Slioch, Loch Maree

Slioch lies at the eastern end of Loch Maree in the North West of Scotland.

Loch Maree is the second largest Loch in Scotland after Loch Ness and like Loch Ness is very deep and even has rumours of a monster! In days gone by it was the home of the early Scottish kings and one sad tale records how a returning war party left the black sails on the homecoming ships, not the white as had been prearranged as a signal that all was well, and that the king assuming that his son had died in battle fell upon his own sword. These days it is the largest reserve of the native Scots pine tree and the islands in the loch are protected as the largest gene pool of this magnificent tree. I have seen specimens on the southern shore that take three spans of human arms to circle their mighty girth and it is one of the few places in the UK where I have seen “canopy” above younger, smaller trees below.