Loch Coruisk

Loch Coruisk lies in the heart of the Cuillin of Skye, cradled within a horseshoe of gabbro and basalt that rises almost sheer from the water's edge. It is a large loch of roughly 85 hectares, set barely a quarter of a kilometre from the sea, yet hemmed so completely by rock and ridge that it feels as remote as any water in Scotland. The shoreline is highly irregular, folding around headlands and shallow bays for nearly eight kilometres of perimeter, and the loch carries a moderate depth overall, though shallower margins extend along much of its length. The water is clear and low in alkalinity, as you would expect of a basin carved from hard igneous rock.

The loch has long held a reputation for sea trout of exceptional size, and a run of salmon of decent weight also enters from the sea. Fishing is strictly fly only and entirely catch-and-release, a condition that reflects both the quality and the fragility of what remains. Given the distance from any road, most anglers will need to camp on the shore.

Access from Camasunary follows the coast south-westward for roughly five kilometres before reaching the loch's outflow. The route demands care: between Camasunary and Coruisk lies the Bad Step, a narrow ledge of rock above a sheer drop to the sea at Loch nan Leachd, which requires a cool head in wet conditions. Alternatively, a boat from Elgol will land you directly at the loch's foot, sparing the step entirely.