Punch Bowl on the River Quoich in the Cairngorms

In the eastern Highlands of Scotland, tucked into the forested plateaus of the Cairngorms mountain range is a small but beloved river that runs through a ravine. The River Quoich is frequented by nature lovers, hikers, and intrepid paddlers willing to brave its surprisingly swift currents and its several waterfalls, including the one featured here, the Linn of Quoich. These falls are famous for the bowl-shaped cavity in the rock that you see on the left side of this image.

Called the Punch Bowl, this natural feature has become the star attraction for those who visit the river and take the 3-mile hike along its banks. According to lore, the Earl of Mar, the 18th-century nobleman who owned these woods, would place a ceremonial punch bowl atop the hole and drank from it after a successful deer hunt. Queen Victoria, Britain's longest-reigning monarch, also frequented these pine woods and built a now derelict lodge near the falls. While the beauty of the River Quoich is fit for a queen, you don't have to be royalty to enjoy it.