Loch Lomond. Loch Lomond (/ˈlɒxˈloʊmənd/; Scottish Gaelic Loch Laomainn) is a freshwater Scottish loch which crosses the Highland Boundary Fault. It is the largest inland stretch of water in Great Britain by surface area.[1] The loch contains many islands, including Inchmurrin, the largest fresh-water island in the British Isles.[2] Loch Lomond is a popular leisure destination and is featured in song.
Geography[edit] Loch Lomond is a freshwater loch lying on the Highland Boundary Fault, often considered the boundary between the lowlands of Central Scotland and the Highlands. It is 39 kilometres (24 mi) long and between 1.21 kilometres (0.75 mi) and 8 kilometres (5.0 mi) wide. Traditionally a boundary between Stirlingshire and Dunbartonshire, Loch Lomond is currently split between the council areas of Stirling, Argyll and Bute, and West Dunbartonshire.
Loch Lomond is now part of Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park. Islands[edit] English travel writer, H.V. Leisure activities[edit] The song[edit] Luss. Luss (Lus, 'herb' in Gaelic) is a village in Argyll & Bute, Scotland, on the west bank of Loch Lomond. History[edit] Historically in the County of Dunbarton, its original name is Clachan dubh, or 'dark village'. Ben Lomond, the most southerly Munro, dominates the view north over the loch, and the Luss Hills rise to the west of the village. Places of interest[edit] Nowadays Luss is a conservation village, with a bypass carrying the busy A82 trunk road. Many of Luss' cottages have been described as picturesque. The village has a kiltmaker and a bagpipe works.[1] In recent years, Luss became famous as a result of being the main outdoor location for the Scottish Television drama series Take the High Road. About a mile south of the village, in a cove at Aldochlay, is a small figure on a stone plinth.
Facilities[edit] The village hosts a water taxi service to Balloch, at the south of the loch, allowing visitors to transfer onwards to Glasgow by train or visit its shopping centre, Lomond Shores. Ben Lomond. Its accessibility from Glasgow and elsewhere in central Scotland, together with the relative ease of ascent from Rowardennan, makes it one of the most popular of all the Munros. On a clear day, it is visible from the higher grounds of Glasgow and eastwards across the low-lying central valley of Scotland; this may have led to it being named 'Beacon Mountain', as with the equally far-seen Lomond Hills in Fife. Ben Lomond summit can also be seen from Ben Nevis, the highest peak in Britain, over 70 miles (110 km) away. The West Highland Way runs along the western base of the mountain, by the loch. Geography and geology[edit] Ascent routes[edit] A walker descending by the tourist route, seen from the summit in January 2010. The summit of Ben Lomond seen from high on the Ptarmigan ridge in January 2010.
Fauna[edit] In addition to natural wildlife, the mountain area supports sheep farming activities. Memorial Park and National Park[edit] References[edit] External links[edit] Crianlarich. Coordinates: Crianlarich ( The village is served by Crianlarich railway station. Crianlarich has been a major crossroads for north and westbound journeys in Scotland since mediaeval times. In the 1750s, two military roads met in the village; in the 19th century, it became a railway junction on what is now the West Highland Line; in the 20th century it became the meeting point of the major A82 and A85 roads.
As such, it is designated a primary destination in Scotland, signposted from as far as Glasgow in the south, Perth in the east, Oban in the west and Fort William in the north. The village bills itself "the gateway to the Highlands", a not uncommon claim - for example, Pitlochry and Dunoon also do so. Its location makes Crianlarich a popular stop for tourists and there are a variety of types of overnight accommodation including guesthouses, B&Bs a SYHA Youth Hostel and a Best Western hotel. In 2001, the village had a population of 185 [1].
Church of Crianlarich Crianlarich War Memorial. Tyndrum. Coordinates: Tyndrum ( i/taɪnˈdrʌm/;[2] Scottish Gaelic: Taigh an Droma) is a small village in Scotland. Its Gaelic name translates as "the house on the ridge". It lies in Strathfillan, at the southern edge of Rannoch Moor. The village is notable mainly for being at a junction of transport routes.
The West Highland Line railway from Glasgow splits approximately five miles to the south at Crianlarich, with one branch heading to Fort William and the other to Oban. Tyndrum is a popular tourist village. Overshadowed by Ben Lui, a Munro, Tyndrum is built over the battlefield where Clan MacDougall defeated Robert the Bruce in AD 1306, and took from him the Brooch of Lorn. Tyndrum is also a former mining centre. References[edit] External links[edit] Tyndrum local community website.
Oban. Coordinates: Oban ( listen ; An t-Òban in Scottish Gaelic meaning The Little Bay) is a resort town within the Argyll and Bute council area of Scotland. Despite its small size, it is the largest town between Helensburgh and Fort William and during the tourist season the town can play host to up to 25,000 people. Oban occupies a beautiful setting in the Firth of Lorn. The bay is a near perfect horseshoe, protected by the island of Kerrera, and beyond Kerrera the Isle of Mull. To the north is the long low island of Lismore, and the mountains of Morvern and Ardgour. History[edit] The site where Oban now stands has been used by humans since at least mesolithic times, as evidenced by archaeological remains of cave dwellers found in the town.[2] Just outside the town stands Dunollie Castle, on a site that overlooks the main entrance to the bay and has been fortified since the Bronze age. Oban in 1900 Culture[edit] The town had a two-screen cinema which was closed in early 2010.
Sport[edit] Fort William, Scotland. Coordinates: Fort William (Scottish Gaelic: An Gearasdan (ən ˈkʲɛrəs̪t̪ən), "The Garrison") is the second largest settlement in the highlands of Scotland and the largest town: only the city of Inverness is larger. Fort William is a major tourist centre with Glen Coe just to the south, Aonach Mòr to the north and Glenfinnan to the west, on the Road to the Isles. It is a centre for hillwalking and climbing due to its proximity to Ben Nevis and many other Munro mountains. It is also known for its nearby downhill mountain bike track. It is the start/end of both the West Highland Way (Milngavie/Fort William) and the Great Glen Way; a walk/cycle way (Fort William/Inverness). Around 726 people (7.33% of the population) can speak Gaelic.[1] History[edit] The town grew up as a settlement next to a fort constructed to control the population after Oliver Cromwell's invasion during the English Civil War, and then to suppress the Jacobite uprisings of the 18th century.
Future development[edit] [edit] Neptune's Staircase. Neptune's Staircase (grid reference NN113769) is a staircase lock comprising eight locks on the Caledonian Canal. Built by Thomas Telford beteeen 1803 and 1822, it is the longest staircase lock in Britain. The system was originally hand-powered but has been converted to hydraulic operation. Description[edit] Neptune’s Staircase at Banavie, near Fort William just north of Loch Linnhe is kept by British Waterways.
The current lock gates weigh 22 tons each, and require a team of three lock-keepers (at minimum) to run the staircase. Prior to mechanisation, the locks were operated by capstans, each with four poles, which had to make seven full revolutions to open or close a gate. History[edit] The Caledonian Canal was conceived by the engineer Thomas Telford after he was asked by the government to look at measures which might stem emigration from the Highlands.
In order to obtain rubble-stone for the building of the Banavie locks, a quarry was opened at Corpach moss. See also[edit] Coordinates: Caledonian Canal. The Caledonian Canal is a canal in Scotland that connects the Scottish east coast at Inverness with the west coast at Corpach near Fort William. It was constructed in the early nineteenth century by engineer Thomas Telford, and is a sister canal of the Göta Canal in Sweden, also constructed by Telford. Route[edit] History[edit] The canal was conceived as a way of providing much-needed employment to the Highland region. The area was depressed as a result of the Highland Clearances, which had deprived many of their homes and jobs. Laws had been introduced which sought to eradicate the local culture, including bans on wearing tartan, playing the bagpipes, and speaking Gaelic.
Operation[edit] There was an upsurge in commercial traffic during the First World War when components for the construction of mines were shipped through the canal on their way to Inverness from America, and fishing boats used it to avoid the route around the north of Scotland. Names[edit] Points of interest[edit]
Fort Augustus. Coordinates: Fort Augustus is a settlement in the parish of Boleskine and Abertarff, at the south west end of Loch Ness, Scottish Highlands. The village has a population of around 646 (2001);[1] its economy is heavily reliant on tourism. History[edit] Section of dismantled railway south of Fort Augustus The Gaelic name for the modern village is Cill Chuimein and until the early 18th century the settlement was called Kiliwhimin. It was renamed 'Fort Augustus' after the Jacobite Rising of 1715. The accepted etymology is that the settlement was originally named after Saint Cummein of Iona who built a church there.[2] Other suggestions are that it was originally called Ku Chuimein after one of two abbots of Iona of the Comyn clan, whose badge Lus mhic Chuimein refers to the cumin plant,[3] or that it was called Cill a' Chuimein ("Comyn's Burialplace") after the last Comyn in Lochaber.[4] Infrastructure[edit] The village is served by the Cill Chuimein Medical Centre.[9] Climate[edit] See also[edit]
Loch Ness. Loch Ness Loch Ness (/ˌlɒx ˈnɛs/; Scottish Gaelic: Loch Nis, [l̪ˠɔxˈniʃ]) is a large, deep, freshwater loch in the Scottish Highlands extending for approximately 37 km (23 mi) southwest of Inverness. Its surface is 15.8 m (52 ft) above sea level. Loch Ness is best known for alleged sightings of the cryptozoological Loch Ness Monster, also known affectionately as "Nessie". It is connected at the southern end by the River Oich and a section of the Caledonian Canal to Loch Oich.
At the northern end there is the Bona Narrows which opens out into Loch Dochfour, which feeds the River Ness and a further section of canal to Inverness. It is one of a series of interconnected, murky bodies of water in Scotland; its water visibility is exceptionally low due to a high peat content in the surrounding soil. Loch Ness is the second largest Scottish loch by surface area at 56.4 km2 (21.8 sq mi) after Loch Lomond, but due to its great depth, it is the largest by volume. Villages and places[edit] Urquhart Castle. Urquhart Castle ( listen ; Scottish Gaelic: Caisteal na Sròine) sits beside Loch Ness in the Highlands of Scotland.
The castle is on the A82 road, 21 kilometres (13 mi) south-west of Inverness and 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) east of the village of Drumnadrochit. The present ruins date from the 13th to the 16th centuries, though built on the site of an early medieval fortification. Founded in the 13th century, Urquhart played a role in the Wars of Scottish Independence in the 14th century. It was subsequently held as a royal castle, and was raided on several occasions by the MacDonald Earls of Ross. The castle, situated on a headland overlooking Loch Ness, is one of the largest in Scotland in area.[2] It was approached from the west and defended by a ditch and drawbridge. History[edit] Early Middle Ages[edit] The early castle[edit] The remains of the 13th-century "shell keep" or motte is the earliest part of the castle to survive The Grants[edit] The Grant Tower viewed from Loch Ness. Inverness. Coordinates: Inverness (pronounced /ɪnvərˈnɛs/ The population of greater Inverness grew from an estimated population of 51,610 in 2003 to 62,470 at the time of the 2011 Census.[1][5] Inverness is one of Europe's fastest growing cities,[6] with a third of the Highland population living in or around the city[7] and is ranked fifth out of 189 British cities for its quality of life, the highest of any Scottish city.[8] In the recent past, Inverness has experienced rapid economic growth - between 1998 and 2008, Inverness and the rest of the Central Highlands showed the largest growth of average economic productivity per person in Scotland and the second greatest growth in the United Kingdom as a whole, with an increase of 86%.[9] Inverness is twinned with one German city, Augsburg and two French towns, La Baule and Saint-Valery-en-Caux.[10] History[edit] "Prospectus Civitatis Innerness", Inverness in 1693 The strategic location of Inverness has led to many conflicts in the area.
Toponymy[edit] Luxury Hotel Loch Ness | The Lovat Hotel Fort Augustus.