Lochan Lus Dubha

The water here is properly dark - which is exactly where this lochan gets its name. Lochan Lus Dubha sits in the hills above Taynuilt, a small Highland loch that most tourists completely miss while they're queuing at Loch Awe five minutes down the road. That's partly why it's worth the detour.

It's a straightforward walk from the parking area, nothing technical, though the track can be boggy in winter. The loch itself is ringed by moorland and low hills - it has that raw, unfinished quality you get in the Scottish Highlands, all peat-brown water and wind-bent grass. On a clear day you can see across to Ben Cruachan. Walkers will find it genuinely peaceful; families might find it a bit exposed if the weather turns, and there's not much to do once you've arrived except sit on a rock and think.

If you're staying at Loch Awe Camping Pods nearby - which is a solid spot - this makes a proper half-day outing. The walk takes maybe an hour each way depending on fitness and mood. Go in the early morning or late afternoon when the light's decent and other people aren't about. It's free, obviously, and you'll need decent boots and a waterproof. Not Instagram material, but genuinely good if you like wild places that aren't overrun. The kind of spot where you feel like you've actually found something.