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.

Contents

Features

The song

Other popular culture

References

See also

External links

Features

Traditionally a boundary of Stirlingshire and Dunbartonshire, it is located in the current 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 24 miles long (39 kilometres), and ¾ mile to 5 miles wide. It has an average depth of about 120 ft (37 metres), and a maximum depth of about 630 ft (190 metres). Its surface area measures 27¼ miles² (71 km²), and it has a volume of 0.6 cubic miles (2.6 km³). It has the largest surface area of all 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 United Kingdom - this distinction belongs to Lough Neagh in Northern Ireland.
The loch (as of July 2002) is now part of Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park. The West Highland Way runs along the eastern bank of the loch.
Ben Lomond is on the eastern shore. It is 3,195 ft (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 is situated on its south western shore. It has hosted many international events including the Scottish Open. More recently another golf club, "The Carrick" has opened on the banks of the Loch adjacent to the Loch Lomond Club.
The main arterial route along the loch is the A82 road which runs the length of its western shore. For a long time this was a notorious bottleneck, with the route clogged with tourists during the summer months. It was upgraded in the 1980s and 1990s, although the stretch north of Tarbet remains unimproved.

The song

Main articles: The Bonnie Banks O' Loch Lomond

The loch is featured in the well-known song "Loch Lomond", which was first published around 1841.^[1] The chorus is:
: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.
The song has been recorded by many performers over the years. Although the true creator is unknown. It is known, however, that the author was a Scottish soldier whom awaited death in enemy captivity. In his final letter home he wrote this song, portraying his home and how much he'd miss it.

Other popular culture

★ In ''The Adventures of Tintin'' cartoon book series, 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] Sydney Krukowsi, a character in the comic strip ''Dykes to Watch Out For'', also drinks Loch Lomond.

★ 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.

★ The village of Luss, named therein as "Lios", and the islands nearby were used as the setting for E. J. Oxenham's first book, ''Goblin Island'', published in 1907.^[2]

★ One of the loch's islands (Inchconnachan) is home to a colony of wallabies.

★ In a 2005 poll of ''Radio Times'' readers, Loch Lomond was named as the 6th greatest natural wonder in Britain.

★ 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. During one of their performances, when they requested people to dance on stage, they actually broke the stage. At their next concert, a barrier was erected.

★ Snotty, a Scottish character Mel Brooks' 1987 film Spaceballs makes an apparent comedic reference the Loch Lomond. As he operates the tractor beam aboard Dark Helmet's command ship, he mentions issues with the "interlocking system". As he fixes the problem, he goes on to say; "Lock one, Lock two, Lock three, Loch Lomond". Although to many hearers it sounds like he's saying ''"Loch Lone",'' the words are indeed Loch Lomond (there is no "Loch Lone"), in humorous reference to Snotty's Scottish heritage, the character intended to be a parody of ''Star Trek's'' Scotty.

References

1. James J. Fuld, ''The Book of World-Famous Music: Classical, Popular and Folk'', p. 336.
2. Elsie J. Oxenham, ''Goblin Island'', Collins (1907), p. 58.

See also

★ Ardlui

★ Balloch

★ Balmaha

★ Ben Lomond

★ Inchcailloch

★ Inchconnachan

★ Inchmurrin

★ Luss

★ Rowardennan

★ Tarbet

★ West Loch Lomond Cycle Path

External links

★ Loch Lomond data

★ Loch Lomond and tourist attractions

★ Loch-lomond.net (with physical data)

★ Loch Lomond B&B and Loch Lomond Self Catering Accommodation

★ About the national park

★ Notable people of this region

★ Robert Burns (poet) Links to Loch Lomond

★ Loch Lomond Sailing Club

★ The Loch Lomond Association