Nature at Loch Lomond Shores

Get inspired by our beaches, woodland and landscape

Get Outdoors

Loch Lomond Shores is located within the Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park and is home to beaches, woodland, wildlife and amazing views of Loch Lomond. With a whole host of easy access facilities and outdoor activities, we offer a safe, friendly and easy way for you and your family to enjoy spending time outdoors throughout the year.

This page is to help you access all things nature so you can maximise your visit at Loch Lomond Shores.

Woodland

We have beautiful woodland walks for you to enjoy exploring at Loch Lomond Shores.  You can access our woodland walk via the pathway opposite Sports Direct’s side entrance.  In Spring, look out for nesting birds and budding leaves.  In Summer, look out for bats and moths and in Autumn, keep a lookout for fungi and stunning autumn colours.  Find out more about the native woodland on the Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park website.

Beaches

We have two beaches at Loch Lomond Shores.  Our main beach is accessed on the path past SEA LIFE Loch Lomond, while our other beach is in the promontory, which is accessed via the entrance to our woodland.  As well as a whole host of beach activities on our main beach, you can feed the ducks, skim stones or simply enjoy a picnic or BBQ using BBQ stands and picnic tables set on the beach.

Meadow

Our meadow is located on the promontory, accessed via our Woodland entrance.  Head right on the path and follow to the left, and you’ll see our meadow.  The meadow is home to a variety of bugs, birds, and wildlife, depending on the season, and is perfect for picnics and bug hunts.  In Spring, look out for bluebells, wildflowers, pond life and frogs.  In Summer, look out for butterflies, dragonflies, damselflies and wildflowers.

Views

From Loch Lomond Shores, you can see right across the loch to Ben Lomond, which is one of Scotland’s most climbed Munros and has a summit over 3000 ft. Close by, you can also see the iconic Maid of the Loch berthed just a short walk away.  A perfect spot for photographers all year round, Loch Lomond is also an ideal location to view the Aurora Borealis when conditions are right.  Aurora Watch is one organisation which provides alerts for Aurora activity.

Walks

In addition to easy walks around Loch Lomond Shores, Balloch is also part of the John Muir Way, a 134-mile walk from coast to coast, which allows you to enjoy sections of the walk from Balloch.  For those looking for something less arduous, they can stroll to Cameron House Hotel, or Balloch Park and the village of Balloch, so they can enjoy more of the local landscape.

Cycling

Cycling around the area is a great way to enjoy the scenery and get some exercise.  Balloch is the start of the West Loch Lomond cycle path, which takes you along Loch Lomond via Luss to Tarbet and is around 17 miles long.  For those seeking a gentler cycle, you can ride along our beach to Balloch Country Park or along Old Luss Road to Cameron House Hotel.

Wildlife

The surrounding countryside of Loch Lomond is home to endangered red squirrels, different species of deer, badgers, stoats, pine martens and bats.  Otters can also be found lochside.  The Great Scottish Squirrel Survey takes place each September, if you want to take part.

You can find out more about what to look out for on the Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park website.

Birds

As well as being home to the Loch Lomond Bird of Prey Centre where you can see over 30 species of bird, we generally have ducks and swans all year round as well as visiting birds throughout the year.  In Winter, we have Greenland white-fronted geese as well as pink-footed geese, along with thrushes.  In Spring and Summer, Loch Lomond has Ospreys, woodland summer birds, and hirundines (the swallow and martin family).  While in Autumn we have thrushes, flocks of meadow pipits and gathering hirundines.  The RSPB Loch Lomond Reserve is an excellent place to visit for more information.

Fish species

Loch Lomond is home to a diverse range of fish, including salmon, sea trout, brown and rainbow trout, pike, perch, roach, chub, and dace.  If you’re interested in fishing in Loch Lomond, a permit is required from the Loch Lomond Angling Improvement Association.  You can also contact Loch Lomond Leisure for fishing boat hire, and they can assist with any necessary permits.

About Loch Lomond

Loch Lomond is a freshwater Scottish loch and is around 36 kilometres long and 8 kilometres wide at its widest. It has a maximum depth of around 153 metres – to give some perspective, a Premier League football pitch is only 105 metres long! The Highland Boundary Fault runs through Loch Lomond and separates the Highlands and Lowlands. You can see the fault line from the top of Conic Hill.

Islands

Loch Lomond is home to 22 islands and 27 Islets. Many of the islands are privately owned, and three are protected by conservation agencies: Inchcailloch, Bucinch, and Ceardach. Loch Lomond’s Inchmurrin Island is the largest freshwater island in the British Isles. Inchconnachan is home to a colony of wallabies that were introduced to Loch Lomond in the 1940s by Lady Arran Colquhoun. Recently, unconfirmed reports estimate that around 60 of these creatures still inhabit the island.

Useful links

Here are some links that offer more information and fun nature activities that you and your family can enjoy:

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