Lochan an Ruighe Dhuibh

A small dark loch tucked into the Highland landscape about four miles from Fort Augustus, Lochan an Ruighe Dhuibh is exactly the sort of place you stumble upon by accident when you're exploring the back roads around Loch Ness. The water is genuinely black - hence the name - and there's something rather atmospheric about it, especially on an overcast day when the hills close in and the light seems to drain straight into the surface.

It's a walker's spot rather than a destination in itself. Most people come for the surrounding terrain - there are decent paths that take you round the water and into the moorland beyond, and it's the kind of place where you might spot red deer or golden eagles if you're quiet enough. The whole circuit takes a couple of hours at a reasonable pace, and it's far less crowded than the bigger Loch Ness attractions.

This is properly for people who want to get away from the main tourist trail. Children might find it a bit bleak unless they're into the outdoors already - there's no facilities, no visitor centre, just the loch and the hills. Free to visit, naturally.

If you're staying at either Loch Ness Holiday Park or Inver Coille nearby, this makes a solid morning walk before heading back for lunch. It's the sort of place that reminds you why people come to the Highlands in the first place - big sky, proper silence, and landscape that doesn't try to impress you.