Luss
Loch Lomond
Argyll
G83 8NT
01436 860658
Website - www.campingandcaravanningclub.co.uk
Open - April 1st to late October
Current fees - See website for details
Situated on the western shore of Loch Lomond at the southern end of the Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park, this attractive and well laid out site makes a great stop-off point for anyone wanting to break a long journey to or from the Highlands. Backed by a pleasant tree-covered hill, and with stunning views across the loch itself it has to be in one of the nicest locations in the UK.
The pitches are well spaced out and level and most have ehu, with many of them being underneath or close to tall trees, though there are a couple of non-ehu tent areas which are quite open. Some of the pitches are right by the loch itself and only separated from the water by either a line of well-spaced trees or a grass bank. Wooden steps set at intervals along the edge of the site lead down to the shingle beaches at the water's edge and there are great views across to the far side of the loch.
The reception area is very pleasant and has a wealth of information leaflets and magazines etc; the toilets and showers are, as you would expect, kept to the usual C & CC standards and were always spotlessly clean whenever I went in there. Along one side of the site is a designated dog walk through the trees and a small enclosed childrens play area where dogs aren't allowed.
Luss village is only a brief 5-minute walk from the site entrance; there's a large pay-and-display car and coach park which incorporates an information centre, a mobile burger bar and a small village shop/general store which sells provisions, sandwiches and cakes, various small items of camping equipment and gifts. Just along the road from the car park is the only pub and in the village itself are a couple of tea rooms, a bistro, and a couple of craft/gift shops.
A short walk through the pretty village takes you to the lochside where there's a couple of very pleasant sand and shingle beaches and a pier from where you can take boat trips across the loch and/or around the islands. About a mile south along the road from the car park is the tiny village of Aldlochlay, which is little more than a row of cottages and a couple of detatched houses, but it's set on a really picturesque corner of the loch and is well worth the walk or short drive to get some good photos. About eight miles from Luss, at the south end of the loch, is the small town of Balloch with it's shops, cafes, information centre, petrol station, supermarket and castle, and the large Loch Lomond Shores shopping and leisure complex which, as the name suggests, is set right on the loch shore.
I can really only think of three niggles to this lovely site; firstly, the A82 runs right alongside, and as it's a main arterial road from Glasgow up to the Highlands it's therefore very busy and there's a lot of traffic noise, though it does quieten down a bit at night. This could be a problem for some people but personally I managed to shut my ears to it and ignore it most of the time. Secondly, with so many trees in and around the site it's a haven for midges so plenty of bug repellant is a must, though I can honestly say that on the first weekend in June the were hardly any and I didn't get bitten once. The third niggle is the entrance/exit barriers - these have a rope which loops over a nearby post and they must be kept closed at all times. This means you have to stop, get out of your car, open the barrier, get back in the car and drive through, then get out and go back to close the barrier before finally driving away. Personally I think it would be much better if the barriers could be operated by a push button or swipe card then you could drive straight through, but I suppose the powers-that-be at the C & CC have their reasons for the current system.
Niggles aside I found this to be a nice site in a really lovely location, and even though both my stays there were only brief I was impressed enough to want to return in the near future and stay for longer.
