Loch na Craige

The water here is dark and still, ringed by heather and rough grass that slopes down from the moorland above. Loch na Craige sits in proper remote country, a few miles inland from Tarbert on the Kintyre Peninsula - the kind of place you stumble upon rather than plan for. There's not much to it, frankly. No visitor centre, no facilities, no marked paths. What you get is a quiet freshwater loch and the chance to stand in the middle of nowhere with only the sound of wind and the odd grouse call.

It's a walker's spot more than anything. The loch itself is manageable to circumnavigate if you're patient with boggy ground, and the views back towards the surrounding hills are decent without being dramatic. Fishing types sometimes show up - the loch holds brown trout - but you'll need to sort your own permits and knowledge. Families will find it underwhelming unless they're the sort who enjoy a proper trek away from the crowds. Kids will get bored unless they're into skimming stones and counting birds.

Worth a morning detour if you're staying at one of the nearby parks - Muasdale is closest at under four miles, or Carradale Bay if you want a five-star rated site - but don't drive out here expecting drama. It's the Scottish moorland experience in miniature: beautiful in a bleak, windswept way, and absolutely free. Time it right on a clear day and you'll have the place to yourself.