Scotland has over 30,000 lochs. Most visitors see two of them – Loch Ness and Loch Lomond – and miss everything else. Here are my ten favourites, including some you probably haven’t heard of.
Loch Shiel, Lochaber
Harry Potter fans might usually visit Loch Shiel to fulfil their fantasies of travelling to Hogwarts on the Jacobite Steam Train and crossing the Black Lake, but in my opinion, the loch itself is just as dramatic as the Viaduct.
Climb up the Glenfinnan Monument to the fallen who fought in support of Bonnie Prince Charlie for a 360-degree view of the loch and learn about the loch’s connection to the ill-fated Jacobite rebellion by visiting the National Trust for Scotland centre.
Behind the viaduct, the Glenfinnan Viaduct Trail gives great views of the loch. The Jacobite Steam Train crosses the viaduct Monday to Fridays at around 11 am and 3 pm. The best time to see the train is 11 am, at 3 pm the engine is backwards!
How to visit Loch Shiel
- Loch Shiel is located on the A830, around 12 miles west of Fort William.
- Parking is available at the Glenfinnan Monument for £2.
- Entry to the monument is £3.50 for adults, free for National Trust for Scotland Members.
Loch Harport, Isle of Skye
You might think it strange that a small, unassuming sea loch on the west coast of Skye would make it onto the list of my favourite lochs in Scotland… however, Loch Harport is home to the both the Talisker Distillery and The Oyster Shed – two of my favourite things.
Climb up the hill behind Carbost to find a tiny seafood shack with great views over the loch and across to the Cullins. After stuffing yourself full of oysters and fresh langoustines, head down to the Old Inn in Carbost, grab a bench right on the water and a dram of Talisker sherry cask.
How to visit Loch Harport
Once you have left the civilisation of Broadford behind, turn left at The Cullins and just keep going and going and going until you reach the village of Carbost.
> Read more in my guide to the Isle of Skye
Loch Voil, Perthshire
Deep in the heart of Perthshire lies Loch Voil, a small loch just 8km in length.
At the head of the loch is Balquidder (pronounced Balwhidder) sits a small village with a famous resident in the graveyard, Scottish folk hero Rob Roy McGregor.
However, this was not always Red Robert’s land, for it was once Clan MacClaren country; the lands around the loch were a battleground for ownership with Clan MacGregor.
For a true taste climb Creag an Turic above the village – it was once the rallying point for the MacClarens. You can see why it was used as a lookout – you can see for miles.
How to visit Loch Voil
- Loch Voil is just off the A84 by Balquidder.
- Find out more about this beautiful area via Rob Roy Country.
- By Balquidder Mhor 84 serves food all day (and has amazing cakes)
Loch Eil, Lochaber
Those travelling from Fort William to Loch Shiel and Glenfinnan will know this loch rather well, for the Road to the Isles travels along its banks.
However, it is the beauty of the west side of the loch that puts it on my list of favourite lochs in Scotland.
The west side of Loch Eli is best discovered by ferry, by car take the trip from Corran (£8.20 per car) or by foot hop on the Camusnagaul ferry (£1.50 for adults) which will take you across Loch Eli, where you will discover a stunning view of Ben Nevis.
On the east side of Loch Eli, visit the village of Banavie and the Neptune’s Staircase, a system of 8 lochs which lift seacraft 50 feet to the Caledonian Canal. Visit Loch Eil at Fort William, just north of Glencoe.
> Read more in my guide to visiting Fort William.
Loch Awe, Argyll
Famous for one of Scotland’s most photographed castles, Kilchurn, Loch Awe certainly lives up to its name; it is the longest of the lochs in Scotland, Loch Awe stretches for 41km, across the length of Argyll and Bute.
Kilchurn isn’t the only castle on the loch, it has four.
However, it is Kilchurn Castle that you will want to see. Once the main seat of one of Scotland’s most controversial clans, the Campbell’s of Glenorchy – the bad guys of the Scottish highlands!
A long-running feud which ended with the chief of Clan Campbell, saw Grey Colin cut off the head of the chief of Clan McGregor in front of his wife… Kilchurn castle is now managed by Historic Scotland and is free to visit.
How to visit Loch Awe
- the loch is located on the A85 between Tyndrum and Oban.
- Make sure you stop by the Green Welly Stop on your way, it is a Scottish Institution.
Loch Coruisk, Isle of Skye
Loch Coruisk sits in the heart of the Black Cuillin on Skye and is one of the most dramatic places in Scotland. The loch is ringed by the jagged peaks of the Cuillin ridge on three sides, and the only way in is by boat from Elgol or on foot over the notorious Bad Step, a rocky scramble on a sea cliff that has defeated many a confident walker.
I’d recommend the boat. Bella Jane runs trips from Elgol pier and lands you at the loch for an hour or so before picking you up again. The approach by sea, watching the Cuillin grow from a smudge on the horizon into something that fills the entire sky, is unforgettable.
Once you’re there, the loch itself is eerily still, hemmed in by grey rock and very little else. On a clear day it is one of the most beautiful places I have visited in Scotland. On a low cloud day it is something from another world entirely.
- Boat trips from Elgol run from Easter to October.
- If you want to walk in, the route from Elgol via the Bad Step is 5 miles one way and not for beginners.
- Read my complete guide to the Elgol Peninsula.
Loch Assynt, Sutherland
Loch Assynt is one of those places that stops you in your tracks. The ruins of Ardvreck Castle sit on a rocky promontory running into the loch, a 16th-century MacLeod stronghold that was surrendered to the Covenanters in 1650 and has been a ruin ever since. The mountains behind the loch, Canisp and Quinag, are among the most distinctive shapes in the Highlands.
The loch sits on the NC500 route but most drivers pass without stopping. Pull over at the castle and give it 20 minutes. The reflection of the ruins in the water on a still morning is the sort of thing that ends up as a screensaver. Come back in the evening and the light off the loch turns everything gold.
- Ardvreck Castle is free to visit, parking by the roadside on the A837.
- The closest base is Lochinver, 7 miles west.
- Read my complete guide to Assynt and Lochinver.
Loch Morlich, Cairngorms
Loch Morlich is Scotland’s highest sandy beach loch, sitting at 340 metres in the Glenmore Forest on the edge of the Cairngorms. It has a proper sandy beach, the kind you’d expect to find on a coast, not in the middle of a national park, and Blue Flag water quality. In summer people swim and kayak; in winter the surrounding Caledonian pines get their first snow and the whole place looks like a Christmas card.
The loch is surrounded by good walking country. The Glenmore circular takes you around the forest above the loch, and the Ryvoan Pass walk heads past the famous Lochan Uaine, the Green Loch, said to get its colour from the fairies washing their clothes in it.
- Loch Morlich is 7 miles east of Aviemore on the B970.
- Canoes and paddleboards are available to hire at the watersports centre.
- Read my complete guide to the Cairngorms.
Loch Fyne, Argyll
Loch Fyne is Scotland’s longest sea loch, stretching 65 kilometres from the Firth of Clyde up into the heart of Argyll. It is the reason Inveraray exists, the town was built on its banks by the Duke of Argyll in the 18th century and still looks much as it did then. But Loch Fyne is probably better known for its food than its history. The oysters and kippers from this loch are some of the finest in Scotland.
The Loch Fyne Oyster Bar at Cairndow, at the head of the loch, is the original and still the best, a shed-like restaurant that has been here since 1978 and is always full. Order the oysters and a half pint of prawns and sit by the water. The drive along the loch from Inveraray up to Cairndow is very good too, with the Arrochar Alps rising above the far shore.
- Inveraray is 60 miles from Glasgow on the A83.
- The Loch Fyne Oyster Bar is at Clachan Farm, Cairndow, PA26 8BL.
- Inveraray Castle is open to visitors from April to October.
- Read my guide to Inveraray
Loch Maree, Wester Ross
Loch Maree is often described as Scotland’s most beautiful loch and it is hard to argue with that. The loch is 22 kilometres long and sits in the Beinn Eighe National Nature Reserve in Wester Ross, ringed by ancient Caledonian pine forest and the imposing peak of Slioch on its northern shore.
The islands on the loch are something special, several of them are cloaked in old native woodland, barely touched. The largest, Isle Maree, contains the ruins of an early Christian hermit’s cell said to date to the 8th century. Queen Victoria visited Loch Maree in 1877 and the falls on the western shore were named after her. The drive along the A832 from Kinlochewe to Gairloch runs the full length of the loch and is one of the most beautiful roads in Scotland.
- Loch Maree is on the A832 between Kinlochewe and Gairloch.
- Beinn Eighe Nature Reserve has good walking trails starting from the car park at Coille na Glas-Leitir.
- Slioch is a full-day Munro and one of the finest hills in Wester Ross.
- Read my complete guide to Wester Ross.
FAQS about lochs in Scotland
How many lochs are there in Scotland?
Scotland has over 30,000 lochs, ranging from tiny hill lochans to vast freshwater bodies like Loch Lomond and Loch Ness. The word loch comes from Scottish Gaelic and refers to both freshwater lakes and sea inlets (sea lochs).
What is the most famous loch in Scotland?
Loch Ness is Scotland’s most famous loch, largely due to the legend of the Loch Ness Monster. Loch Lomond is the largest by surface area and the most visited. Both are worth seeing, but Scotland’s less-visited lochs — like Loch Coruisk, Loch Assynt and Loch Maree — are often more dramatic.
What is the most beautiful loch in Scotland?
There’s no single answer, but Loch Coruisk on Skye, Loch Maree in Wester Ross and Loch Affric in the Highlands are consistently rated among Scotland’s most beautiful. For a loch with castle ruins, Loch Awe and Loch Assynt are hard to beat.
What is the largest loch in Scotland?
Loch Lomond is Scotland’s largest loch by surface area. Loch Ness is larger by volume due to its great depth — at its deepest point it plunges to around 230 metres. Loch Awe is Scotland’s longest loch at 41 kilometres.
What is the deepest loch in Scotland?
Loch Morar is Scotland’s deepest loch, reaching 310 metres at its lowest point. Loch Ness is the second deepest at around 230 metres. Despite its depth, Loch Ness contains more fresh water than all the lakes of England and Wales combined.
What are your favourite lochs in Scotland, I might have never heard of?
Love from, Scotland x
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