Loch Uidh nan Corp

The water here is so dark it looks almost black, fringed by moorland that stretches endlessly in every direction. Loch Uidh nan Corp sits in raw, unmanicured Highland terrain - the sort of place where you'll hear nothing but wind and the occasional golden eagle. The name translates to something rather grim - "Loch of the Bodies" - and locals have their stories, though the reality's probably far duller than the folklore suggests.

It's genuinely remote. The nearest settlement of any size is Sutherland, which is really just a cluster of houses rather than a town, and even that's a fair drive away. Getting here means rough tracks and a willingness to go where most tourists don't venture. That's exactly why it works - if you're after solitude and proper Highland landscape, this delivers. The walk around the loch is straightforward enough, though the terrain's boggy in places and the weather can turn vicious without warning.

This isn't a destination for an afternoon visit. It's somewhere to factor into a longer Highland ramble, ideally when you're based somewhere like Clachtoll Beach Campsite down the coast, which offers proper facilities without the chaos of bigger resorts. Give yourself a full day if you're hiking the perimeter. Photography types will find the light on the water magical in late afternoon, especially when clouds break up.

Worth the detour? If you're the sort who gets excited by emptiness and big skies, absolutely. If you need visitor facilities or scenic viewpoints with car parks, keep driving.