Loch Etchachan is a remote freshwater loch set deep within the central Cairngorms plateau, in the Cairngorms National Park, located in the eastern Highlands of Scotland.

It is the highest waterbody of its size in the UK, the surface being 927 metres (3,041 ft) above sea level.

However, the highest named bodies of water in the UK are Loch Coire an Lochain, which lies 6km to the west of Loch Etchachan on the opposite side of the Lairig Ghru, and Lochan Buidhe, which lies between Cairn Lochan and Ben Macdui.

To west, rising vertically lies the plateau of Carn Etchachan which constitute the lower slopes of Ben Macdui rising to a peak south of the loch, the second highest mountain in the UK.

[4] Both of these feats involved carrying the equipment on an 18.5 mile (30 km) round trip including 2,500 ft (750m) of ascent.