Explore: Loch Vaa

A genuine ‘local’s secret’ this picturesque loch is tucked away off the road between Aviemore and Boat of Garten and is always a great place for a walk (or swim). It’s fairly rugged, with the thin path winding through the trees, but not a difficult walk and probably takes about 45 minutes to complete. 

Relatively unknown compared to the nearby Loch Morlich or Loch an Eilein, this quiet slice of the Cairngorms is never very busy. Even on a sunny day in August you’ll be able to find a secluded little patch to relax and enjoy the view.  

The easiest place to park is in the car park next to the Laggantygown cemetery and from there you will see the path up and over the bank which leads down to the loch.

A traditional wooden boathouse sits on the north-west bank of the loch, which is home to a number of brown and rainbow trout. 

Loch Vaa also contains the remains of a crannog, a historic fortified structure constructed on an artificial island. Birch timber recovered from the Loch Vaa crannog dates it to the 13th century, though the structure may be even older - dating back to the time of the Picts or earlier Iron Age peoples.