Loch Neaty

Loch Ness gets all the attention, but Loch Neaty - just a short drive from Beauly - deserves more visitors than it gets. It's a proper Highland loch with dark water that catches the light beautifully in the late afternoon, surrounded by hills that rise up steeply on the eastern bank. The western shore is more open, with a decent lay-by if you want to stop and actually look at the thing instead of just driving past it.

There's no formal visitor setup here, which is either a relief or a disappointment depending on how you like your nature. No gift shop, no tea room, no crowds queuing for photos. What you get instead is peace and a genuine sense of being somewhere untamed. The best approach is from the north near Beauly - you can pull in and walk along the water's edge for twenty minutes or so, or if you're feeling more ambitious, pick a direction and go further. It's not a destination that'll eat up your whole day, but it's the kind of place that makes you remember why you came to the Highlands.

Families with young walkers should manage the accessible bits fine, though there's nowhere specifically set up for kids. History types won't find much to occupy them here - this is about landscape, not heritage. The real value is as a stop between Beauly and the glitzy glamping pods at Highland Premier or Loch Ness Glamping, both nearby. If you're camping at Cannich Woodland, it's worth the drive out to clear your head before dinner.