Tannoch Loch

The water at Tannoch Loch sits perfectly still on a good day, which isn't often up here. It's a modest reservoir rather than a dramatic Highland loch, but that's rather the appeal if you're after some proper peace without the tourist sprawl. The walk around it takes you past moorland and manages to feel genuinely remote despite being within spitting distance of Stirling and Glasgow.

This is walker territory. The circuit isn't long - most people manage it in under an hour - but it's the kind of place where you actually notice things. Roe deer, red grouse if you're lucky, and the water shifts colour depending on the light. The paths are well-trodden and straightforward, so families with school-age kids will manage fine, though younger ones might find it a touch dull once they've had their obligatory stone-throw in the water.

There's no cafe, no facilities to speak of, and you'll need to check current access arrangements as these things shift. The best light hits the loch around late afternoon when the sun's dropping. Going in winter means you'll have it almost entirely to yourself.

If you're camping at The WHW Hotel & Campsite just down the road, Tannoch Loch makes a solid leg-stretcher break. It's not the sort of place that'll keep you occupied all day, but that's precisely why it works. You walk, you breathe, you remember why you came to Scotland in the first place.