Swim Spots
Loch Morlich
Glenmore Forest Park, Aviemore, PH22 1QU
Unfortunately due to current restrictions, travel to Aviemore isn't possible for us, however, we thought we'd post some photos of previous visits to and swims in the stunning Loch Morlich.
We've found that the best place to enter the loch is at the Watersports Centre. There is easy parking - although you'll need to remember money to park. It's £1 for an hour and £2 for a full day. The car park can get busy during summer months although in winter you should get parked easily.
There's a lovely sandy beach, although be careful of glass left over from WW2 when the area was used as a commando training area - in particular by the Norwegian army. Be mindful of this when you're walking on the sand.
It's really easy to access the water - you can swim for a good distance parallel to the shore and also to a series of buoys. It's also quite straightforward to swim the length of the loch.
There's a lovely cafe in the Watersports Centre - although this is open seasonally so you won't get to try the lovely cakes if you swim there in Winter.
Hopefully we’ll be able to travel again sooner rather than later - we’re looking forward to swimming up north again.
The Wild Swimming Women x
https://www.lochmorlich.com/
Luss, Loch Lomond
Luss, Loch Lomond
Luss is a conservation village on the west shore of Loch Lomond. To reach it, head north along the A82 from Balloch and Luss is around nine miles away.
It is well sign posted and there is a large car park (remember money for parking - it costs a couple of pounds for two hours). Parking is no longer allowed in the village itself so the car park is the only place you can park.
It's a good idea to try and get a space at the back of the car park - as close to the beach as possible - this will mean you can get changed at your car rather than on the beach itself.
Luss has a long beach which is where we swam from yesterday. There are a number of water activities which can be done from the beach so if you're swimming from there you'll need to be mindful of kayakers, paddleboarders and pedalos. People also swim from the pier - if you do that you'll need to watch out for boats and ferries.
We swam close, and parallel to, the shore and kept within standing depth. There were two children swimming along with a 72 year old who was swimming outdoors for the first time in many years so this was to keep the swim as safe as possible.
The water was also quite chilly so we didn't stay in for too long. With the weather and the water getting colder, it's more important than ever to remember warm clothes and a hat etc. for coming out of the water - as well as a warm drink to heat you up.
The village is very picturesque and in a stunning location so can get very busy during the spring and summer - it's not usually somewhere we would swim during this time. Even with the slightly colder weather yesterday, the beach was very busy. Also be mindful that the water quality there might not be great during the summer months.
For more information about Luss, visit https://www.lochlomond-trossachs.org/discover-the-park/towns-villages/luss/
Swim Spots
Aldochlay and Inchtavannach, Loch Lomond
Aldochlay and Inchtavannach, Loch Lomond
To reach Aldochlay, turn off the A82 at the old road down to a Luss and then drive until you see the sign for Aldochlay. It’s very easy to access the water there and there’s a parking area just after the sign - right next to the wall / path leading down to the loch.
https://www.visitscotland.com/.../inchtavannach-p669651
Quite a few groups seem to meet here and it was pretty busy when we arrived - the small number of spaces were full and we initially parked on the other side of the road, although we were able to move the car as people finished their swims.
There is a short path down to the Loch and entry is very easy. The swim over to Inchtavannach and back is less than 400m each way and very easy as the water was flat and calm.
You’ll see from the photos that there are a number of boats moored there so there is a need to be mindful of this and also ensure you wear a bright swimming cap and tow float (although there was no boat traffic when we were there at 9am).
Our swim took us over to Inchtavannach which is one of Loch Lomond’s larger islands. Inchtavannach apparently means ‘the Monk’s Isle’ and it used to be the site of a monastery.
Apparently if you leave early enough in the morning and swim around the back of Inchtavannach, you can spot the wallabies on Inchconnachan which sits just behind it. Inchconnachan is definitely our next swim!
KK Bay, Loch Lomond
Another favourite swimming spot of ours...KK Bay is easy to access, quiet and has stunning views.
Follow the A82 from Balloch and continue past Duck Bay, The Cruin and Loch Lomond Golf Club until you see large gates on your right hand side. The gates are easy to recognise...they’re huge and have the Clan Colquhoun coat of arms (with a stag) on top.
The gates are the original entrance to Rossdhu House - the home of the Colquhoun Clan and now used by Loch Lomond Golf Club. There is a parking area just in front of the gates.
To reach the water, go through the small gate to the far left of the large gates. When you go through you’ll see a path - follow this for a good few minutes until you see the water on your right. Keep walking and you’ll see an easy route onto the beach.
There are quite a few trees where you can leave your things. Entry to the water is very easy - although it’s pebbly - shoes or swimming socks will definitely help!
You can swim either left or right easily and the water is very clear. It’s also easy to stay in shallow water and close to shore if you prefer. At this time of year there are a lot of midgies here so repellent is definitely recommended!
Given the wee walk back to the car after swimming, it’s a good idea to bring your change of clothes etc. down to the beach with you as you’ll definitely cool down on the walk back!
Swim Spots
Firkin Point, Loch Lomond
Firkin Point is situated just off the A82, roughly half way between Inverbeg and Tarbet, at the top of Loch Lomond. It’s really easy to access with plenty of free parking.
The water is a short walk from the car park and there’s a lovely wee beach. The water was fairly choppy when we swam there so we didn’t go out far, swimming parallel to the shore. The water gets deep extremely quickly at parts so be mindful of this if you decide to swim there. We we went from just over knee deep to being unable to stand very quickly at points.
The views were stunning and varied hugely depending on the direction we swam. We’ll definitely be back on a less choppy day!
Loch Lomond Shores, Balloch
We ended up at Loch Lomond Shoes unexpectedly when trying to swim at The Cruin. and the A82 was closed from the Stoneymollan roundabout at Balloch.
We parked at the car park for the slipway at the Maid of the Loch and from there it was a short walk to the beach. The water was fairly shallow until we got a good distance out so it took a while to actually get in!
We swam here in late summer in skins and managed around forty five minutes - although the water was definitely getting colder.
There were a few boats and jet skis - reminding us of the importance of our tow floats, swimming caps and of being aware of what was happening around us - but we managed to keep out of their way.
Not the easiest location on Loch Lomond to swim at but the view on the way out was fantastic. If you’re planning a swim here, the car park closes at 7.30pm - access to the slipway car park could also be difficult if it’s busy with people using the slipway for boats / jet skis.