Loch Lomond East Shore Swimming

The east shore of Loch Lomond is where the loch feels most like itself: wide, dark, and ringed by hills that seem to grow bigger the further north you go. Two spots anchor this stretch for swimmers — Milarrochy Bay, a gently shelving sandy bay just beyond Balmaha, and Rowardennan, a wilder, more exposed entry point at the foot of Ben Lomond where the road runs out and the West Highland Way carries on north. Between them they cover almost everything: a post-walk dip, a proper loch swim, a big sky view across the water to wooded islands, and the genuine feeling that you’ve escaped somewhere worth escaping to.

Getting There

For Milarrochy Bay, use postcode G63 0AL for the car park sat nav. From Drymen, take the B837 north through Balmaha; the bay entrance is about a mile past the village, just after a steep winding hill. For Rowardennan, use postcode G63 0AR — the car park marks the end of the public road, 12 miles from Drymen along the same B837.

By public transport, take a ScotRail train from Glasgow Queen Street to Balloch (trains run twice per hour and take around 50 minutes), then connect to the 309 bus which runs directly to Balmaha. From Balmaha you can walk the West Highland Way lochside path to Milarrochy Bay — it’s a beautiful short stretch and well worth doing on foot. Note there are no buses to Rowardennan itself; in summer months a seasonal ferry service runs from Tarbet and Luss on the opposite bank, operated by Cruise Loch Lomond, which is a brilliant way to arrive if you’re coming from the west side.

Facilities

Milarrochy Bay has a free car park with public toilets on site, managed by Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National Park — note the car park is locked outside of opening hours, so check the gate times displayed at the entrance before you plan a long day. Access to the beach and loch is on the west side of the car park. There’s no changing room as such, but the grassy banks give reasonable cover. For coffee and cake afterwards, St Mocha in Balmaha is just a mile back down the road — an artisan coffee shop that roasts its own beans on site and serves homemade Loch Lomond ice cream. Highly recommended.

At Rowardennan, the Forestry and Land Scotland pay-and-display car park charges apply (around £5 for the day, payable by card, coin or RingGo). There are toilets at the car park, open seasonally from Easter to October. The Rowardennan Hotel is nearby and serves bar food and drinks.

Safety Notes

Loch Lomond is a serious body of water and deserves proper respect. Water temperatures range from around 4°C in winter to a maximum of roughly 15°C in late summer — cold water shock is a genuine risk even on warm days, so enter slowly and give yourself time to acclimatise before striking out. The loch is also very deep in the middle, and the depth can change suddenly and unexpectedly close to shore, so stick near the bank unless you’re a confident open water swimmer.

Boat traffic is a real concern on Loch Lomond. The loch is busy with watercraft of various sizes, and as a swimmer sitting low in the water you can be very hard to spot. The National Park authority strongly recommends wearing a brightly coloured swim cap and towing a high-visibility swim float whenever you’re in the water here. Milarrochy Bay itself is generally calmer for swimming than the open loch, but you should still stay well clear of any active boat lanes.

During summer months, keep an eye out for blue-green algae notices — these are issued by the National Park and local authorities when blooms are detected, and swimming should be avoided if a notice is in place. Check the Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National Park website or local signage before you get in. At Rowardennan, the shoreline can be rocky in places, so take care with footing on entry and exit.

Nearby

  • Ben Lomond — Scotland’s most southerly Munro starts right from the Rowardennan car park. The main tourist path is well-maintained and climbs through native woodland before opening out onto the ridge with sweeping views the length of Loch Lomond. It’s a serious hill day (around 8–9 miles return with significant elevation gain), but finishing with a swim in the loch below is one of the better combinations you’ll find in Scotland.
  • Balmaha and Conic Hill — The village of Balmaha makes an excellent base, with the short but rewarding climb of Conic Hill offering panoramic views across the southern loch and its islands. St Mocha coffee shop sits right at the trailhead. From Balmaha you can also take a boat trip out to Inchcailloch Island, a lovely wooded nature reserve with its own shoreline worth exploring.

What to Bring

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