Vanlife Road Trip - Part 7: Loch Lomond
17 – 20 August 2021
Yup that's right... a Faerie. We're in Scotland you know. No more Pisky Cornish Pixies or cute Devon Fairies here...
So, as you'll be aware, we had arrived at the shores of Loch Lomond. This was part of the trip where we actually had to be somewhere at a certain time! I was meeting 'the family'... no not that one; just Bry, Kelly and the kids! Yes, I was heading to a (say it quietly so as not to offend other vanlifers) campsite again.
I had a few nights booked at Luss campsite with the family, right on the shore of the Loch and near the infamous Luss Faerie Trail. I could not be more excited...
But first, there were some waterfalls to find. We abandoned George's van in Balloch and headed off in Buttercup up the east shore to Inversnaid... now that's a drive. Once you get off the main road at Aberfoyle you are rewarded with miles upon miles of woodlands, Lochs, rivers, and a few sketchy roads with pull ins not really wide enough for two large vehicles to pass! The views were absolutely breath-taking, you literally drove along the edge of Lochs glistening in the sunlight, the water like glass just inviting you to dive in...but alas there was nowhere to stop, and after some excellent rally driving and a weird physic power of knowing something big was coming, we made it to the steep descent down a rather narrow road to Inversnaid hotel and carpark. Hats off to the coach drivers making this daily journey.
We parked, sent up a prayer that my handbrake would hold, and set off on a hunt for some waterfalls.
Inversnaid is right on the shore of Loch Lomond and the West Highland Way passes right through; so, we followed the narrow path of the WHW through the trees along the shoreline, admiring the epic views out across the Loch. We passed many hikers doing this long-distance route, and even a few keen bike packers struggling to navigate their way over the many tree roots and steep steps cut from the rock faces. Eventually we found our first waterfall, a pretty fairy glade a short steep climb from the path through tall bracken. Despite being very picturesque, it unfortunately wasn’t suitable for a dip, so we clambered back down in search of the next waterfall. The path continued to produce spectacular vistas across the glistening water and after an hour of walking we decided to climb down to the shore and enjoy a hot chocolate break and the peace and quiet of the gently lapping water and bird song overhead.
A few miles later we came to the next set of falls, but unfortunately there were more blasted deer fences in the way, so once again we were unable to access them… However, a lovely beach sat just opposite the path, and we decided to go for a lovely swim in the Loch. The water was so clear, and we spent a few hours running in and out, diving and swimming in the deep, crystal-clear water. The sun was high in the sky, and we took the opportunity to lounge in the sun (rare in Scotland!), enjoy a picnic and play some games. After getting my butt kicked by George at a stone throwing game, it was time to pack up and mooch back towards Inversnaid and Buttercup.
We got back, settled the dogs in the van, popped on our wet swim stuff and walked across the carpark to the majestic Inversnaid falls… These falls tumble down from Loch Arklet in to Loch Lomond, spanned by a footbridge, which provides great views up the falls and down to the shore. The large deep pool at the foot of the main fall is said to be one of the best wild swimming spots in Scotland. Well, after swimming all over Scotland during this trip, I can say it was definitely up there in the top 5. The pool is surrounded by large rocks, which provide the prefect dive board in to the deep water, and from the pool you have an infinity style pool effect out towards the Loch. We gathered a bit of a crowd watching us play in the water, and after being unable to encourage others to get in, we decided it was time to get out and head back to Luss to meet up with the family.
The drive back was just as stunning, and after dropping George back at her van, I said farewell and headed to the campsite to meet up with the Milford’s and ‘Dougie the Motorhome’. They were all settled in, so after setting up my pitch, we all headed down to the water for my third swim of the day! Many loads of washing were then processed… not sure how I ended up with all of George’s laundry too (humm!!)… and a quiet night pursued around the firepit (no, it wasn’t us who accidentally burnt some grass.. shhhh!) as we caught up all about my adventures to date and Bryan tried to persuade the kids to climb a mountain in the morning!
The next morning the Milford’s headed up a big hill, as I chilled at the site and caught up on some much-needed van admin. Once back from their hike, we grabbed lunch and set off to see some faeries… YES AT LAST! Now, if you are near Luss, or generally ‘up north’ you MUST visit the Luss Faerie Trail; it is awesome. We passed through the ‘Faerie Trail Guard Hut’, where Bryan complained about the cost and I was dissuaded from buying faerie wings and the cutest fluffy dragon I’ve ever seen, and then we entered the world of the faeries…
A mile long trail weaves through this magical woodland full of tiny glades, crystal clear streams, slate banks and mossy mounds. Hidden amongst this beautiful setting are tiny houses belonging to the faeries who reside in these woods; and if you look closely enough you will find faerie dust and coins left by those seeking the faeries magic to grant a special wish. The cute houses are dotted around the woods so look up high and down low to spot these pretty little structures and other surprises. We clambered through tiny doors, read all about wishes and magic in the beautiful wood bound books, went to faerie school and learnt the alphabet, sat on a giant faerie throne and even hunted trolls in the quarry. We saw woodland creatures a plenty, solved the faerie’s puzzles, visited the unicorn stables and the faerie airport; finally, we passed through the troll prison and returned along the public footpath to Luss for a well-deserved cuppa and biscuit (sold out of cake). A really magical day, and although the kids are probably too old for faerie trails, I LOVED it!!
So, after too much excitement in the woods, we headed to the campsite for a little SUP adventure on the Loch before a BBQ and quiet night. The next day we had big plans for a water based adventure, and kayaks were booked for Sophie and Ellis in the morning.
In the morning we launched our vessels and headed across the Loch to a pretty island for a picnic and swim… the crossing was reasonably easy as the wind wasn’t too strong and although the Loch was busy with boats and other SUPS and kayaks, it was a suitable and safe voyage for everyone to paddle slowly across to the island. It was around a 40minute paddle but the closer islands were heaving with people out for an hours hire. On approaching the island we saw deer on the beach and we landed far enough away not to scare them, and enjoyed a play in the water and a nibble before the slightly easier paddle back (wind was behind us!). Everyone had a great time and after a couple hours of paddling the younger members of the gang (that includes Kelly!), were knackered, so we retreated back to the campsite for a chill before we mooched to town to buy ‘stuff’ (I still avoided a cute dragon!).
George joined us for a BBQ, where s'mores were made and a mess ensued; before a final SUP adventure for Bryan, George and me to the island again…Another fabulous evening and a great way to round off a few days with the family before they headed back south.
The next day, we loaded up the van with as much water as we could carry, waved goodbye to the troops and headed up the west coast of Loch Lomond to the Falls of Falloch. These waterfalls are highlighted in the many guides as another top spot for swimming and they didn't disappoint… It didn’t start well though, as the carpark for the waterfalls was an absolute nightmare. It’s off a busy road, is very narrow and muddy and VERY busy; blooming tourists everywhere! We somehow squeezed the vans in after some very creative driving, took a deep breath, grabbed the dogs and headed up to check out the falls.
It’s a short walk from the carpark on a decent path, and the river running down from the falls towards Loch Lomond is stunning, full of cascades and deep plunge pools sitting in the river’s bends. Large rocks sit all around the pools and border the far side of the river, creating perfect spots for lounging in the sun and picnicking, if you are brave enough to clamber over to them by wading through the strong current. There are a few spots you could possibly leap across to, but we decided to carry on up to the main waterfall to see what all the fuss and busy carpark was about.
You can hear the thundering force of the falls before you see it, and as you come out of the woods in to a wide opening, you are rewarded with views of a large cascade of powerful water plunging into a deep pool below. It’s a bit of a clamber down to the pool but not too taxing, or for those brave (read foolish), you could leap from the banks high above or even from the falls themselves, but I'd not recommend it as despite reading that people do leap from here, there are a few protruding rocks. Also, I had read of a lady jumping not too many weeks before our visit and shattering her legs… Soooo we decided that we would enter the old-fashioned way and avoid giant leaps of faith. But swimming was not on the agenda quite yet as it was just too busy; no one was swimming but it was very crowded around the top. So, we went back to the vans to chill out for a few hours (read we fell asleep!!) before venturing back up for a swim later in the day.
After our ‘rest’, we grabbed our Dryrobes and wandered back up the path in our cossies… The dogs being left safely in the van allowed us to relax and just enjoy the experience without worrying about them running off, slipping on the rocks or stealing people’s picnics! We clambered down the rocks to the pool where there was a ledge we could safely enter from. As the self-declared Health and Safety inspector (!) I hopped on in to check out the conditions and do a rock inspection of the depths near the entry point. It was super deep, with no hidden rocks, so I clambered back out for a dive. We spent ages jumping and diving into the pool, giggling and trying to swim up to the foot of the falls. A crowd had once again gathered and young men dared each other to get in… It looked like some may be pressed in to having a dip, but for now we had the luscious pool to ourselves. An amazing spot for a swim and another spectacular Scottish waterfall ticked off the list.
It clearly stated no overnight parking, so we headed off away from Loch Lomond to start our mooch up towards the mountains and the hunt for more waterfalls, wild swimming spots, epic scenery and fabulous van park ups. We were fully loaded with water, food, fuel and a sense of adventure… What more do you need in life?
I'll leave you with some sensible words from the faeries...
Join us next time as George and I find a whole road full of waterfalls, swim in a few sketchy spots, get a bit lost and find some of the most stunning park ups of the trip.
If you would like to watch some of the videos of our Scottish adventures, you can find them on George's YouTube channel. Here is the link to the vlog that accompanies my little story (bar the faeries!): Wild Swimming LOCH LOMOND and INVERSNAID FALLS - YouTube
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