Loch nan Gillean

The water here is absolutely still on a calm day - mirror-like, which sounds clichéd until you're actually standing there watching the mountains flip upside down in the loch. Loch nan Gillean sits in that stretch of the Highlands where everything feels properly remote, inland from Kyle of Lochalsh on the road towards Plockton. It's not a headline attraction, which is rather the point.

This is a walker's loch more than anything else. The shoreline gives good access for a few miles either way, and if you're staying at Reraig Caravan & Camping just down the road - a cracking spot with views across to Skye - you could easily string together a half-day walk here without breaking much of a sweat. The water's dark and deep, ringed by proper Highland scenery: rough moorland, scattered conifers, mountains in the distance doing their usual business of looking moody.

Come in the quieter months if you can manage it. Summer brings midges, and the road can get a bit congested with tourists heading to Skye. Late autumn works nicely - clearer light, fewer people, and the water turns that deep grey-green that photographs better anyway. You won't find facilities here, so sort yourself out in Kyle first. Allow a couple of hours if you're walking the eastern shore, longer if you fancy exploring properly. Free, obviously, and accessible year-round, though winter weather can make the paths sketchy underfoot.