Lochan na Sàile

The loch sits tucked into the hillside between Kyle of Lochalsh and Plockton, quiet and utterly unremarkable until you actually get there. What you're looking at is a small Highland water - the sort of place locals know and tourists miss entirely - ringed by bracken and low scrub, with decent hills rising up on three sides. You don't come here to swim or sail. You come here to walk the shoreline, watch for sea eagles if you're lucky, and remember why you booked time in the Highlands in the first place.

Best suited to walkers and anyone after proper solitude. Families with young kids might find it a bit dull after thirty minutes - there's no café, no facilities, no trails marked out with interpretive signs. Bring a flask and comfortable boots. Access is free and straightforward from Kyle itself, which is the nearest real settlement. Allow two to three hours if you're doing a circuit of the water, less if you just fancy a wander and a sit-down.

If you're staying at Reraig Caravan & Camping on Skye, it's barely six miles away - easily managed as a half-day diversion. The loch works well as the quiet counterpoint to more active pursuits across the water. It's the sort of place that settles you, particularly on grey days when the light sits low across the water. Not dramatic. Not famous. Properly Highland, though.