Luss (, 'herb') is a village in

Argyll and Bute Argyll and Bute (; , ) is one of 32 unitary authority, unitary council areas of Scotland, council areas in Scotland and a lieutenancy areas of Scotland, lieutenancy area. The current lord-lieutenant for Argyll and Bute is Jane Margaret MacLeod ...

, Scotland, on the west bank of

Loch Lomond Loch Lomond (; ) is a freshwater Scottish loch which crosses the Highland Boundary Fault (HBF), often considered the boundary between the lowlands of Central Scotland and the Highlands.Tom Weir. ''The Scottish Lochs''. pp. 33-43. Published by ...

. The village is within the

Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park () is a national park in Scotland centred on Loch Lomond and the hills and glens of the Trossachs, along with several other ranges of hills. It was the first of the national parks of Scotland, two nati ...

History

Historically in the

County of Dunbarton Dunbartonshire () or the County of Dumbarton is a historic county, lieutenancy area and registration county in the west central Lowlands of Scotland lying to the north of the River Clyde. Dunbartonshire borders Perthshire to the north, Stirlin ...

, its original name is ''Clachan dhu'', or 'dark village'.

Ben Lomond Ben Lomond (, ), , is a mountain in the Scottish Highlands. Situated on the eastern shore of Loch Lomond, it is the most southerly of the Munros. Ben Lomond lies within the Ben Lomond National Memorial Park and the Loch Lomond and The Trossach ...

, the most southerly

Munro A Munro (; ) is defined as a mountain in Scotland with a height over , and which is on the Scottish Mountaineering Club (SMC) official list of Munros; there is no explicit topographical prominence requirement. The best known Munro is Ben Nevi ...

, dominates the view north over the loch, and the

Luss Hills The Luss Hills are a hill range located in Argyll, Scotland. They are part of the southern foothills of the Grampian Mountains and lie west of Loch Lomond, above the village of Luss Luss (, 'herb') is a village in Argyll and Bute, Scotland ...

rise to the west of the village.

Saint Kessog Saint Kessog was an Irish missionary of the mid-sixth century active in the Lennox area and southern Perthshire. Son of the king of Cashel in Ireland, Kessog is said to have worked miracles, even as a child. He left Ireland and became a missi ...

brought

Christianity Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion, which states that Jesus in Christianity, Jesus is the Son of God (Christianity), Son of God and Resurrection of Jesus, rose from the dead after his Crucifixion of Jesus, crucifixion, whose ...

to Luss at the early 6th century in the

Early Middle Ages The Early Middle Ages (or early medieval period), sometimes controversially referred to as the Dark Ages (historiography), Dark Ages, is typically regarded by historians as lasting from the late 5th to the 10th century. They marked the start o ...

. A number of

early medieval The Early Middle Ages (or early medieval period), sometimes controversially referred to as the Dark Ages, is typically regarded by historians as lasting from the late 5th to the 10th century. They marked the start of the Middle Ages of Europ ...

and

medieval In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the 5th to the late 15th centuries, similarly to the post-classical period of World history (field), global history. It began with the fall of the West ...

monuments survive in the present churchyard, including simple cross-slabs which may date to as early as the 7th century AD, and a hogback grave-cover of the 11th century. A well-preserved late medieval effigy of a

bishop A bishop is an ordained member of the clergy who is entrusted with a position of Episcopal polity, authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance and administration of di ...

is preserved within the modern church. The present

Church of Scotland The Church of Scotland (CoS; ; ) is a Presbyterian denomination of Christianity that holds the status of the national church in Scotland. It is one of the country's largest, having 245,000 members in 2024 and 259,200 members in 2023. While mem ...

place of worship A place of worship is a specially designed structure or space where individuals or a group of people such as a congregation come to perform acts of devotion, veneration, or religious study. A building constructed or used for this purpose is s ...

was built in 1875 by Sir James Colquhoun, 5th Baronet, in memory of his father, who had drowned in the loch in December 1873. The church is noted for its online services as well as for holding over one hundred weddings per year, mostly for couples from outwith the parish. Luss is the ancestral home of

Clan Colquhoun Clan Colquhoun ( ) is a Highland Scottish clan. History Origins of the clan The lands of the clan Colquhoun are on the shores of Loch Lomond. During the reign of Alexander II, Umphredus de Kilpatrick received from Malduin, Earl of Len ...

and the McInturners of Luss, a sept of

Clan Lamont Clan Lamont (; ) is a Highland Scottish clan. The clan is said to descend from Ánrothán Ua Néill, an Irish prince of the O'Neill dynasty, and through him Niall Noigíallach, High King of Ireland. Clan Ewen of Otter, Clan MacNeil of Barra ...

Places of interest

Nowadays Luss is a conservation village, with a bypass carrying the busy A82 trunk road. In its position just off the main road to the West Highlands, it is visited by many tourists, and has a large car and coach park and a number of tourist-oriented shops. Its Outstanding Conservation Area contains 36 buildings, 24 of which are of Category B or C listed status. Many of Luss' cottages, several of which are located on

Pier Road Pier Road is a street in Luss, Argyll and Bute, Scotland. Located on Loch Lomond's western shore, the road, which is on an east–west alignment, consists of around twenty buildings, many of which are listed building, listed cottages dating fro ...

, have been described as picturesque. Five of these are Category B listed, were built in the mid-19th century,Luss Outstanding Conservation Area Appraisal
–

Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park () is a national park in Scotland centred on Loch Lomond and the hills and glens of the Trossachs, along with several other ranges of hills. It was the first of the national parks of Scotland, two nati ...

and are identical constructions; namely

Avonlea and Ivy Bank Avonlea and Ivy Bank is a pair of buildings in Luss, Argyll and Bute, Scotland. They are Category B listed,

Fernlea and Ivy Cottage Fernlea and Ivy Cottage is a pair of buildings in Luss, Argyll and Bute, Scotland. They are Category B listed Laurel Cottage and Ravenslea Laurel Cottage and Ravenslea is a pair of buildings in Luss, Argyll and Bute, Scotland. They are Category B listed Rose Cottage and The Sheiling Rose Cottage and The Sheiling is a pair of buildings in Luss, Argyll and Bute, Scotland. They are Category B listed,Yewbank and Lonaigview Yewbank and Lonaigview is a pair of buildings in Luss, Argyll and Bute, Scotland. Turned side-on to the street, they are Category B listed,

. Between 1980 and 2003, Luss was the main outdoor filming location for the

Scottish Television Scottish Television (now legally known as STV Central Limited) is the ITV (TV network), ITV network franchisee for Central Belt, Central Scotland. The channel — the largest of the three ITV franchises in Scotland — has been in operation si ...

drama series ''

Take the High Road ''Take the High Road'' (renamed ''High Road'' from 1994 to 2003) was a Scottish soap opera produced by Scottish Television, which started in February 1980 as an ITV (TV network), ITV daytime programme, and was broadcast until 2003. It was set in ...

''. Largely as a result of this, the village of 120 residents attracts more than 750,000 visitors each year. Although the programme is no longer made, the village's name in the series, "Glendarroch," is used for some buildings. The village has a kiltmaker and a bagpipe works. About a mile south of the village, in a cove at Aldochlay, is a small figure on a stone plinth. A contemporary legend evolved that it is a memorial to a child drowned in the loch, but it was in fact erected in 1890 by a local stonemason, who found the statue in a London scrapyard. 'Wee Peter', as he is locally known, was moved to the site after a brief spell near the railway, and has remained there ever since.

Facilities

The village hosts a water taxi service to Balloch, at the south of the loch, allowing visitors to transfer onwards to

Glasgow Glasgow is the Cities of Scotland, most populous city in Scotland, located on the banks of the River Clyde in Strathclyde, west central Scotland. It is the List of cities in the United Kingdom, third-most-populous city in the United Kingdom ...

by train or visit its shopping centre, Lomond Shores. Luss Pier is a popular starting point for boat trips on the loch. The

Loch Lomond Golf Club Loch Lomond Golf Club is located in Luss, Argyll & Bute, Scotland on the shore of Loch Lomond. The course occupies land previously held by Clan Colquhoun and includes the clan's seat of Rossdhu House as its clubhouse. History While Clan Colquh ...

, which was for a number of years the site of the Barclays Scottish Open, is within the village's borders.

Gallery

References

External links

The Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park - website
{{Authority control Villages in Argyll and Bute Loch Lomond Parishes in Dunbartonshire