Loch Lomond
The Largest Lake In Great Britain By Surface Area, 36 Km Long With 30 Islands, At The Edge Of The Highlands, With The West Highland Way On Its East Bank And The Conical Peak Of Ben Lomond At 974 M. A Day Trip From Glasgow For Walking, Boat Cruises And The Village Of Luss. Midges And Rain Are The Cost Of Summer · Luss, Scotland
Loch Lomond is the largest freshwater lake in Great Britain by surface area, 36 km long and dotted with about 30 islands, and it marks where the Lowlands give way to the Highlands. It lies in the Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park, about 40 minutes from Glasgow, so it is a popular day out. Luss is a pretty stone village with a pier, Balloch is the busy southern gateway with a visitor centre and cruises, and Balmaha on the east shore is the start of the Ben Lomond climb and a stretch of the West Highland Way. The west road is narrow and slow at weekends, and cars queue in summer. The lochside is lovely, but midges, rain and low cloud are real costs, and Luss and Balloch are crowded and commercial in good weather. Wild camping is controlled by byelaws that need a permit in some zones. Sundays in July are the worst, with traffic through Balloch and a long wait for parking, so a weekday or an early start makes the loch far more pleasant than a midday arrival.
Luss, Balloch and Balmaha on Loch Lomond, in the Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park, about 40 km north-west of Glasgow, Luss, Scotland, United Kingdom
The loch itself is open at all hours and all year. Cruises from Balloch and Tarbet run mainly from spring to autumn, with fewer sailings in winter and some weather cancellations - confirm current times. Visitor centres, cafes and car parks in Luss, Balloch and Balmaha keep daytime hours and shorten in winter; some shops close on weekdays in the off season. Walking, viewing from the shore and the West Highland Way are FREE. Cruises, boat hire, car parks and the Sea Life centre in Balloch charge, and are CLOSED outside operating hours. Wild camping needs a permit in the managed zones from March to September. Confirm everything near your date.