Loch Lomond, Dunbartonshire, Scotland

...to the magnificent scenery by Loch Lomond.

Loch Lomond is a truly beautiful loch set amongst the tranquil, rolling hills in the Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park where it is said that the highlands meet the lowlands. This meeting place can actually be seen from Conic Hill on the south-east shores, a meeting place formed many thousands of years ago when 2 plates in the earth's crust collided forming the magnificent mountains, ...
...one day and we chose Loch Lomond, probably the most well known attraction within the boundaries of the national park.

Loch Lomond is the largest inland fresh water mass in Britain being an impressive 24 miles long and 5 miles wide with its deepest part being 600 feet! The loch is home to approximately 38 islands, some big and some small, with some of them even being inhabited and one named Inchmurrin, which is actually home to a hotel! ... more

Myself, hubby and the kids all managed to get two weeks holidays together over Easter. It was wonderful, no running around ferrying the family to work, paper round, school, clubs etc. Just two lazy weeks where I could have a long lie if I wanted, hang the washing out mid morning instead of before 8am, watch telly, do nothing Ahhhhhhh............wonderful!! Of course we didn't want to just laze around the whole time and decided to have a few days here and there. The first day trip we decided to take was over to the magnificent scenery by Loch Lomond.

Loch Lomond is a truly beautiful loch set amongst the tranquil, rolling hills in the Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park where it is said that the highlands meet the lowlands. This meeting place can actually be seen from Conic Hill on the south-east shores, a meeting place formed many thousands of years ago when 2 plates in the earth's crust collided forming the magnificent mountains, which today mark the gateway to the highlands of Scotland. The national park covers a very large area with many different attractions and an abundance of breathtaking scenery but obviously there is only so much you can visit in one day and we chose Loch Lomond, probably the most well known attraction within the boundaries of the national park.

Loch Lomond is the largest inland fresh water mass in Britain being an impressive 24 miles long and 5 miles wide with its deepest part being 600 feet! The loch is home to approximately 38 islands, some big and some small, with some of them even being inhabited and one named Inchmurrin, which is actually home to a hotel!

The banks of the loch can be reached at various different locations with the main one being The Loch Lomond Shores situated in the small picturesque town of Balloch. Balloch is very well signposted on the A82 if coming in from the Glasgow area and likewise is also very well signposted if coming from the Stirling area along the A811.

Once you arrive at the Loch Lomond Shores Centre there is a very large, well laid out, free car park. First port of call is usually the National Park Gateway Centre/Visitor Centre where you will find an abundance of information about the loch itself and the surrounding area within the national park. There is a small gift shop and many leaflets and books about the area. There are also several members of staff there to help you out with any questions you may have, from trips available to what accommodation the area has to offer.

After a browse around the visitor centre you may want to have a wander around the lochside shopping centre where you will find an array of shops ranging from shops like Jenners, Thorntons, local gift shops to Hawkshead, Ponden Mill and many more. There are also 2 or 3 coffee shops and restaurants where you can enjoy some light refreshments or even enjoy a meal with a glass of wine whilst taking in the breathtaking scenery overlooking the loch. This is also where you will find the large, very well kept toilets and baby changing areas.

If it's the outdoor scene you are looking for then there is certainly plenty to choose from. Pedal boats, canoes and kayaks can be hired for some fun bobbing about in a sectioned off part of the loch. Bikes for all ages with trailers and pull-alongs for the younger generation all equipped with helmets can also be hired and there are many well laid out off road cycle paths where all ages can take in the wondrous scenery whilst enjoying a healthy cycle. If cycling is not your thing then there are also many nature walks around the loch where you can not only enjoy the scenery, but perhaps catch a glimpse of some of the 200 different species of bird known to live in the area or some of the other wild life, otters, deer, squirrels etc. There is also an abundance of wild flowers and plants to be found around the loch. Feeding the ducks with the leftover sandwiches can also be fun.

If it's a picnic on the menu for the day there are plenty picnic tables and areas dotted around the loch where you can sit back, relax and take in the splendour of the surroundings, obviously this is weather dependent!

A short walk around the loch will take you the Maid of the Loch, one of the last large paddle steamers to be built in Britain and the last one to have been used for trips on the loch. Built in 1953 in Glasgow, the paddle steamer is now owned by The Loch Lomond Steamship Company, a registered charity who now look after the paddle steamer. It is hoped that one day through the hard work of volunteer workers and regular donations that the paddle steamer will once more give pleasure cruises around the loch. At the moment you can visit and have a wander round the paddle steamer or you can hire the Queen's Restaurant for up to 90 people or the Douglas Mickel Saloon for up to 40 people for private parties, weddings, conference etc. There is also The Lomond Lounge Café Bistro, which serves food daily, although I found this more of a greasy spoon rather than a bistro. I did however enjoy having a wander around the paddle steamer and found it very interesting.

Along side the Paddle Steamer is the Balloch Steam Slipway. This is an amazing steam run slipway used for pulling large boats in and out of the water for repair. The Balloch Steam Slipway was built in 1902 and was used until 1989 when it became too run down to use. It was reopened again in 2006 after being repaired and made fully functional again using lottery funding. I really enjoyed visiting this. The small building housing the steam engines, which run the slipway has been painstakingly transformed in to a small museum, which explains in simple terms how the slipway works by the use of simple photographs and videos. It is run completely by volunteers and is maintained by donations. There is a very small gift shop selling small souvenirs and if you or the kids want to blow the very loud steam whistle, this can be done if you give a small donation. It's amazing how much this amused and occupied all the children!

So many things to do and not enough time! If you do happen to have time left, or perhaps if the weather is not as good as you had hoped then there is also a Sealife Centre on the edge of the loch. The day we went to the loch, although it was dry it was quite cold so we went into the Sealife Centre to see how much it would be, but as this was a day we had chosen to do outdoor activities we didn't really budget much money and when we saw the prices, even if we did have the money with us, I don't think we would have paid the extortionate prices!! We were going to be charged £36 for a family of 4, which I feel is far too expensive for a tour round a Sealife Centre! Well certainly when it wasn't budgeted for.

If you would prefer to view the loch and the surrounding scenery from the peace and tranquillity of the water itself Sweeney Cruises offer an hour-long cruise of the loch. The boats can be found in Balloch itself at the marina, where you can also find out the sailing times for the day. All cruises have guides giving a bit of a history about the loch and surrounding area.

If after all of that the kids still have some energy left to burn and the adults would like a bit of a rest, back round the loch by the Loch Lomond Shores Centre there is a small enclosed play park suitable for both younger and older children. Alongside that there is also a small amusement area where you can purchase tokens for the fairground style rides. This is probably more suited to the younger children but there is also a bungee jump trampoline area too, which my 2 loved. There are benches for the exhausted adults and a caravan selling snacks and well deserved teas and coffees at a fraction of the prices of those being sold in the cafes and restaurants.

Overall I would definitely recommend a visit if you are in the area. There is so much to see and do and on a good day I really don't think you will want to leave. The scenery is so enchanting, it will mesmerise you and you'll want to stay forever! The shops are great but I personally prefer the outdoors better, you can get shops anywhere really, but to spend some family time together in such a peaceful, relaxing area surrounded by such a stunning backdrop is definitely not worth missing. These are the days that really do leave you with treasured memories. We visited the loch in 2004 when we were on holiday in the area. We managed to spend a couple of days there and were able to do so much more. This time however, travelling from home took us about 1 ½ hours and we had actually forgotten how much there was to do with the result we ran out of time. I think the next time we visit we will be more prepared, plan our day a bit and choose the activities we want to do before we go, so that we can then get more out of 2 or 3 activities instead of trying to cram in a small bit of everything.

Some Useful Information

The Loch Lomond Shores Centre is open from March until December but obviously the loch is open all year! For more information on the Centre visit their website:

www.lochlomondshores.com

For more information on Loch Lomond itself or the National Park in general then you can visit their website:

www.lochlomond-trossachs.org

If you would like to hire a bike, canoe, kayak or pedal boat these are all available from 10am - 6pm April - September and 10am -5pm in October. For all boats each person will be provided with a life jacket and children under the age of 16 must be accompanied by an adult. Prices per boat range from £12 for ½ hour and £17 for the full hour.

There is a great range of cycles to choose from with trailers for the very young non-cyclists and tag-alongs for 4-7 year olds who get to do the peddling without the work! Everyone is provided with a helmet. Prices vary from £9 per child and £12 per adult or £38 per family for 4 hours to £67 per adult and £52 per child or £214 per family for 5 days. For more details visit their website:

www.canyouexperience.com

Cruises on the loch are available at various times throughout the day costing £6.50 per adult and £4 per child with family prices available. For more information and details of their cruises, which you can also book online visit their website:

www.sweeney.uk.com

If you would like more information about the Maid of the Loch Paddle Steamer and the Balloch Steam Slipway you will find details at their website:

www.maidoftheloch.com

I hope this has been of some interest to you all and I hope I have managed to get over the true beauty of "The Bonnie Bonnie Banks of Loch Lomond".

(My photos really do not do the scenery justice!)

©lel1969

 

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