In Scotland,
loch
, a word of Gaelic origin, designates a freshwater lake, a fjord, as well as certain estuaries and bays.
The country has more than 31,000, including 7,500 in the Outer Hebrides.
To go further than Loch Ness and Loch Lomond, here is our selection of the most beautiful lochs in the country.
To discover
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The most beautiful lochs in Scotland
Loch Coruisk
This austere and majestic Loch is only accessible by boat.
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Direction the majestic Isle of Skye, accessible by road via the Skye Bridge.
To 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 waters contrasts with the rugged terrain of the Black Cuillin, the rocky mountain range that surrounds the loch.
Its tranquility should not deceive you: it is said that a
kelpie
, a magnificent but demonic black horse, which can take human form according to Celtic legend, inhabits the depths of the loch.
Our recommendation:
the access is not easy: no land road leads there!
To get to this loch, one of 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 saltwater loch which stretches from the heart of the Argyll Mountains to the arm of Loch Gilp.
Francesco Bonino
The "Loch of the vine": its name in Gaelic should give you a hint, we eat and drink well there.
Scotland's longest sea loch stretches 65 kilometers and has a nearby whiskey distillery, brewery and Scotland's best oysters and is just 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, leaders of Clan Campbell, have lived since the 18th century.
Did you know ?
Lovers of the
Downton Abbey
series will recognize it: it's Duneagle Castle in the 2012 Christmas episode.
See also48 hours in Glasgow, a Scottish city at the forefront of style
Loch Shiel
Shiel is a 120m deep freshwater loch located about 20km west of Fort William in the Lochaber district of the Scottish Highlands.
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Loch Shiel is familiar to millions of people around the world: it is where Hogwarts, the school of wizards in the
Harry Potter
saga , is located.
The 28 kilometer long freshwater loch lies in the west of the country and is close to two important monuments: the Glenfinnan Viaduct, over which the Hogwarts Express steams, and the Glenfinnan Monument, which commemorates those who lost their lives in the Jacobite risings of the 18th century.
Our recommendation:
it can be reached very easily by car or by bus from the town of Fort William, 27 kilometers to the east, along Loch Eil.
Over the seasons, the landscapes change completely, from the green reliefs in spring to the explosion of colors in autumn.
Read alsoMagical Edinburgh in the footsteps of Harry Potter
Loch Muick
Glas-allt Shiel, the hunting lodge originally built for Queen Victoria and completed in 1868, stands at the western end of the north shore of the lake.
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It was one of the favorite places of Queen Victoria and her husband Prince Albert.
Loch Muick (
pronounced Mick
), made up of fresh water, is located in Aberdeenshire in the area of Balmoral, the 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 on the death of Prince Albert.
The queen was so upset 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 Lodge".
Our recommendation:
a hiking circuit starting from the car park and information center will allow you to go around the lake in 3h30.
Lochs of Harray and Stenness
The Stenness Standing Stones form a circle of twelve standing stones standing around 3000 BCE.
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On the northern islands, there are also lochs.
On the main island of Orkney, an archipelago with many archaeological gems, the lochs of Harray and Stenness face each other, separated by a thin strip of land.
The first is a freshwater loch, the largest in the archipelago, the other a marine loch.
Here you'll see two UNESCO World Heritage sites: the famous Standing Stones of Stenness, dating back to 3,000 BC, and the 'Circle of Brodgar', a ring of 27 megaliths also designed in the Neolithic period.
Read alsoWhisky, smoked fish... why the south of Scotland is a destination of choice for epicureans
Duddingston Loch
Duddingston is also a paradise for birds, you can see geese and waterfowl there.
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There was a time when Edinburgh had several lochs, but today only one natural remains: Duddingston Loch, south of Holyrood Park, and close to the ancient village of Duddingston, now part of the Scottish capital.
In the famous late 19th century painting by Scottish painter Sir Henry Raeburn and exhibited in the National Gallery on Princes Street, it is on this frozen loch that the shepherd skates.
On the North Shore, visit Dr Neil's Garden, one of Scotland's finest botanic gardens.
Our recommendation:
Holyrood Park has other interesting lochs and monuments, such as St Margaret's Loch which sits at the foot of the ruins of St Anthony's Chapel, believed to date from the 14th century.
Read also48 hours in Edinburgh: our tips for enjoying a timeless capital
Lake of Menteith
The Loch of Menteith, also known as Loch Inchmahome, is located on Stirling Carse, the floodplain of the upper reaches of the Rivers Forth and Teith.
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Among all these lochs there is one loch lurking: the Loch of Monteith in Stirlingshire, sometimes called Loch Inchmahome, named after the island to the west of the loch on which a 13th-century priory stands.
It is the only natural body of water in Scotland that bears the name of lake.
Robert the Bruce, one of Scotland's most famous and respected kings, visited here on several occasions and Queen Mary Stuart found refuge there as a child, before leaving for France.
Remains 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 water level.
SEE ALSO
- Loch Ness Monster: where does the myth come from?
