Loch Shandra

The water at Loch Shandra sits dark and still, ringed by pine and birch that crowd right down to the shore. It's a proper small loch - nothing on the scale of Loch Lomond, but that's rather the point. You get the drama without the crowds that plague the bigger names.

It's ideal if you're based near Blairgowrie and fancy a quiet walk rather than a destination in itself. The circuit round the water takes a couple of hours at a leisurely pace, and the path is well-maintained enough that families with reasonable legs will manage it. The southern shore offers the better views, particularly if you time it for late afternoon when the light catches the water properly. Midges can be grim in summer - early morning or after a breeze is your best bet.

There's nothing to do here except walk and look, which suits some people entirely and bores others half to death. It's genuinely free to visit, no facilities to speak of, and you'll rarely find the place mobbed. If you're staying at Glenshee Glamping just down the road, it makes a sensible morning outing. Pair it with a longer hill walk elsewhere rather than expecting it to fill a full day. Don't come expecting lochs like you see on postcards - come expecting something quieter and far less polished, which is exactly what you'll find.