Lochan Bealach Coire Mhalagain

Drive out from Kyle towards the mountains and you'll find yourself at a proper mountain lochan - the kind of place that makes you realise why people move to the Highlands in the first place. Lochan Bealach Coire Mhalagain sits in a corrie high enough that the views stretch for miles, with ridges and peaks pressing in from all sides.

There's no visitor centre or facilities here. You park up and walk in, which is exactly as it should be. The lochan itself is small - maybe ten minutes round the edge on a flat afternoon - but the setting is what matters. The water's clear, the rocky shores are dramatic, and on a calm day you get proper mirror reflections of the surrounding slopes.

This works best for serious walkers and photographers rather than casual day-trippers. If you're expecting a destination in itself, you might find twenty minutes here feels a bit slight. But if you're doing a longer hill walk in the area or staying at Glenshiel Campsite nearby, it's absolutely worth timing a visit around the better weather. Early summer, when the light stays late, transforms the place entirely.

Access is free and there's no formal opening times - it's just mountain and lochan. Allow an hour including the walk in and a proper look around. The ground can be boggy in wet weather, so proper boots aren't optional. Winter's brutal up here, so aim for May through September if you actually want to enjoy it.