Loch Tarsuinn

The water here is proper dark, the kind of black-mirror surface you only get in the Scottish Highlands when the weather holds. Loch Tarsuinn sits quietly a few miles south of Fort Augustus, well off the main tourist drag, which means you'll likely have the place to yourself - a rare thing around Loch Ness.

It's a small freshwater loch, nothing dramatic, but that's rather the point. The hills fold in around it gently, and the light changes across the water throughout the day in ways that make you forget to check your phone. There's good walking along the banks if you want it, though the paths aren't formal or particularly well-marked, so bring a map.

Walkers will get more from this than casual visitors. If you're after postcard drama and monster-hunting, Loch Ness itself is closer to Fort Augustus. But if you want actual solitude and the chance to see what the Highlands look like when nobody's trying to sell you anything, Tarsuinn delivers. An hour here, two if you fancy a proper walk, is realistic.

Stay at one of the nearby parks - Loch Ness Holiday Park is well-reviewed and sits at 5.4 miles - and use this as a quieter counterpoint to the busier water. Free to visit, obviously, since it's just a loch. Go on an overcast afternoon when the light's moody. That's when it feels special.