Loch Coruisk, Skye
Skye isn’t short on magic but this loch could believably be the source of it all, bubbling up from the depths to arise in volcanic spires and twisted rock formations. Coruisk lies in the crooked arm of the Cuillin ridge, almost entirely enclosed by alpine towers, opening only through a narrow channel to the sea. If you want to see it, you have just two options: by boot or by boat. Think of it as a trial to pass before winning access to one of the most mystical places on Earth.
There are two ways that most walkers find their way in. The first is an 11km trek along Glen Sligachan between the jagged Black and hulking Red Cuillin – a spectacular trip in its own right. The second follows the coast path from Camasunary Bay, crossing the Grade 2 ‘Bad Step’ with a head-spinning convex drop to the sea. Want to dip your toes in this enchanted water? This is what it takes.
Is it worth the effort? Unequivocally yes. The challenge of reaching it only sweetens the reward. At the shore, the water is so clear you can see the pebbles at the bottom, seals bask on the rocks and in summer sea pinks spring up from cracks in the rock. Enclosed by the Black Cuillin, which are themselves a witches’ shrieking laugh crystallised into rocky form, being there is like sitting in a cauldron. The atmosphere so potent it’s almost as tangible as the water.
The adventures around it are limited only by your physical ability, head for heights and rope skills. Scramble up diminutive Sgurr na Stri to find one of the best bivvy sites imaginable or follow one of the formidable routes up onto the Cuillin ridge itself. Camp by the shore and wake up to a plunge, but beware, spend one night here and you might return home to find that seven years have mysteriously
swept by. GRID REF: NG483206