Loch Ossian

Loch Ossian lies in the Highlands, a narrow five-kilometre stretch of water on the north-eastern edge of Rannoch Moor. It sits on The Corrour Estate, two kilometres east of Corrour railway station. The loch drains north through the River Ossian into Loch Guilbinn and then the River Spean at Moy. Its western end is marked by Loch Ossian youth hostel, run by the Scottish Youth Hostels Association. The hostel has been restored as an eco-hostel, using wind and solar power with grey water and dry toilet systems. At the eastern end stands Corrour Lodge, a private building surrounded by woodland. The loch is worth reaching because it is remote from public roads, offering quiet and solitude. Sir John Stirling Maxwell began planting trees here in 1892, creating 320 hectares of woodland along the north-west shore. He introduced conifers, beech, oak, sycamore and other broadleaves over 5.5 kilometres. Conservationist Roy Dennis later worked with landowners Donald and Margo Maxwell MacDonald on a red squirrel project, though it was refused a licence. In 2017, Becky Priestley started releasing red squirrels at Corrour. Visitors find a peaceful shoreline path beside the dark water, with views across the moorland. The eco-hostel provides simple accommodation for walkers and cyclists. Corrour Lodge remains a quiet retreat at the far end. The surrounding woodland shelters rare birds and wildlife. The air is still, broken only by the call of curlews or the wind in the pines.