Dramatic lochs in Scotland

Created over 10.000 years ago by the Ice Age, Loch Morar is the deepest fresh water Loch in the British Isles. It measures 310 metres or 1017 feet in depth and is 19,6 kilometres long and 1,6 kilometre wide making it the fifth largest loch by surface area. Around the loch are superb views, and it provides a pretty backdrop to some of the area’s best walks. There are three waymarked paths: Glasnacardoch to Lochs an Nostarie and Eireagoraidh, Bracorina to Tarbet and Allt an Loin to Loch a Bhada Dharaich. Make sure you have a map, as a couple of these trails are quite lengthily. You can often spot boats out on the loch fly fishing, usually for brown trout. Permits apply and there is a ghillie (meaning servant in Gaelic) service available to get a permit and to guide you. Fish by the rules of the ghillie! One of Scotland’s great lochs.

Loch Torridon is a vast and incredible landscape that takes in a few villages and townships on its 24-kilometre stretch. The Loch is a sea loch, and surrounded by magnificent Munros that arise from the sea, making this place a mecca for sea kayakers, hillwalkers and mountain bikers. Not to mention the famous Torridon sandstone that also attracts climbers. The bounty from the loch is also to be desired, with it producing top-quality Scottish seafood. One of the most beautiful spots in Scotland, it has plenty to offer and explore.

Kinlochewe and the wider Beinn Eighe National Nature Reserve (NNR) is an impressive stretch of land on Wester Ross. It was the first NNR established in Scotland in 1951 and in 2016 it was classified as a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, acknowledging this area’s importance internationally. The village of Kinlochewe is small, and the name suggests that it should sit at the head of Loch Ewe, which is puzzling because Loch Ewe is situated 24 kilometres north-west. However, in the 17th century the loch was renamed to Maree, in remembrance of St Maelrubha, who is recorded with bringing Christianity to Wester Ross. The visitor centre is only open during the summer months but is a great place to enquire about the areas many brilliant walks.

Lochindorb has a beautiful but haunting feel to the landscape, then you realise that it’s not just you, and that Lochindorb translates to ‘Loch of trouble’ from Gaelic. It’s a barren rolling landscape, and quite a change from the Cairngorm Mountains you pass arriving here. In the middle you can see ruins of a castle from the 13th century, this castle has troublesome tales to tell. It was occupied by the English in the Wars of Independence and Edward I of England visited here in 1303. It was occupied again in 1355 and used as a prison and garrison for English troops. Then at the tail end of the 14th century it was known as the ‘Wolf’s lair’ as it was gifted to the ruthless Alexander Stewart aka The Wolf of Badenoch, who terrorised this part of the world. The landscape with its history makes Lochindorb a melancholic but captivating experience.