Loch Coruisk
Direction the majestic Isle of Skye, accessible by road via the Skye Bridge. In the south of the island, Loch Coruisk (“cauldron of water” in Gaelic) offers landscapes that have inspired the greatest artists, such as the English painter William Turner. The tranquility of the fresh water contrasts with the rugged terrain of the Black Cuillins, the rocky mountain range that surrounds the loch. Its tranquility should not deceive you: it seems that a kelpie , a magnificent but demonic black horse, which can take human form according to Celtic legend, lives in the depths of the loch. Access is not easy: no land route leads there! To get to this loch among the most isolated in the country, you will have to take the boat from the hamlet of Elgol.
Loch fyne
On the west coast of Argyll and Bute, Loch Fyne is a large 65km long seawater loch that stretches from the heart of the Argyll Mountains to the arm of Loch Gilp. Adobe stock
The "Loch de la vigne": its name in Gaelic should make your ears tick, we eat and drink there. The longest marine loch in Scotland stretches for 65 kilometers and has a nearby whiskey distillery, brewery and the best Scottish oysters and is only an hour's drive from Glasgow. If you go there, don't miss the superb Inveraray Castle (pronounced Inver-è-ri), where the Dukes of Argyle, chiefs of the Clan Campbell, have lived since the 18th century. Downton Abbey lovers will recognize it: it is Duneagle Castle in the Christmas episode of 2012.
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Loch shiel
Shiel is a 120 m deep freshwater loch about 20 km west of Fort William in the Lochaber district of the Scottish Highlands. Adob stock
Loch Shiel is familiar to millions of people around the world: this is where Hogwarts, the Wizarding School of the Harry Potter saga , is located. The 28 kilometer long freshwater loch is located in the west of the country and is close to two important monuments: the Glenfinnan viaduct, on which the Hogwarts Express runs, and the Glenfinnan Monument, which commemorates those who lost their lives during the Jacobite revolts of the 18th century. You can get there very easily by car or bus from the town of Fort William, 27 kilometers to the east, along Loch Eil. As the seasons go by, the landscapes change completely, from green reliefs in spring to the explosion of colors in autumn.
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Loch Muick
Glas-allt Shiel, the hunting lodge originally built for Queen Victoria and completed in 1868, is located at the western end of the north shore of the lake. Adobe stock
It was one of the favorite places of Queen Victoria and her husband Prince Albert. Loch Muick ( pronounced Mick ), made of fresh water, is located in Aberdeenshire in the area of Balmoral, summer residence of the British royal family in Scotland. To the south you will find Glas-allt Shiel, a hunting lodge that Victoria had built in 1868 after the death of Prince Albert. The queen was so affected that she could not bear to use their previous hunting lodge further north. This is the reason why Glas-allt Shiel is nicknamed the "Widow's Pavilion". A hiking circuit from the parking lot and information center will allow you to go around the lake in 3:30.
Harray and Stenness Lochs
The standing stones of Stenness (Stenness Standing Stones) form a circle of twelve standing stones around 3000 BCE. Adobe stock
On the northern islands, there are also lochs. On the main island of Orkney, an archipelago with multiple archaeological gems, the lochs of Harray and Stenness face each other, separated by a thin strip of land. The first is a freshwater log, the largest in the archipelago, the other a marine log. You will see there two UNESCO World Heritage sites: the famous standing stones of Stenness, dating from 3,000 years before our era, as well as the "Brodgar Circle", a ring of 27 megaliths also designed in the Neolithic.
Duddingston Loch
Duddingston is also a paradise for birds, where you can spot geese and waterfowl. Adobe stock
There was a time when Edinburgh had several lochs, but today there is only one natural: Duddingston Loch, south of Holyrood Park, and near the old village of Duddingston, now integrated into the Scottish capital. On this famous painting from the end of the 19th century by the Scottish painter Sir Henry Raeburn and exhibited at the National Gallery on Princes Street, the pastor skates on this frozen loch. On the north shore, go see the garden of Dr Neil, one of the most beautiful botanical gardens in Scotland. Holyrood Park contains other interesting lochs and monuments, such as St Margaret's Loch which is located at the foot of the ruins of the Saint-Antoine chapel, probably dating from the 14th century.
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Lake of Menteith
Lake Menteith, also known as Loch Inchmahome, located on the Caress of Stirling, the floodplain of the upper reaches of the Forth and Teith rivers. Adobe stock
Among all these lochs, there is a lake that hides: Lake Monteith in Stirlingshire, sometimes called Loch Inchmahome, from the name of the island to the west of the lake on which there is a 13th century priory. It is the only natural body of water in Scotland that bears the name of lake. Robert the Bruce, one of the most well-known and respected Scottish kings, went there several times and Queen Marie Stuart found refuge there when she was a child, before her departure for France. Vestiges of crannogs have been found in the lake: artificial islands built in the Iron Age, accessible by canoe or on foot by walking on stone slabs hidden just below the water level.