Loch nan Eun

The water here is dark and still, ringed by pine and birch that crowd right down to the shore. Loch nan Eun sits just outside Inverness in the Highland interior - a proper quiet spot if you're fed up with the Loch Ness crowds three miles south. The name means 'Loch of the Birds', and yes, you'll spot them: grebes, divers, the odd eagle if you're lucky and patient.

There's no visitor centre or facilities to speak of, which is either brilliant or a bore depending on what you want. Walkers find it worth the detour - the paths around the loch are straightforward and take forty minutes to an hour. Birdwatchers should bring binoculars and settle in for a proper session. Families with young kids might find it a bit quiet after twenty minutes; there's no beach to mess about on, just water and trees. Photography types will rate the light, especially early morning when the mist sits on the surface.

You're free to visit any time, and there's no charge. It's a good half-day break if you're camped at one of the nearby sites - Inver Coille or Loch Ness Holiday Park are both close enough for a morning walk before heading elsewhere. Don't expect drama or facilities. What you get is silence, decent views, and the sort of place locals know but tourists bypass. In summer it can feel quite warm once you're in the sun, but the water stays cold year-round. Worth the drive from Inverness if you need air that doesn't smell of tour buses.