Luss Village, Loch Lomond

The village lies on the west bank of Loch Lomond in Argyll and Bute, just off the A82 road from Glasgow to the West Highlands. Luss is the ancestral home of Clan Colquhoun, and the view north is dominated by Ben Lomond, the most southerly Munro.

The name comes from the Gaelic lus, meaning plant. Saint Kessog is said to have brought Christianity to the area in the early sixth century. From 1980 to 2003 the village was the main outdoor set for the STV drama Take the High Road, in which it appeared as Glendarroch.

The row of stone cottages on Pier Road dates from the mid nineteenth century and is listed at Category B. The conservation area includes 36 buildings, 24 of them listed. The present parish church was built in 1875 by Sir James Colquhoun in memory of his father, who drowned in the loch in 1873.

Pier Road leads to Luss Pier, starting point for loch cruises and a water taxi to Balloch, and a pebble and sand beach beside it is popular for paddling. About a mile south at Aldochlay, a small statue known as Wee Peter stands in the water. The village also has a kiltmaker and a bagpipe maker.

The village is free to visit; the car park is pay and display, and boat trips are paid separately. Summer weekends are very busy, so early morning or a weekday is calmer. One to two hours covers the village, longer with a boat trip.

Hogback stone and the 1875 Colquhoun church

The churchyard is older than the 1875 church. Early medieval and medieval monuments survive among the graves, including an eleventh century hogback grave cover. The church itself was built by Sir James Colquhoun, 5th Baronet, after his father drowned on the loch in 1873.

Luss is a small place. Estimates of the population range from about 120 to 450 depending on the boundary used, and most buildings in the conservation area are holiday cottages, shops and the hotel. The tradition linking the village to Saint Kessog, a sixth century missionary, is why the parish church carries his name.

The view north is the reason most people stop. From the pier you look up the loch to Ben Lomond, the most southerly Munro at 974 metres, and the wooded islands in between.