into a walking holiday based around Pitlochry, where the caravan parks cluster within easy reach. Faskally Woods Holiday Park, Milton Of Fonab, and Aberfeldy Caravan Park all sit within four miles, making it a natural half-day outing from any of those bases.

Go if you prefer quiet to spectacle. Skip it if you need waymarked trails and information boards. Real Highland walking, this one.