There are some places that stay with you, and Loch Turret it one of these for me. It just seems like every time we’ve visited it’s been amazing, with something for each sense to savour. Here’s some highlights that you too may enjoy:

The colours

Catch Loch Turret on the right day and it just seems to be especially vibrant, as the photos in this article show! Around about this time of year is perfect for catching that sapphire blue water, lime green ferns and flashes of black, white and orange from birds and butterflies, not to mention the odd pop of pink or yellow from wildflowers studding the verges.

The path

I admit that I don’t like a walk to be too difficult! So I like that the Glen Turret car park is just a very short walk from the top of the dam, with its spectacular view past the tower over the reservoir. The path itself is mostly very easy and dry, with just one or two wet patches (one where a little stream goes across it) and the occasional small uphill and downhill sections. It’s gravelly with some quite big stones, so decent shoes are a good idea.

The wildlife

It’s true Loch Turret is a somewhat barren landscape now and therefore has some issues surrounding wildlife diversity, but we have nevertheless always seen lots on our visits. There’s an abundance of birds, including gulls and oyster catchers, and on one memorable occasion we were treated to the sight of an osprey catching a fish. On a smaller scale, butterflies often dance along the path ahead of you as they go from wild flower to flower, and the bees hum happily around too.

The sounds

Waves lapping, oyster catchers calling and gulls screaming, it almost sounds like the seaside! This feeling is added to by the hot, earthy smell of sun-baked rocks and pebbles if you happen to go on a warm, dry day. There’s something very evocative to me about these sounds and smells, recalling distant childhood holidays.

Finally, we like to end our walk with a delicious lunch in Comrie or Crieff, and perhaps a wander around some of the lovely independent shops.