Lochan Duin

A small loch tucked into the Arrochar hills, Lochan Duin is exactly the sort of place you stumble upon when you're not looking too hard. The water sits in a rocky bowl, dark and still most days, ringed by rough moorland and the occasional hardy pine. It's not a dramatic destination - you won't find crowds or visitor facilities - but that's rather the point.

Walkers gravitate here during longer hill routes around the Arrochar Alps, and it makes a solid half-day outing if you fancy a gentle circuit. The loch itself is best appreciated on foot; there's no road running right up to it, which keeps things properly wild. Allow a couple of hours for an unhurried walk around the water and back. The views open up across the loch to the surrounding slopes, and on a clear day you'll spot why people bother climbing these hills in the first place.

It's worth timing your visit for late afternoon when the light softens and the water mirrors whatever sky you've got. Morning can be misty, which some find atmospheric and others find frustrating.

If you're based at Beinglas Campsite just down in Arrochar, this makes an easy morning walk before you settle in. Tyndrum Holiday Park sits a bit further south and could work as part of a wider hiking day. Honestly, Lochan Duin works best as a pitstop rather than the main event - lovely in its own right, but not a destination in itself.