Line © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), checked by Global Adventurer.
The paddling route
Launch from the beach beside Luss pier, a short carry from the village car park, and paddle south round the wooded point into Aldochlay bay. The line runs down the channel between Inchtavannach and the west shore, rounds the island's southern tip, and turns north into the Narrows: a winding gap only a few boat-widths across between Inchtavannach and Inchconnachan, often busy with moored boats in summer. Out of its north end, head back across the bay to Luss, with the hills of the Luss estate behind the village.
It is 7 km round; allow about 1½ hours in a canoe or kayak and 2 on a paddleboard. The grade is Moderate: you are sheltered among the islands for much of the way and never more than about 300 m from land, but the open loch beyond the islands can get rough quickly, the water is cold all year, and motor boats and water taxis use the same water. Keep together, keep near the shore if the wind rises, and give way to boats in the Narrows.
No registration is needed for craft without an engine. Under the loch's byelaws, children under 16 must wear a buoyancy aid or life jacket. Wear a buoyancy aid and check the conditions before you set off.
Route drawn by Global Adventurer along OpenStreetMap waterways (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL), with figures worked out from it. Check the forecast and the ground on the day: paths change.
Good to know
- Round Inchtavannach, the 'monk's island', and through the Narrows beside Inchconnachan
- From the beach beside Luss pier
- Sheltered water among the islands, with the open loch to the east
- No registration is needed for craft without a motor
On the water
- Put in: Luss North Car Park (car park) · parking charged 56.10289, -4.63939
- No locks or weirs on the way.
- About 6.7 km (4.2 mi) on open water, up to 302 m from the shore: wind and waves build quickly.
- Rules and licences: Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National Park. Check whether you need a licence before you go: on many inland waters in England and Wales you do, and Paddle UK membership includes one for many of them.
- Suits canoes, kayaks, paddleboards.
Getting there
Start: Luss beach. 56.10289, -4.63939
Places to stay nearby
Rooms in and around Helensburgh Upper: Booking.com → Expedia →
Affiliate links: if you book, Global Adventurer earns a small commission at no cost to you.
Water levels, flow and the weather decide the day. The line and figures come from OpenStreetMap and our own checks; wear a buoyancy aid, check the river levels and the forecast, keep well clear of weirs and powered boats, and don't go out in flood.
