Loch Lomond

Loch Lomond is the largest body of fresh water in Great Britain by surface area, stretching approximately 24 miles from north to south and up to five miles wide in its southern reaches. The loch lies at the heart of Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park, Scotland's first national park designated in 2002, and straddles the boundary between the Scottish Lowlands and Highlands. The southern part of the loch is dotted with wooded islands and fringed by accessible lowland meadows, while the northern section narrows dramatically and is hemmed in by steep Highland mountains. Balloch, at the southern end of the loch, is the main gateway settlement, while Ben Lomond, rising to 974 metres on the eastern shore, is one of Scotland's most popular hills to climb.