Loch Boltachan

A small, quiet loch tucked into the Perthshire landscape near Crieff, Loch Boltachan is the sort of place you stumble upon rather than deliberately hunt down. The water's dark and still, ringed by low hills and moorland that shift colour with the seasons. It's proper peaceful - the kind of spot where you might actually hear yourself think.

This isn't a destination that will occupy you for hours. What it is, though, is a lovely short walk for anyone based at one of the nearby holiday parks - Loch Earn Leisure Park is barely two miles away, and Comrie Holiday Park about five. Fishermen know the place well enough, and birdwatchers occasionally find something worth noting, but honestly it's the silence that does the real work here. Bring binoculars if you're into that sort of thing, or just sit on the bank with a coffee and watch the ripples.

Families won't get much out of it beyond a decent leg-stretch, and there's nothing in the way of facilities. The nearest amenities are back in Crieff. Time it for late afternoon when the light gets interesting, and pair it with one of the bigger Tayside lochs if you're after more substantial water-based activity. It's free to visit - you just turn up. Allow 30 minutes to an hour depending on how much time you want to spend doing nothing much at all.