48 Photos That Prove That Scotland In Winter Is Basically Narnia

This beautiful loch looks even more magical when it's blanketed in snow. This stunning photo was taken in February 2011 at the end of one of the coldest winters since records began.

The Falls of Dochart run through the small town of Killin in Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park. In summer the falls send up a misty spray as the waters crash into the rocks; in winter they're reduced to a frozen trickle.

Càrn a' Gheòidh sits 3199 feet above the wildfowl-filled Loch Vrotachan, which may explain why it's called "Hill of the Goose" in Gaelic. Climbers walk along a ridge known as Carn nan Sac to reach the summit.

If it weren't for Loch Turret, Famous Grouse fans would be very disappointed. The loch supplies water to Glenturret distillery in Perthshire, which provides some of the whisky that makes up the famous blend.

Meall a' Bhùiridh means "Hill of the bellowing" in Gaelic. The mountain is one of several in Glen Coe and is a popular skiing destination in winter.

Liathach is widely considered to be one of Scotland's most challenging mountains due to its narrow summit ridge. In winter the surrounding marshland often freezes, making the walk even harder.

Loch Torridon is a glacial sea loch on the west coast of Scotland. The loch is surrounded by the breathtaking Torridon hills and contains several picturesque little islets called Eilean Mòr, Eilean Tioram, Sgeir Ghlas, and Sgeir na Trian.

Cairn Toul is the fourth highest mountain in Scotland, while Braeriach is the third highest. Braeriach means "brindled greyish upper part" in Gaelic, which proves that it's not always easy to come up with names for mountains.

Loch an Eilein is famous for its island and stunning 13th century castle. The surrounding pine forests were also used by famous Scottish outlaw and cattle rustler Rob Roy to hide his stolen cows.

The pretty rural town of Banchory is surrounded by beautiful woodland rich in ancient Pictish archaeological sites. There are also several stone circles nearby in case you need to sacrifice a lion.

Loch Garten is famous for its nesting ospreys. A pair of the rare birds made the loch their home in 1954 and were carefully guarded by the RSPB after becoming extinct in the rest of the UK. You can keep an eye on them too via this webcam.

The majestic Ben Lui group of mountains are widely considered to be the grandest in the Southern Highlands. Their snow-covered peaks loom high above Cononish Glen, giving walkers and climbers a truly stunning view in winter.

This pretty coniferous forest is situated just outside the even prettier village of Kiltarlity (Gaelic: "Cill Targhlain") in the Scottish Highlands, which takes its name from an ancient Pictish King.

It's not entirely clear why this gorgeous, chilly expanse of water is called "Little Loch of the Armpit" in Gaelic. This mountain fringed loch is far too pretty to deserve such a strange name.

This spectacular frozen waterfall is part of Abriachan Garden Nursery, a hilly woodland walk and garden centre by Loch Ness.

Glenshee means "Glen of the Fairies" in Gaelic, and as you can see from this photo it certainly is magical. The hilly glen is a popular ski resort with four mountains, three valleys, and 2000 acres of snow to choose from.

This long wall is four feet high, but nevertheless it's almost completely buried in the snow. Although this might look like the Highlands, it was actually taken in Milton of Campsie near Glasgow.

This forbidding ridge is part of the summit approach to Ben Nevis: the UK's highest mountain. The challenging climb is made even more difficult by thick ice deposits and year round snow.

It's hard to believe that Castle Semple Loch is just a 30 minute drive from the bustling city of Glasgow: it feels like the middle of nowhere.

This amazing, jagged plain isn't made from discarded plastic: it's actually a field of broken ice on the surface of Loch Morlich near Aviemore.

This gorgeous bridge links Kelvingrove Park to Glasgow's botanical gardens, two equally lovely spots that turn into a winter wonderland when it snows.

Loch Doon's crystal clear water used to reflect the craggy outline of Balloch Castle, but the ruins were moved from an island to the other side of the loch in the 1930s to protect them after a dam project raised the waterline.

The distinctive Pap is an iconic landmark around Loch Leven and lower Glencoe. It's even more noticeable in winter thanks to its dusting of sugar-like snow.

The dunes bordering this small Highland town are frequently blanketed in snow in winter. These finches were caught flitting between tall stalks of maram grass in search of food on one of the coldest days of the year.

Calton Hill towers over central Edinburgh. It's crowded with monuments and statues; on a snowy day it looks like the White Witch's courtyard.

The magical expanse of Glenmore Forest lies at the heart of the Cairngorms National Park. In summer these forests form an evergreen sea, but they're frequently buried under heavy snow in winter.

When it isn't frozen into a million shards of ice, Loch Morlich looks like this. The snow covered hills in the distance are the mighty Cairngorms, Britain's highest and most massive mountain range.

It's hard to believe that this amazing photo was taken in a city centre park: it looks like something out of a fairytale... possibly Narnia's Lantern Waste.

The Ring of Brodgar is a large stone circle on Mainland, Orkney's largest island. The stones date to 2500BC, making it the third oldest henge in the UK.

Gaoda Bheinn- Goat Mountain- is the highest point on the isle of Arran, often described as "Scotland in miniature" due to its unique combination of sandy beaches, snowy peaks, lochs, and pretty farmland.

This pretty rock arch is the oldest stone bridge in the Highlands. It was damaged in a great flood called the "Muckle Spate" in 1829, which left it too rickety and unsafe to use. It's now purely decorative.

This broken lobster pot on Broughty Ferry beach has been claimed by the snowy tundra; this is basically what Cornwall will look like during the next ice age.

This is another wintry view of Braeriach (a.k.a. "brindled greyish upper part"). This amazing photo was taken from the nearby peak of Carn a'Mhaim, which is just a hillock compared to the even larger Ben Macdui.

No, this isn't Cair Paravel. It's actually Dunnotar Castle, a ruined medieval fortress on the east coast of Scotland.

The "great herdsman of Etive" is blanketed in snow each winter, but that- or the fact that parts of the steep climb are graded as "severe"- doesn't stop thousands of climbers scrambling up its icy flanks every year.

The Clyde is wide, silty, and slow-moving in Glasgow, but much more spirited, narrow (and prone to freezing) as it winds through the forest near Bothwell Castle.

Sleepy Loch na Ba Ruaidhe is part of a small group of quiet lochs in the Western Isles, though you wouldn't even know that there was a loch in this photo: it's completely frozen and covered in deep snow.

This incredible scene looks like something from another planet, but it's actually the frozen expanse of Rannoch Moor: a 50 mile stretch of wildlife-rich moorland bordering Lochaber in Highland.

You know it's cold when even the sand freezes. This photo was taken in Balchladich, a remote town in the Assynt district of Sutherland in the Highlands which is almost as far north as John O'Groats.

Loch Leven is a easily accessible loch near Kinross, just 45 minutes from Edinburgh. The loch is run by the RSPB as a nature reserve due to an abundance of bird species such as lapwings, migratory whooper swans and pink footed geese.

This shot actually shows frozen grass, but you get the feeling the whole loch isn't far away from freezing point in this atmospheric photo. Nearby Beinn Damh means 'Hill of the Stag" in Gaelic.

This snow-blasted cairn is a familiar sight to the thousands of people who climb this popular hill near the town of Pitlochry every year, though walkers need crampons and ice axes to tackle the ascent in winter.

This might look like it was taken in the far North, but it was actually captured in the fairly busy town of Neilston, proving that even commuter villages near Glasgow look like Narnia after heavy snowfall.

Eilean Donan is one of the prettiest castles in Scotland at the best of times, but heavy snow turns it into an enchanted palace. It sits on a tidal island where the great sea lochs of Duich, Long, and Alsh come together.

If this young stag was standing the other way round, this image would be an almost perfect recreation of Landseer's iconic Monarch of the Glen painting. In true Narnia style, he looks as if he's trying to tell us something.

Cir Mhor is known as the "Matterhorn of Arran", thanks to its alpine nature. This ice cave looks like something you'd find in Switzerland: it's hard to believe this was taken on a small Scottish island.

This munro's name means "Hill of the Hawk" in Gaelic and boasts incredible views down to Loch Lomond, making it well worth the 3,061 foot climb to the summit.

Loch an Eilein is a stunning stretch of water near the popular tourist resort of Aviemore. It's surrounded by pine forests and snow dusted peaks, and it boasts a ruined island castle that almost certainly used to be home to some kind of Snow Queen.