Lochan Sidhein Bhuidhe

The walk down to Lochan Sidhein Bhuidhe from the road near Tarbert takes about twenty minutes through proper Argyll forest - Douglas firs, the lot - and you emerge onto a small, dark loch that feels genuinely remote despite being less than six miles from civilisation. The water's black as pitch from the peat, and there's barely another soul about, which is exactly the point.

It's the kind of place walkers come for. The surrounding hills rise sharply, and if conditions are decent you can pick out routes further up into the hills from here. The loch itself isn't deep or particularly large - you'd circle it in under an hour if you fancied it - but it's peaceful in a way that feels earned. Bring binoculars and you might spot red-throated divers or golden eagles; I didn't, but the light through the pines was enough.

There's nothing here in terms of facilities. No car park to speak of, no tearoom, no signposts. That's deliberate. You need a proper map and decent weather sense. Winter's a no-go unless you know what you're doing. Summer and autumn are your window.

If you're staying at Port Ban Holiday Park near Tarbert - and frankly, if you're in Argyll you should be - this works as a half-day venture when the midges aren't apocalyptic. It won't grab you for a full day, but it's the sort of quiet Scottish loch experience that reminds you why you came north in the first place.