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Loch Lomond
Location	West Dunbartonshire, Scotland
Coordinates	56°05′N 4°34′W / 56.083°N 4.567°W / 56.083; -4.567Coordinates: 56°05′N 4°34′W / 56.083°N 4.567°W / 56.083; -4.567
Lake type	freshwater loch, ribbon lake, dimictic
Primary inflows	River Endrick, Fruin Water, River Falloch
Primary outflows	River Leven
Catchment area	696 km2 (269 sq mi)
Basin countries	Scotland
Max. length	39 km (24 mi)
Max. width	8 km (5.0 mi)
Surface area	71 km2 (27 sq mi)
Average depth	37 m (120 ft)
Max. depth	190 m (620 ft)
Water volume	2.6 km3 (0.62 cu mi)
Residence time	1.9 years
Surface elevation	7.6 m (25 ft)
Islands	60 (Inchcailloch, Inchmurrin, Inchfad)
Sections/sub-basins	north basin, south basin
Settlements	Balloch, Ardlui, Balmaha, Luss, Rowardennan, Tarbet

Loch Lomond (pronounced /ˈloʊmənd/), (Scottish Gaelic Loch Laomainn) is a freshwater Scottish loch, lying on the Highland Boundary Fault. It is the largest loch/lake in mainland Britain, by surface area, and contains many islands, including Inchmurrin, the largest fresh water island in the British Isles. It is a popular leisure destination and is featured in song.

Geography

View across Loch Lomond at the waterline looking North at Ben Lomond

Loch Lomond is a freshwater loch lying on the Highland Boundary Fault, the boundary between the lowlands of Central Scotland and the Highlands. It is 39 kilometres (24 mi) long and between 1.21 kilometres (0.75 mi) and 8 kilometres (5.0 mi) wide. It has an average depth of about 37 metres (120 ft), and a maximum depth of about 190 metres (620 ft). Its surface area measures 71 km² (27 sq mi), and it has a volume of 2.6 km³ (0.62 cu mi). Of all lakes in Great Britain, it is the largest by surface area, and the second largest (after Loch Ness) by water volume.^[1] Within the United Kingdom (and indeed the entire British Isles), it is surpassed only by Lough Neagh in Northern Ireland.^[2]

Traditionally a boundary of Stirlingshire and Dunbartonshire, Loch Lomond is located in the current council areas of Stirling, Argyll and Bute, and West Dunbartonshire, and its southern shores lie approximately 23 kilometres (14 mi) north of Glasgow, the country's largest city.

Loch Lomond is now part of Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park. Ben Lomond is on the eastern shore: 974 m (3,195 ft) in height and the most southerly of the Scottish Munro peaks. A 2005 poll of Radio Times readers named Loch Lomond as the 6th greatest natural wonder in Britain.^[3]

The main arterial route along the loch is the A82 road which runs the length of its western shore. For a long time this was a notorious bottleneck, with the route clogged with tourists during the summer months. It was upgraded in the 1980s and 1990s, although the stretch north of Tarbet remains unimproved.

Islands

From the summit of the island of Inchcailloch to Torrinch, Creinch, Inchmurrin and Ben Bowie

The loch contains approximately 60 islands, depending on the water level.^[4] Several of them are large by the standards of British bodies of freshwater. Inchmurrin, for example, is the largest island in a loch/lake in the British Isles.^[5] As in Loch Tay, several of the islands appear to be Crannogs, artificial islands built in prehistoric periods.

English travel writer, H.V. Morton wrote:

What a large part of Loch Lomond's beauty is due to its islands, those beautiful green tangled islands, that lie like jewels upon its surface.^[6]

One of the loch's islands, Inchconnachan is home to a colony of wallaby.^[7]

Leisure activities

The Loch Lomond Golf Club is situated on the south western shore. It has hosted many international events including the Scottish Open. Another golf club, "The Carrick" has opened on the banks of the Loch adjacent to the Loch Lomond Club.^[8]

The West Highland Way runs along the eastern bank of the loch. The West Loch Lomond Cycle Path runs from Arrochar and Tarbet railway station, at the upper end of the loch, to Balloch railway station, at the south end. The 28 kilometers (16.5 miles) long cycle path runs along the west bank.

In 2002 Loch Lomond Shores opened its doors to the public. It is on the southern most tip of Loch Lomond, reached by taking the Balloch cut off on the A82. It is a shopping, food and visual complex, complete with a Jenners of Edinburgh store and a Thornton's amongst other retailers. An aquariam has taken over the impressive Dumkinnon Tower building which resembles an ancient fort. There are a selection of restaurants and coffee shops at the Loch Lomond Shores Complex with views of the loch and nearby Ben Lomond. Apart from a number of big events that are advertised on the Loch Lomond Shores website, every second Sunday there is a Farmers Market along the promenade of the Loch Lomond Shores Complex and this is always very popular.

Boating and watersports

Loch Lomond is one of Scotland's premier boating and watersports venues and the scenery draws people from all over Scotland and beyond. The loch is open to every kind of watercraft including kayaks, canoes, wind-surfers, jetskis, speedboats and cruisers and they are all very well represented. Loch Lomond Rescue Boat provides 24-hour safety cover on the loch.

Maid of the Loch at Balloch pier

The National Park Authority has tried to achieve a balance between land-based tourists and loch users, with environmentally sensitive areas subject to a strictly enforced 10 km per hour speed limit, but the rest of the loch open to speeds of up to 90 km per hour.

Other leisure activities on the loch include cruises from the town of Balloch, operated by Sweeney's Cruises.^[9]

The Maid of the Loch was the last paddle steamer built in Britain. Built on the Clyde in 1953, she operated on Loch Lomond for 29 years. She is now being restored at Balloch pier by the Loch Lomond Steamship Company, a charitable organisation, supported by Dumbarton District Council.^[10]

Popular culture

Loch Lomond from just below Beinn Dubh and Creag an t-Seilich

The song

The loch is featured in a well-known song which was first published around 1841.^[11] The chorus is:

Oh, ye'll tak' the high road, and I'll tak' the low road,

And I'll be in Scotland afore ye;

But me and my true love will never meet again

On the bonnie, bonnie banks o' Loch Lomond.

The song has been recorded by many performers over the years including the Mudmen and Scottish-Canadian punk band The Real McKenzies.^{[citation needed]} Both Runrig and Quadriga Consort used to perform Loch Lomond as their concert's final song.^{[citation needed]} The original author is unknown. One story is that the song was written by a Scottish soldier who awaited death in enemy captivity; in his final letter home, he wrote this song, portraying his home and how much he would miss it. Another tale is that during the 1745 Rebellion a soldier on his way back to Scotland during the 1745-6 retreat from England wrote this song. The "low road" is a reference to the Celtic belief that if someone died away from his homeland then the fairies would provide a route of this name for his soul to return home.^[12]

Other popular culture

A TV advert for Captain Haddock's favourite brand of whisky (Tintin and the Picaros)

• In The Adventures of Tintin cartoon book series, Captain Haddock's and Snowy's favourite drink is the Scotch whisky brand "Loch Lomond". This is a fictional creation; there is, however, a real Loch Lomond Distillery.^[13] Sydney Krukowsi, a character in the comic strip Dykes to Watch Out For, also drinks Loch Lomond.

• The village of Luss ("Glendarroch") on the shores of the loch was the location for the TV soap Take the High Road, and the loch itself was given the fictional name Loch Darroch for the purpose of the series.

• The village of Luss, named therein as "Lios", and the islands nearby were used as the setting for E. J. Oxenham's first book, Goblin Island, published in 1907.^[14]

• Loch Lomond is featured in the song "Almost Like Being In Love" from the Lerner and Lowe musical Brigadoon. The opening lyrics are: "Maybe the sun gave me the power/For I could swim Loch Lomond and be home in half an hour/Maybe the air gave me the drive/For I'm all aglow and alive!"

• The song "Loch Lomond" by the The Borderers is a popular tune with many Australian Gaelic and Folk music fans.

• In The Goon Show episode The Treasure in the Lake, the characters Grytpype-Thynne and Moriarty persuade Neddy Seagoon to drink Loch Lomond in order to recover the treasure of a Spanish Galleon sunk in the lake.

References

External links

• Loch Lomond data
• About the National Park
• Loch Lomond walking routes
• Robert Burns (poet): links to Loch Lomond
• Loch Lomond webcam
• The islands of Loch Lomond

From Wikitravel

View of Loch Lomond

Loch Lomond is the second largest loch of Scotland, the largest body of fresh water in Britain and probably the most famous after Loch Ness. It is part of the Loch Lomond & the Trossachs National Park, Scotland's first national park. The southern end of the loch is quite flat, but the scenery soon become more mountainous and distinctly wild by the time your reach the north end. To the north-east lie the Trossachs with its Loch Katrine and Loch Array.

• Balloch -- located at the southern end of Loch Lomond, it is the main town on the loch, and can get busy. The TIC / visitors centre called Loch Lomond Shores can help you plan your stay and provide you with close-area maps. Has a railway station.
• Luss -- a town without any attractions other than its beautiful appearance and cottages, which are still worth a visit
• Rowardennan -- this village makes a great base to explore Ben Lomond
• Drymen -- good base for the Conic Hill, also a nice pub (claimed to be the oldest in Scotland) and Buchanan castle.
• Tarbet -- a large village near the centre of the west shore with railway station
• Ardlui

Get in

By Train

ScotRail [1] Local trains run frequently from Glasgow's Queen Street Station to Balloch which is at the end of the line. The station in Balloch is easy to find.

Several trains run daily between Glasgow and Oban, Fort William and Mallaig which stop at Tarbet and Ardlui on the north-west shore as well as Crainlarich in the northern part of the park. These leave from the upper level of Glasgow's Queen Street station.

The Caledonian Sleeper from London also runs up here - see the ScotRail website for further details.

By Bus

Buses run frequently between Balloch and Glasgow.

The First Western bus service towards Balloch pick up passengers at the bus stop opposite McDonalds at Jamaica Street. A full day unlimited travel ticket costs about 4 pounds.

Several buses a day between Glasgow and Campbeltown, Oban or Fort William, traveling along the western shore (A82) of the Loch. These will stop at all bus stops north of Balloch, including Luss, Inverbeg, Tarbet and Ardlui.

Get around

By Bike

To enjoy the nature, it is best to go by bike. There's a (relatively!) well-maintained and -signposted cycleway from Glasgow to Balloch called National Route 7. A good place to join it is Bells Bridge over the Clyde by the SECC (Scottish Exhibition and Conference Center). It's a fairly flat 20-25 miles.

By Bus

Buses run along the Loch, but not that frequently (see above). You should check the departure-times first, as timetable are not usually available at the stops. The National Park Authority publishes a timetable of all the buses and ferries [2] which may be available as a booklet locally.

By car

If you're driving, mind that the road along the northern part of Loch Lomond is pretty narrow for the traffic it has.

By Boat

Sightseeing trips by boat run from Loch Lomond Shores near Balloch.

There is also a useful passenger ferry between Inverbeg (served by Citylink buses) and Rowardennan (at the foot of Ben Lomond mountain).

• Loch Lomond Shores, Balloch, 01389-722406. A gateway center for Loch Lomond with an information center, an educational cinema, shops and a view across the Loch. Lomond Shores Project: [3].
• Balloch Castle Country Park, Balloch. The first park in the national park with a castle you can visit. The castle itself only has two accessible rooms with only little information about the castle , but rather some educational informations about the national park. It was built in the early 20th century to replace the old castle located further down the hill, and only served as a manor house.
• Luss Village Paths, Luss (along the A82). A beautiful town with four walks around town and a sandy beach. A map can be picked up at Balloch TIC or at the Luss Visitor Information.

• Cycling is probably the best outdoor activity besides hiking. The Lowland Highland Trail, which is part of the National Cycle Network Route 7 starts from Balloch, going north to Drymen, Aberfoyle, Callander, Strathyre, Lochearnhead and Killin. Free leaflets with a map of the bike trail can be picked up at TICs along the trail. There is another cycle path along the western shores of Loch Lomond. Bikes can be hired at the Loch Lomond Shores (see above).
• Hiking is also a good idea. You could for example go to Rowardennan and then hike up Ben Lomond. The long-distance West Highland Way also runs along the eastern shore on its way from Milingavie (near Glasgow) to Fort William.

Eat

The Clachan Inn in Drymen - Scotland's oldest registered licensed premises (1734) - nice pub with good food and friendly atmosphere.

Drink

There is a small pub, with outside terrace and nearby pier for boat moorings, on the island of Inchmurrin in the centre of the loch. A ferry is available from Midross, on the A82, to the island. Cameron House Hotel has a marina bar with views over Loch Lomond.

• Loch Lomond Youth Hostel, A82 (opposite side of Duck Bay Marina), 0870 004 1136. The hostel could be an attraction itself, as it is an impressive country house. £12.50-14.00/5.00-12.00 (Adult/Child). Opened March-October. SYHA information and booking: [4]
• Rowardennan Youth Hostel, Rowardennan, 0870 004 1148. Located at the banks of Loch Lomond, it can be used as a base to climb Ben Lomond. £10.50-12.00/5.00-9.00 (Adult/Child). Opened March-October. SYHA information and booking: [5].

• Dumbarton Castle, Dumbarton (take the A82 south), 01389 732167. It features a castle on top of a rock, overlooking the Firth of Clyde. It was an important royal refuge. Historic Scotland information
• Buchanan Castle, Drymen (along the A811, enter through the gate of Buchanan Castle Golf Course). A ruin of an beautiful castle, which cannot be entered (danger of falling apart). Sadly, it is not getting maintained or repaired, but is worth a peek.
• Inchmahome Priory, Lake of Menteith (along the A81), 01877 385294. This is the only lake in Scotland. An Augustinian monastery on an island, where Mary Stuart once hid from Henry the VIII. A ferry runs to the island, but is only operated in Summer. Historic Scotland information

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Definition from Wiktionary, a free dictionary

English

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Loch Lomond

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Proper noun

Loch Lomond

1. The largest lake in Scotland, located in central Scotland.