Lomond UNPLUGGED – This Weekend!

Lomond UNPLUGGED – This Weekend!

Lomond Unplugged - Voting is Now OPEN!

VOTING NOW OPEN!

You can now vote online from the TOP 16 Semi-Finalists…VIEW THE VIDEOS & VOTE NOW >

Loch Lomond Unplugged is this weekend!

Loch Lomond Unplugged, our FREE showcase of talented buskers and singer/songwriters, is this weekend and we’re super excited to welcome great acts from across Scotland and beyond!

We’re also looking forward to welcoming a wide range of visitors coming to support these talented musicians, who can also come and enjoy a great day out with market stalls, kid’s entertainment & rides and much more, all set on the banks of Loch Lomond.
As a visitor attraction that welcomes all, this event is a family festival, and while we expect young people to come along and have fun listening to the music, we ask all festival goers to be well-behaved and respectful of their fellow festival goers throughout.

A spokesperson for Loch Lomond Shores explains:
“This is a new festival for us and we’re excited to host it but while the musical aspect makes this festival different, it is still very much based around the formula we use for our other festivals, and that is making it inclusive for all – including families.”

Those coming along at the weekend can also preview the acts and vote for their favourite to help our judges narrow the 16 performing on Saturday down to 8 finalists performing on Sunday.

HOW TO VOTE:

Visit our Festivals website and click on the videos to open them on YouTube and hit the ‘LIKE’ button below the video to register your vote for the performers you want to get through to our FINAL on Sunday, 25th May!

Voting will stay open until 5pm on Saturday 24th, so you have plenty of time decide!

The TOP 8 acts to perform again on Sunday will be decided at close of play on Saturday, with votes tallied up and added to our judge’s votes.

The overall WINNER of the £1,000 prize money will be decided by our judges, Kyle Falconer, Jim Gellatly and Mike Ward, on Sunday, and announced before 5pm.

As well as cracking performances by our hopefuls throughout, Lomond Unplugged will also have lots of things to see and do for all the family, including stalls to browse filled with fresh produce, gifts and more, as well as delicious street food to enjoy and children’s rides. There will also be all the great things Loch Lomond Shores has to offer, including boat tours, adventure golf, Loch Lomond SEA LIFE Aquarium, water sports & bike hire, as well as our stores, restaurants and cafes, all set against the backdrop of Loch Lomond and Ben Lomond in the distance.

2-Day Continental Market this May!

2-Day Continental Market this May!

Loch Lomond Shores Continental Market - May 2025

Our 2-Day Continental Market is set to bring flavours and crafts from around the world to Loch Lomond on 10th and 11th May!

Loch Lomond Shores is hosting a continental market on Saturday, 10th and Sunday, 11th of May, bringing a whole range of mouth-watering flavours and colourful crafts from the continent and around the world to Loch Lomond for visitors to enjoy.

Running from 10am to 4pm each day, the market will be filled with popular worldwide artisan products and food. Street food will include German, Korean, Mexican, Greek and Chinese, seafood and venison dishes.
Fresh produce will include continental cheeses, Polish doughnuts, Turkish delights, baklava and olives, to name just a few. While artisan crafts will include Polish crystals and Native American dreamcatchers, wooden carvings, toys and more.

Commenting on the market, Audrey Calder says:

The market not only captures many continental flavours and crafts, but it also provides a glimpse into many more world-wide cultures and offers visitors a great opportunity to enjoy flavours and crafts from around the world.

Running from 10am to 4pm each day, full details on what’s happening on the day are available here on our website in the Events Page, or follow our Social Media channels to keep up to date.

Springfest 24 – What to expect this weekend!

Springfest 24 – What to expect this weekend!

SPRINGFEST 24 HAS BEEN POSTPONED UNTIL THE 18TH & 19TH OF MAY DUE TO ADVERSE WEATHER FORECAST THIS WEEKEND!

Postponed Springfest is back on 18th & 19th of May!

With all things foodie as well as a host of entertainment and things to do!

Read the full Press Release below…

This year’s Springfest24, is back this weekend – Sat 18th & Sun 19th of May!

Having been postponed in April due to high winds, we’re delighted to welcome the delayed festival back to Loch Lomond Shores on the 18th and 19thMay.

This year’s FREE Springfest is playing host to two great Scottish chefs – Niall Murray and Rohan Wadke, who will inspire visitors with their FREE cooking demonstrations. Along with Niall’s and Rohan’s demonstrations, there will also be whisky & gin tastings courtesy of Loch Lomond Whiskies, lots of amazing producers, street food from around the world as well as foraging workshops.

 

FREE Cooking Demos

Saturday Coking Demos with Niall Murray

Saturday Cooking Demos with Niall Murray – 12pm & 2pm

Niall, who started his career at The Savoy Hotel in London, will be using some of the great produce available at the festival in his FREE demos at 12pm and 2pm on Saturday, as well as hosting Q&A’s for interested audience members after each demo.

Sunday Cooking Demos with Rohan Wadke – 12pm & 2pm

Rohan, of Masterchef 2016 & talented Cameron House Chef, returns to Springfest and will be showcasing some Southeast Asian recipes with a local twist during his FREE demos at 12pm and 2pm on Sunday. He will also be hosting Q&A’s for interested audience members after each demo.

Sunday Cooking Demos with Rohan Wadke
Whisky & Gin Tasting Sessions

Whisky & Gin Tasting Sessions

Tickets for our popular whisky & gin-tasting sessions with Loch Lomond Whiskies and Ben Lomond Gin, are on sale and offer whisky and gin lovers the perfect opportunity to sample some stunning whisky and gin with expert guidance. 

Tickets for both sessions can be booked directly on Eventbrite – with all profits going to Clyde 1’s Cash For Kids Appeal. 

WIN a Limited Edition Loch Lomond Malt!

To Enter: Just book your slot at our Loch Lomond Whisky Tasting sessions this weekend and you will automatically be in with a chance to WIN a bottle of the prestigious Loch Lomond Open Course Collection 2024 Release worth £290!

This limited-edition, 24-year-old single malt is a collector’s dream, crafted to celebrate the 152nd Open Championship at Royal Troon.

Don’t miss this chance to taste exceptional whisky and win a truly special bottle!

Limited spots available, so book your session today! 

Loch Lomond Whiskies Giveaway

Terms & Conditions:

  • The competition is open to over 18’s only
  • Tickets must be purchased in advance via our Eventbrite booking system
  • You must be able to provide us with valid contact details so we can arrange delivery of your whisky if you win.
  • No cash alternatives.
Wild Food Foraging Workshops

Wild Food Foraging Workshops

New for this year’s festival is foraging workshops with Sharon Kerrigan of Wander & Wonder. On both Saturday and Sunday, expert Sharon will take attendees on a wander to explore wild foods available and discuss their identifying features and toxic lookalikes as well as their edible and medicinal properties.

Entertainment for all the family!

As well as all our amazing food and drink related activity, we also have Lomond Radio entertaining everyone all weekend long as well as a selection of very talented buskers around the site!

And, while we’re ‘food-tastic’ this festival, we haven’t forgotten families with children’s characters Rapunzel and Ariel visiting us on Sunday while all weekend we’ll have children’s rides, stilt walkers and fun mascots added to our playpark, SEA LIFE centre, Treezone, Bird of Prey Centre and water sports, boat trips and boat hire so everyone can have a great day out – whether they’re 5 or 95!

Entertainment for all the family

Audrey Calder from Loch Lomond Shores comments:

We were devastated to have to postpone the festival in April but we’re excited to welcome it back on the 18th and 19th of May, and hoping our regular festival goers, as well as new ones, come along and enjoy a great foodie day out.

For full information on what’s on as well as festival news and updates, follow our social media accounts and check our Festivals Website at:  www.lochlomondfoodanddrinkfestival.co.uk

WIN £1000 to spend here at Loch Lomond Shores!

WIN £1000 to spend here at Loch Lomond Shores!

Loch Lomond Shores Summer Prize Draw

Summer prize draw to win £1000 to spend at Loch Lomond Shores!

Your chance to enjoy everything Loch Lomond Shores has to offer FREE this summer – shop, eat, play with £1000 to spend!

We’re launching a £1000 prize draw on 2nd June which will run until 30th June, just in time for summer fun!

Whether it’s a new wardrobe, a speedboat tour or a family meal at Jurassic Grill, you can spend it how you’d like – as long as it’s here at Loch Lomond Shores.
All you need to do to enter is visit the mall from Friday 2nd June and pop your name and contact details into the special prize draw post box by 30th June to be in with a chance of winning this amazing prize.

You can choose from all our Loch Lomond Shores businesses to spend your £1000.

With the closing date being Friday 30th June, the winner will be chosen randomly and contacted no later than Monday 3rd July so you can have a fantastic summer!

Where you can spend your £1000…

Shop…

  • Sports Direct
  • Frasers
  • Catherine Kinloch
  • Hawkshead
  • Tweeds of Scotland
  • Lachlans
  • Keepsakes
  • GrapeTree
  • Stevie’s Drams
  • Leading Labels
  • Thorntons
  • Luscious Nails and Beauty

Eat…

  • Jurassic Grill & Ice Bar
  • Café Zest

Play…

  • SEALIFE Loch Lomond
  • Treezone
  • Loch Lomond Bird of Prey Centre

Competition Terms & Conditions

  • No cash equivalent
  • Entrants must be over 18 years of age
  • Competition is entered by submitting an entry form in our mall between 2nd and 30th June 2023
  • The winner will receive vouchers for their chosen businesses at Loch Lomond Shores to the value of £1000 to spend
  • All Loch Lomond Shores businesses are included in the prize
  • Redemption validity dates will be subject to individual businesses’ terms
The Maid of the Loch

The Maid of the Loch

The Maid of The Loch

Just a short walk along our beach will bring you to The Maid of the Loch, a magnificent example of Clyde-built ship engineering with a stunning art deco-inspired interior.

A much-loved feature on the bonnie banks of Loch Lomond, she attracts thousands of visitors every year and, over the last 20 years, a loyal band of volunteers has focused every available hour on her conservation. With support they hope to safely steer the Maid to a new phase of her life, relaunching her as a fully operational paddle steamer.

The Maid is the very last paddle steamer to be built in Britain, and is the UK’s only remaining example of an ‘Up an Doon’ Vessel – A ship that’s been built twice!

Assembled in the Glasgow shipyard of A&J Inglis, the Paddle Steamer Maid of the Loch was, first of all, bolted together and then taken apart, transported to her new home in Balloch on rail wagons and reassembled on the Balloch Slipway before her launch into the sparkling waters of Loch Lomond on Thursday 5th March 1953.

Licensed to carry 1,000 passengers, she was the largest paddle steamer to sail on Loch Lomond and was host to royal guests and celebrities as well as three million day-trippers during her 28 years on the water. Many of these people have very cherished memories of sailing on the Maid and many more know of the ship by hearing about these memories from older friends and relatives. Dates, engagements, weddings and wakes – the Maid has hosted them all!

The Maid’s popularity as a pleasure steamer was at its height in the 1950s and early 1960s. But as the lure of affordable foreign travel beckoned, so passenger numbers and revenue dwindled. Decommissioned in 1981, the Maid was subjected to a sorry period of neglect, decay and vandalism until her purchase, in 1992, by Dumbarton District Council.

Advertised as having ‘commodious saloons’ and serving ‘lunches and teas of the highest quality at popular prices’ she was the last (and largest) in a long line of paddle steamers to sail on Loch Lomond. For 28 years, she gave great pleasure to millions of visitors who enjoyed sailing on the ship and exploring the villages and climbing the hills around the shores.
It was in 1996 when, on the point of dereliction, she was rescued by the very determined volunteers of the Loch Lomond Steamship Company, who continue to take care of her to this day. An ambitious rescue mission, where the aim was always to return the ship to sailing again on the Loch, was launched. Since then our charity, staffed entirely by volunteers, has raised over £2m and invested this in the first stages of the Maid’s conservation.

To find out more about the continued efforts to restore her to her former glory and to plan your visit go to https://www.maidoftheloch.org/

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