Cryptic crossword clue
Desolate character is magistrate, circling large loch 9

The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 9 letter word BLEAKNESS

I've seen this crossword clue in The Times
B
L
E
A
K
N
E
S
S

Buddy explains!

The straight part
We know that "Desolate character" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case desolate character = bleakness.
The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.
This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.

What does BLEAKNESS mean?

BLEAKNESS noun
  1. The characteristic of being bleak.

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