Luss (''Lus'', 'herb' in

Gaelic Gaelic is an adjective that means "pertaining to the Gaels". As a noun it refers to the group of languages spoken by the Gaels, or to any one of the languages individually. Gaelic languages are spoken in Ireland, Scotland, the Isle of Man, an ...

) is a village in

Argyll and Bute Argyll and Bute ( sco, Argyll an Buit; gd, Earra-Ghàidheal agus Bòd, ) is one of 32 unitary authority council areas in Scotland and a lieutenancy area. The current lord-lieutenant for Argyll and Bute is Jane Margaret MacLeod (14 July 2020) ...

, Scotland, on the west bank of

Loch Lomond Loch Lomond (; gd, Loch Laomainn - 'Lake of the Elms'Richens, R. J. (1984) ''Elm'', Cambridge University Press.) is a freshwater Scottish loch which crosses the Highland Boundary Fault, often considered the boundary between the lowlands of ...

. The village is within the Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park.

History

Historically in the

County of Dunbarton Dunbartonshire ( gd, Siorrachd Dhùn Breatann) 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 Per ...

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

, dominates the view north over the loch, and the Luss Hills rise to the west of the village. Saint Kessog brought

Christianity Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth. It is the world's largest and most widespread religion with roughly 2.38 billion followers representing one-third of the global popula ...

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, is typically regarded by historians as lasting from the late 5th or early 6th century to the 10th century. They marked the start of the Mi ...

. 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 or early 6th century to the 10th century. They marked the start of the Mi ...

and

medieval In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire a ...

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 clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is ...

is preserved within the modern church. The present

Church of Scotland The Church of Scotland ( sco, The Kirk o Scotland; gd, Eaglais na h-Alba) is the national church in Scotland. The Church of Scotland was principally shaped by John Knox, in the Reformation of 1560, when it split from the Catholic Church ...

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 somet ...

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 and the McInturners of Luss, a sept of Clan Lamont.

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, 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 and are identical constructions; namely Avonlea and Ivy Bank, Fernlea and Ivy Cottage, Laurel Cottage and Ravenslea, Rose Cottage and The Sheiling and Yewbank and Lonaigview. 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 network franchisee for Central Scotland. The channel — the largest of the three ITV franchises in Scotland — has been in operation since 31 August 1957 and is th ...

drama series '' Take the High Road''. 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 Aldochlay is a small hamlet in Argyll and Bute, Scotland, on the shore of Loch Lomond opposite the island of Inchtavannach and just south of Luss. It was formerly part of Dunbartonshire, but is now part of Argyll and Bute Argyll and Bute ...

, is a small figure on a stone plinth. A

contemporary legend An urban legend (sometimes contemporary legend, modern legend, urban myth, or urban tale) is a genre of folklore comprising stories or fallacious claims circulated as true, especially as having happened to a "friend of a friend" or a family m ...

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 ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated popu ...

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 Colquho ...

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

History

Places of interest

Facilities

Gallery

See also