Intimacy expressed near Scottish lake (9)
I believe the answer is:
closeness
'intimacy' is the definition.
(synonyms)
'near scottish lake' is the wordplay.
'near' becomes 'close' (synonyms).
'scottish lake' becomes 'ness' (I've seen this in another clue).
'close'+'ness'='CLOSENESS'
'expressed' acts as a link.
I am not very happy about this link. It may belong to another bit of the clue.
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for closeness that I've seen before include "Proximity" , "sense of unity" , "State of being very near" .)