HIGHLANDS & ISLANDS
PHOTOGRAPH: PETE SEAWARD
Scotland’s most famous loch is the largest stretch of fresh water in Britain, and its ‘bonnie banks’ are etched in the imaginations of Scots worldwide. Part of the Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park, its Highlands-inminiature setting is as good as it gets for outdoor purists. Hikers summit craggy Ben Lomond (974m), while the shingle beaches and rhododendron forests below pack-out with mountain bikers, dog walkers and picnickers. In summer, long- distance trekkers tackle the first stages of the West Highland Way (96 miles). To see the 24-mile loch at its most atmospheric, catch a boat from Balmaha to the tree-covered islands in the middle of the loch (£5; balmahaboatyard.co.uk). As you approach, you’ll smell blooming heather, spy thickets of Scots pine, and perhaps land on an island where William Wallace sought refuge.