Loch Lomond
Loch Lomond (
IPA pronunciation: ), (
Scottish Gaelic Loch Laomainn) is a
Scottish loch located in both the western lowlands of Central Scotland and the southern Highlands. It is located in the
council areas of
Stirling,
Argyll and Bute, and
West Dunbartonshire, and its southern shores lie approximately 14 miles (23 km) north of
Glasgow, the country's largest city.
This
freshwater loch is approximately 37 kilometres long, and up to 8 kilometres wide, with an average depth of about 37 metres, and a maximum depth of about 190 metres. It has a surface area of approximately 71 square kilometres, and a volume of about 2.6 km
3. Its surface area is the largest of the lochs, and is second biggest after
Loch Ness in terms of water volume in
Great Britain, although it is not the largest in the
British Isles - this distinction belongs to
Lough Neagh in
Northern Ireland.
The loch is now (since July 2002) part of
Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park. The
West Highland Way runs along the eastern bank of the loch.
The loch famously features in
Andrew Lang's verse,
The Bonnie Banks o' Loch Lomond, published around 1876. The chorus is well known:
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.Lang's poetry became the basis for a famous song entitled "Loch Lomond" which has been recorded by many performers over the years in styles ranging from traditional Scottish folk to
barbershop to
rock and roll, most notably by the Australian rock group
AC/DC in the song
Bonny (song) in which the band plays the music while the crowd sings the verse, and in 1957 by
Bill Haley & His Comets who recorded a popular rock and roll version retitled "Rock Lomond".
Ben Lomond is on the eastern shore. It is 974 metres in height and is the most southerly of the Scottish
Munro peaks.
The loch contains a large number of islands, several of them quite large by the standards of British lochs/lakes, including
Inchmurrin, the largest island in a loch/lake in the
British Isles. As with Loch Tay, several of the islands appear to be
Crannogs, artificial islands built in prehistoric periods. There is currently a project to build another island like it in Loch Ness.
Today, the loch is also well known for the Loch Lomond Golf Club which lies next to it, and which has hosted international events.
|
A TV advert for Captain Haddock's favourite brand of whisky |
*In the
Tintin series of cartoon books,
Captain Haddock's and
Snowy's favourite drink is
Scotch whisky of the brand
Loch Lomond. This was a fictional creation; there is, however, a real
Loch Lomond Distillery. [
1]
*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.
*In a 2005
poll of
Radio Times readers, Loch Lomond was named as the 6th greatest natural wonder in Britain.
*In 1987
Mel Brooks movie
Spaceballs, the character "Snotty" makes a mistake using a transporter beam. While pressing buttons in an attempt to fix his error, he says, "It could be the interlocking system...lock one, lock two, lock three, Loch Lomond!"
*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/I could swim Loch Lomond and be home in half an hour/Maybe the air gave me the drive/I feel all aglow and alive!"
*The song
Loch Lomond by the
The Borderers is a popular tune with many australian Gaelic and Folk music fans, and during one of their performances, they requested people to dance on stage, they actually broke the stage. At their next concert, a barrier was erected.
*
Loch Lomond data*
Loch Lomond and tourist attractions*
Loch-lomond.net (with
physical data)
*
StayatLochLomond.com - Local accommodation providers network*
About the national park*
Robert Burns (poet) Links to Loch Lomond*
Loch Lomond Sailing ClubThere is also a
Loch Lomond reservoir near the village of
Ben Lomond, California in the
Santa Cruz Mountains of the
USA. The reservoir is 175 acres (0.7 km²). Boating, fishing, picnicing and hiking are popular at the reservoir. No swimming is allowed. The reservoir is open to the public from March 1 to September 15.
*
Loch Lomond official site.
