Loch Arkaig
A long loch west of the Great Glen, with an ancient Caledonian pine forest on its shore, ospreys, and a legend of Jacobite gold.
West of the Great Glen, a narrow road winds through the Dark Mile, a tunnel of mossy walls and trees, to Loch Arkaig, a long and lonely loch among the hills.
It is one of the quietest corners of Lochaber.
On its southern shore grows one of the last fragments of Scotland's native Caledonian pine forest, with ancient granny pines and rare mosses. The Woodland Trust bought it in 2016 together with the local community, and ospreys nest here from March to September, watched by a live camera. Legend says a chest of French gold meant for Bonnie Prince Charlie's rising of 1745 lies buried in the woods, and gold coins were found here in 1850.
There is a small car park at the Chia-aig Falls, no toilets and no waymarked routes, but a track follows the loch's south shore.
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No toilets; a small car park at the Chia-aig Falls.
- Where
- West of Spean Bridge, PH34 4EL.
- Forest
- 1,027 hectares of native pine.
- Watch for
- Ospreys, March to September.
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Add your reviewWest of Spean Bridge along a narrow single-track road through the Dark Mile; park at the Chia-aig Falls.
Great Glen Way Viewpoint, Loch LochyA view over Loch Lochy.8 miles 11 min by road
Spidean MialachA Munro of 996 metres above the north shore of Loch Quoich, climbed from the Kinloch Hourn road by its grassy south-west slopes.8 miles as the crow flies
Seasgair by Michel Roux Jr9 miles as the crow flies
Clan Cameron Museum10 miles 16 min by road
Commando MemorialThree bronze commandos above Spean Bridge, looking south to Ben Nevis over the country where they trained, with a car park off the B8004.14 miles 17 min by road
Places to stay near the loch, and when each is next free.
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The collections it is in and more in Lochaber.
For further reading, before you go. The details on this page were checked on .