Lough Neagh\u00a0<\/h3>The picturesque, freshwater Lough Neagh in Northern Ireland. Credit: Getty<\/figcaption><\/figure>The UK\u2019s largest lake by area, the immense Lough Neagh dominates the map of Northern Ireland, submerging nearly 150 square miles of it beneath its relatively shallow waters (averaging just 9m). <\/p>
The vast numbers of eels that swim here from the Atlantic are joined by dollaghan, Lough Neagh\u2019s unique variety of brown trout.<\/p>
Lower Lough Erne<\/h3>![\"\"](\"https:\/\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/47\/2024\/05\/Lower_Lough_Erne.jpg\")
As the lough\u2019s name suggests, there is also an Upper Lough Erne, to which it is connected via the River Erne. Credit: Getty<\/figcaption><\/figure>Tucked away in the very far west of Northern Ireland, the UK\u2019s second largest lake (or\u00a0lough<\/em>\u00a0in the Irish form) covers over 42 square miles. <\/p>Probably named after \u00c9rann \u2013 a goddess associated with travelling \u2013 there are no fewer than three mythological explanations of how the lough came into being. <\/p>
It\u2019s festooned with over 100 islands, the largest of which, Boa Island, is home to an ancient carved stone statue feted by Nobel Prize-winning poet Seamus Heaney in the poem\u00a0January God<\/em>.\u00a0<\/p>The shallow upper lough is about a third of the lower lough\u2019s size but is still the UK\u2019s sixth largest lake, turning the county of Fermanagh into a magical water-world.<\/p>
Loch Lomond<\/h3>![\"\"](\"https:\/\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/47\/2024\/05\/Loch_Lomond-.jpg\")
Loch Lomond acts as a gateway from the Lowlands to the Highlands. Credit: Getty<\/figcaption><\/figure>A favourite with day-trippers from Glasgow, Loch Lomond not only boasts the \u2018bonnie bonnie banks\u2019 of its famous song, but around 30 islands as well. <\/p>
Inchmurrin is Britain\u2019s largest freshwater isle; while Inchconnachan is home to an unlikely population of wallabies imported by the Countess of Arran in the 1940s.<\/p>
Loch Ness<\/h3>![\"\"](\"https:\/\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/47\/2024\/05\/Loch_Ness.jpg\")
Don’t forget to pack your binoculars when you visit Loch Ness. Credit: Getty<\/figcaption><\/figure>Although not quite the deepest lake in Scotland (see Loch Morar), Loch Ness is by far the UK\u2019s largest lake by volume, containing almost twice the amount of water than in all the lakes in England and Wales combined. <\/p>
But its fame lies, of course, in the mysterious creature that swims its murky depths. Allegedly.<\/p>
Loch Awe<\/h3>![\"\"](\"https:\/\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/47\/2024\/05\/loch_awe.jpg\")
Explore ruined castles, which still stand on some of Loch Awe’s islands. Credit: Getty\u00a0<\/figcaption><\/figure>Scotland\u2019s third largest freshwater loch is also the longest lake in the UK. It stretches for over 25 miles, bordering the mighty Inverinan Forest to the west. <\/p>
Loch Awe\u2019s islands are home to various ruined castles, the most photogenic of which is Kilchurn<\/a>, once the centre of power for the Campbells of Glenorchy.<\/p>- Fancy trying some water sports on Loch Awe? Check out our guide to the best places for stand up paddleboarding <\/a><\/li><\/ul>
Loch Maree<\/h3>![\"\"](\"https:\/\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/47\/2024\/05\/Loch_Maree.jpg\")
<\/figure>Though one of Scotland\u2019s lesser known lochs, Maree is certainly one of its most scenic. <\/p>
Located between Poolewe and Kinlochewe, in the far north-west<\/a>, the loch\u2019s remoteness has been a boon for wildlife. <\/p>The Loch Maree Islands now form a National Nature Reserve rich with rare insects, birds and flora. <\/p>
- Check out suggestions for a day out at Loch Maree<\/a> from keen walker and Countryfile contributor, Fergal MacErlean. <\/li><\/ul>
Loch Morar<\/h3>![\"\"](\"https:\/\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/47\/2024\/05\/Loch_Morar.jpg\")
If you don’t catch a glimpse of the resident sea monster, you may have more luck spotting red deer, otters or golden eagles around Lake Morar. Credit: Getty<\/figcaption><\/figure>The UK\u2019s deepest lake (310m; 1017ft), it\u2019s hardly surprising that Morar lays claim to its own \u2018Nessie\u2019. Sightings of Morag, as the creature is known, go back to 1887. <\/p>
Pleasingly, the loch is almost exactly the same depth as the height of the UK\u2019s tallest building, London\u2019s\u00a0The Shard.<\/em><\/p>- Visiting north-west Scotland? Why not walk the length of the rugged Lake Morar<\/a>.<\/li><\/ul>
Loch Tay<\/h3>![\"\"](\"https:\/\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/47\/2024\/05\/Loch_Tay.jpg\")
Scotland’s Amazon – The Tay is a mighty body of water. Credit: Getty<\/figcaption><\/figure>Scotland\u2019s longest river, the Tay (120 miles), runs through its namesake loch on its way through the central highlands. <\/p>
Evidence of human activity along the beguiling loch\u2019s shores goes back 10,000 years. It\u2019s also had at least 20 ancient crannogs (artificial islands), built upon it and today hosts the Scottish Crannog Centre<\/a>.<\/p>- Fancy trekking along The Tay<\/a>? Be inspired by Dixe Wills who has walked the length of the river.<\/li><\/ul>
Windermere<\/h3>![\"\"](\"https:\/\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/47\/2024\/05\/Lake_Windermere.jpg\")
Lake Windermere is over 10 miles long, up to a mile wide and more than 200ft deep. Credit: Getty\u00a0<\/figcaption><\/figure>Though dwarfed by the UK\u2019s lochs and loughs, Windermere is England\u2019s largest freshwater body. <\/p>
Eulogised by Romantic poets – and most recently by Taylor Swift in her song The Lakes<\/em> – the sinuous 11-mile-long \u2018ribbon lake\u2019 is extremely popular with holidaymakers who take to it on a variety of hired craft. <\/p>Of its 18 islands, only Belle Isle, with its distinctive circular house, has ever been inhabited.<\/p>
- Discover the magic of Windermere<\/a> in our expert guide. <\/li><\/ul>
Llyn Tegid\u00a0<\/h3>![\"\"](\"https:\/\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/47\/2024\/05\/Lake_Bala.jpg\")
Lake Tegid is situated in the east of Wales’s Snowdonia National Park. Credit: Getty<\/figcaption><\/figure>Known to English speakers as Bala Lake, Wales\u2019 largest llyn (lake) covers less than two square miles but makes up for this by being home to the gwyniad, a fish found nowhere else in the world. <\/p>
The entire 3.7-mile length of Tegid\u2019s south-eastern shore is flanked by the winsome narrow-gauge Bala Lake Railway.<\/p>
- Planning a visit? Check out a beautiful walk around lake Tegid<\/a>. <\/li><\/ul>
Find out more<\/h4>
The UK\u2019s largest lake by area, the immense Lough Neagh dominates the map of Northern Ireland, submerging nearly 150 square miles of it beneath its relatively shallow waters (averaging just 9m). <\/p>
The vast numbers of eels that swim here from the Atlantic are joined by dollaghan, Lough Neagh\u2019s unique variety of brown trout.<\/p>
Lower Lough Erne<\/h3>As the lough\u2019s name suggests, there is also an Upper Lough Erne, to which it is connected via the River Erne. Credit: Getty<\/figcaption><\/figure>Tucked away in the very far west of Northern Ireland, the UK\u2019s second largest lake (or\u00a0lough<\/em>\u00a0in the Irish form) covers over 42 square miles. <\/p>Probably named after \u00c9rann \u2013 a goddess associated with travelling \u2013 there are no fewer than three mythological explanations of how the lough came into being. <\/p>
It\u2019s festooned with over 100 islands, the largest of which, Boa Island, is home to an ancient carved stone statue feted by Nobel Prize-winning poet Seamus Heaney in the poem\u00a0January God<\/em>.\u00a0<\/p>The shallow upper lough is about a third of the lower lough\u2019s size but is still the UK\u2019s sixth largest lake, turning the county of Fermanagh into a magical water-world.<\/p>
Loch Lomond<\/h3>Loch Lomond acts as a gateway from the Lowlands to the Highlands. Credit: Getty<\/figcaption><\/figure>A favourite with day-trippers from Glasgow, Loch Lomond not only boasts the \u2018bonnie bonnie banks\u2019 of its famous song, but around 30 islands as well. <\/p>
Inchmurrin is Britain\u2019s largest freshwater isle; while Inchconnachan is home to an unlikely population of wallabies imported by the Countess of Arran in the 1940s.<\/p>
Loch Ness<\/h3>Don’t forget to pack your binoculars when you visit Loch Ness. Credit: Getty<\/figcaption><\/figure>Although not quite the deepest lake in Scotland (see Loch Morar), Loch Ness is by far the UK\u2019s largest lake by volume, containing almost twice the amount of water than in all the lakes in England and Wales combined. <\/p>
But its fame lies, of course, in the mysterious creature that swims its murky depths. Allegedly.<\/p>
Loch Awe<\/h3>Explore ruined castles, which still stand on some of Loch Awe’s islands. Credit: Getty\u00a0<\/figcaption><\/figure>Scotland\u2019s third largest freshwater loch is also the longest lake in the UK. It stretches for over 25 miles, bordering the mighty Inverinan Forest to the west. <\/p>
Loch Awe\u2019s islands are home to various ruined castles, the most photogenic of which is Kilchurn<\/a>, once the centre of power for the Campbells of Glenorchy.<\/p>- Fancy trying some water sports on Loch Awe? Check out our guide to the best places for stand up paddleboarding <\/a><\/li><\/ul>
Loch Maree<\/h3><\/figure>Though one of Scotland\u2019s lesser known lochs, Maree is certainly one of its most scenic. <\/p>
Located between Poolewe and Kinlochewe, in the far north-west<\/a>, the loch\u2019s remoteness has been a boon for wildlife. <\/p>The Loch Maree Islands now form a National Nature Reserve rich with rare insects, birds and flora. <\/p>
- Check out suggestions for a day out at Loch Maree<\/a> from keen walker and Countryfile contributor, Fergal MacErlean. <\/li><\/ul>
Loch Morar<\/h3>If you don’t catch a glimpse of the resident sea monster, you may have more luck spotting red deer, otters or golden eagles around Lake Morar. Credit: Getty<\/figcaption><\/figure>The UK\u2019s deepest lake (310m; 1017ft), it\u2019s hardly surprising that Morar lays claim to its own \u2018Nessie\u2019. Sightings of Morag, as the creature is known, go back to 1887. <\/p>
Pleasingly, the loch is almost exactly the same depth as the height of the UK\u2019s tallest building, London\u2019s\u00a0The Shard.<\/em><\/p>- Visiting north-west Scotland? Why not walk the length of the rugged Lake Morar<\/a>.<\/li><\/ul>
Loch Tay<\/h3>Scotland’s Amazon – The Tay is a mighty body of water. Credit: Getty<\/figcaption><\/figure>Scotland\u2019s longest river, the Tay (120 miles), runs through its namesake loch on its way through the central highlands. <\/p>
Evidence of human activity along the beguiling loch\u2019s shores goes back 10,000 years. It\u2019s also had at least 20 ancient crannogs (artificial islands), built upon it and today hosts the Scottish Crannog Centre<\/a>.<\/p>- Fancy trekking along The Tay<\/a>? Be inspired by Dixe Wills who has walked the length of the river.<\/li><\/ul>
Windermere<\/h3>Lake Windermere is over 10 miles long, up to a mile wide and more than 200ft deep. Credit: Getty\u00a0<\/figcaption><\/figure>Though dwarfed by the UK\u2019s lochs and loughs, Windermere is England\u2019s largest freshwater body. <\/p>
Eulogised by Romantic poets – and most recently by Taylor Swift in her song The Lakes<\/em> – the sinuous 11-mile-long \u2018ribbon lake\u2019 is extremely popular with holidaymakers who take to it on a variety of hired craft. <\/p>Of its 18 islands, only Belle Isle, with its distinctive circular house, has ever been inhabited.<\/p>
- Discover the magic of Windermere<\/a> in our expert guide. <\/li><\/ul>
Llyn Tegid\u00a0<\/h3>Lake Tegid is situated in the east of Wales’s Snowdonia National Park. Credit: Getty<\/figcaption><\/figure>Known to English speakers as Bala Lake, Wales\u2019 largest llyn (lake) covers less than two square miles but makes up for this by being home to the gwyniad, a fish found nowhere else in the world. <\/p>
The entire 3.7-mile length of Tegid\u2019s south-eastern shore is flanked by the winsome narrow-gauge Bala Lake Railway.<\/p>
- Planning a visit? Check out a beautiful walk around lake Tegid<\/a>. <\/li><\/ul>
Find out more<\/h4>
Tucked away in the very far west of Northern Ireland, the UK\u2019s second largest lake (or\u00a0lough<\/em>\u00a0in the Irish form) covers over 42 square miles. <\/p> Probably named after \u00c9rann \u2013 a goddess associated with travelling \u2013 there are no fewer than three mythological explanations of how the lough came into being. <\/p> It\u2019s festooned with over 100 islands, the largest of which, Boa Island, is home to an ancient carved stone statue feted by Nobel Prize-winning poet Seamus Heaney in the poem\u00a0January God<\/em>.\u00a0<\/p> The shallow upper lough is about a third of the lower lough\u2019s size but is still the UK\u2019s sixth largest lake, turning the county of Fermanagh into a magical water-world.<\/p> A favourite with day-trippers from Glasgow, Loch Lomond not only boasts the \u2018bonnie bonnie banks\u2019 of its famous song, but around 30 islands as well. <\/p> Inchmurrin is Britain\u2019s largest freshwater isle; while Inchconnachan is home to an unlikely population of wallabies imported by the Countess of Arran in the 1940s.<\/p> Although not quite the deepest lake in Scotland (see Loch Morar), Loch Ness is by far the UK\u2019s largest lake by volume, containing almost twice the amount of water than in all the lakes in England and Wales combined. <\/p> But its fame lies, of course, in the mysterious creature that swims its murky depths. Allegedly.<\/p> Scotland\u2019s third largest freshwater loch is also the longest lake in the UK. It stretches for over 25 miles, bordering the mighty Inverinan Forest to the west. <\/p> Loch Awe\u2019s islands are home to various ruined castles, the most photogenic of which is Kilchurn<\/a>, once the centre of power for the Campbells of Glenorchy.<\/p> Though one of Scotland\u2019s lesser known lochs, Maree is certainly one of its most scenic. <\/p> Located between Poolewe and Kinlochewe, in the far north-west<\/a>, the loch\u2019s remoteness has been a boon for wildlife. <\/p> The Loch Maree Islands now form a National Nature Reserve rich with rare insects, birds and flora. <\/p> The UK\u2019s deepest lake (310m; 1017ft), it\u2019s hardly surprising that Morar lays claim to its own \u2018Nessie\u2019. Sightings of Morag, as the creature is known, go back to 1887. <\/p> Pleasingly, the loch is almost exactly the same depth as the height of the UK\u2019s tallest building, London\u2019s\u00a0The Shard.<\/em><\/p> Scotland\u2019s longest river, the Tay (120 miles), runs through its namesake loch on its way through the central highlands. <\/p> Evidence of human activity along the beguiling loch\u2019s shores goes back 10,000 years. It\u2019s also had at least 20 ancient crannogs (artificial islands), built upon it and today hosts the Scottish Crannog Centre<\/a>.<\/p> Though dwarfed by the UK\u2019s lochs and loughs, Windermere is England\u2019s largest freshwater body. <\/p> Eulogised by Romantic poets – and most recently by Taylor Swift in her song The Lakes<\/em> – the sinuous 11-mile-long \u2018ribbon lake\u2019 is extremely popular with holidaymakers who take to it on a variety of hired craft. <\/p> Of its 18 islands, only Belle Isle, with its distinctive circular house, has ever been inhabited.<\/p> Known to English speakers as Bala Lake, Wales\u2019 largest llyn (lake) covers less than two square miles but makes up for this by being home to the gwyniad, a fish found nowhere else in the world. <\/p> The entire 3.7-mile length of Tegid\u2019s south-eastern shore is flanked by the winsome narrow-gauge Bala Lake Railway.<\/p>Loch Lomond<\/h3>
Loch Ness<\/h3>
Loch Awe<\/h3>
Loch Maree<\/h3>
<\/figure>Loch Morar<\/h3>
Loch Tay<\/h3>
Windermere<\/h3>
Llyn Tegid\u00a0<\/h3>
Find out more<\/h4>