Loch Tay
Loch Tay is one of the largest freshwater lochs in Scotland, stretching approximately 23 kilometres through the magnificent scenery of Highland Perthshire between the towns of Killin at its western end and Kenmore to the east. At almost 150 metres deep in places, the loch holds more water than any other body of fresh water in Scotland south of Loch Ness, and its dark, cold depths support significant populations of brown trout, perch and pike, making it an important game fishing destination. The landscape surrounding Loch Tay is characterised by the rounded green hills of Highland Perthshire, rising steeply on both sides of the water and giving way to the broader mountain country of the Breadalbane. Ben Lawers, at 1,214 metres the highest mountain in the southern Highlands, dominates the northern shore and is famous among botanists for its exceptional arctic-alpine plant communities. The nutrient-rich mica-schist geology of the mountain supports over 160 species of flowering plants including many rare species that exist here at the southern edge of their natural range. The National Trust for Scotland manages much of the Ben Lawers massif and maintains an interpretive centre with information about the mountain's ecology. Human history along Loch Tay stretches back thousands of years. The loch's shores preserve some of the best-known crannog sites in Scotland, particularly the reconstructed Iron Age crannog at the Scottish Crannog Centre near Kenmore. Crannogs were artificial island dwellings built in the shallow margins of the loch on wooden piles, and dozens of these structures lie beneath the water of Loch Tay, some dating back 5,000 years. The Crannog Centre offers fascinating hands-on demonstrations of Iron Age crafts and technologies. The village of Kenmore at the eastern end is one of Scotland's prettiest planned villages, its whitewashed cottages arranged around the green with a charming arched bridge across the Tay. Killin at the western end sits below the dramatic Falls of Dochart, where the river tumbles through a series of rocky rapids in the centre of the village, creating one of the most photographed scenes in Highland Perthshire. Both villages serve as excellent bases for exploring the loch and surrounding countryside.