TERRAIN: A mix of sandy beach, surfaced roads and paths, gravel and quite a few sets of steps.
Dog-friendly route (some busy road crossings)
Car park at Luss Visitor Centre (G83 8PA). Bus service from Glasgow stops on A82 just outside Luss.
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Leave Luss Visitor Centre car park on a footpath across the grass (East), leading down onto the sandy beach on the shores of Loch Lomond. Turn right (South East) along the beach and on reaching the pier head up onto the footpath, continuing along the edge of the water. When almost at the end of the beach, turn right (West) to pass Luss Parish Church then follow the road left (South West) for 100m. Ignore a footbridge on your left, taking a left turn (West) almost immediately after to pick up a track running alongside the river. The river path follows the Luss Water for approx 600m, emerging at the main road into Luss via a set of stone steps. Turn left (South) along the road, looking out for a tall wooden way marker for the ‘Quarry Path‘ on your right just after crossing the Luss Water. Cross the road at this point and go through the gate. Follow the trail through the quiet woodland. Approx 300m along, turn right (North East) to cross the footbridge. You will pass huge piles of loose slate at an uphill section before reaching a gate at a minor road. Cross the road and pick up the footpath at the other side, continuing down to a bridge across the A82. Cross the bridge and then go down the steps towards Luss Primary School. On reaching the main road turn left (North) and you will find Luss Visitor Centre car park 80m along on your right-hand side.
WALK REVIEW: 3rd April 2017
When you are staying overnight in Luss for a wedding (and if you are Scottish) you won’t want to drive too early the next day! Of course, I had predicted this situation and planned a walk “just in case” 😉 There didn’t appear to be too many starting from Luss, unless you wanted to head into the hills which my husband & I didn’t. A quick Google search revealed the Luss Heritage Trail. Very much shorter than my normal walk would be, but this turned out to be fortunate since I had forgotten to pack any form of jacket or jumper for the trip….. Good thing it was dry!
We headed along the sandy beach to be met by some swans. How lucky are they that this is their home?! Conic Hill and Ben Lomond stood majestically across on the Eastern banks of the Loch. The water was unbelievably clean – we could see every pebble beneath the surface!
I reminisced about childhood memories of whizzing around Loch Lomond in a speed boat with family; pure joy and exhilaration at being allowed to ‘drive’ the boat (ie steer it) all by myself aged around 6! My parents also used to come here water-skiing. I couldn’t imagine being brave enough to try that, the water must be freezing!!
When we reached the pier I dared by husband to walk beneath it (which, always up for a challenge and perhaps still slightly under the influence of yesterday’s boozing, he did… although I don’t know how as there wasn’t much space! Limbo anyone?) I took the easy option of the footpath!
At the end of the beach we turned up into the village to pass the historic church and then head along the scenic river path. I kept commenting on how clear the water was in the river, it just didn’t look real!
Then onto the Quarry Path which passed through a lovely woodland. We hadn’t expected to find the mounds of old slates! Hubby spent a few minutes harnessing his inner child, skimming them across the river 🙂 I have since read that the slate was once quarried to roof buildings in the Vale of Leven, Glasgow, Stirling, Greenock and Edinburgh. Many tenements in Glasgow still have slate stones on the roofs that were collected from Luss.
