Loch Vaa: A Beautiful Woodland Loch near Aviemore
Tucked among the pine and birch woods between Aviemore and Boat of Garten, Loch Vaa is one of those places that is surprisingly easy to miss.
It's much quieter and smaller than nearby Loch Morlich, with woodland paths winding around the water and a rather lovely wooden boathouse sitting on the shore. Despite being only a short distance from the main road, once you're down beside the loch it feels wonderfully secluded.
Come for a walk, bring a picnic or, if cold water is your thing, take a swim.
Walking around Loch Vaa
A circular walk takes you around the loch through pine and birch woodland, with glimpses of the water appearing between the trees along the way.
Distance: around 3.5 km
Allow: around 1 hour
The route follows informal woodland paths and tracks rather than a surfaced trail, so expect uneven and sometimes muddy ground. There are a few short climbs and descents too, although nothing particularly strenuous.
If you don't fancy walking the full circuit, it's still worth wandering down to the water and following the shore as far as the wooden boathouse.
The Loch Vaa boathouse
The little wooden boathouse is probably Loch Vaa's most recognisable feature.
Sitting right on the edge of the water and surrounded by forest, it's an especially beautiful spot when the loch is still and the trees and hills are reflected in the water.
It's also a rather good place to stop for a while rather than immediately carrying on around the loch.
A little bit of history
Loch Vaa has another interesting feature that is much easier to miss than the boathouse.
The loch contains the remains of a crannog, an artificial island structure once used as a dwelling or fortified settlement. Timber recovered from the Loch Vaa crannog has been dated to the medieval period, although the site itself may have earlier origins.
Today there isn't an intact building to see, but knowing that people were using this little loch hundreds of years ago adds another layer to what otherwise feels like a simple woodland walk.
Getting to Loch Vaa
Loch Vaa lies between Aviemore and Boat of Garten, just off the A95.
The usual starting point is the small parking area beside Laggantygown Cemetery. From here, a woodland path climbs over the bank before dropping down towards the loch.
Parking is limited, so if the car park is full, we'd avoid parking inconsiderately around the cemetery entrance or along the roadside and come back another time.
There are no visitor facilities at Loch Vaa, so bring what you need and take everything home with you afterwards.
Why we like it
Loch Vaa doesn't have a visitor centre, café or a long list of things to do, and that's really the point.
It's somewhere to go for an hour or two when you fancy a quiet woodland walk, a swim or simply somewhere beautiful to sit beside the water.
And for somewhere so close to Aviemore, it can feel remarkably far away from everything.
For detailed route information and mapping, have a look at Walkhighlands before you set off.
