Wild Swimming
Loch Ard — Kinlochard
Loch Ard is a loch of about four kilometres a short way west of Aberfoyle, with the village of Kinlochard — whose Gaelic name simply means the head of Loch Ard — at its western end. It is a Trossachs loch on a human scale: birch and oak down to the waterline and Forestry and Land Scotland ground on the south side. It is close enough to Stirling and Glasgow for an evening swim, a straightforward first open-water loch for someone stepping up from a pool, and long enough to hold a proper distance session for someone who is not.
Quick facts
- Type
- Loch
- Region
- Loch Lomond & The Trossachs
- Grid ref
- NN 454 022
- Entry
- Grassy bank
- Depth
- Medium (chest-deep)
- Midges
- High
- Dogs
- Off-lead OK
Key hazards
- cold water shock
- midges May–September in the surrounding woodland
- no lifeguard and no supervision of any kind
- paddlecraft and small boats share the water at the Kinlochard end
Getting there
The B829 leaves Aberfoyle and follows the north shore to Kinlochard. Parking is the constraint here, not access: spaces are few, so park considerately and do not block passing places, gateways or private drives. Scottish Outdoor Access Code rights apply to the loch itself; the shore is a working, lived-in place. Loch Ard is inside the Trossachs West camping management zone — camping needs a permit 1 March–30 September.
Safety
Not a designated bathing water and not monitored. Enter slowly — the loch looks benign and the shock response does not care. Canoes, kayaks, paddleboards and small boats use the same water, so wear a bright cap and a tow float and assume you are hard to see from a boat. Midge protection is worth carrying from May onwards; the wooded shore here is exactly the sheltered, humid ground they favour.
Best for
- stepping up from a pool to open water
- distance sessions close to the central belt
Nearby
Current conditions
Daylight Today
- Sunrise
- 07:38
- Sunset
- 16:26
- Civil dawn
- 06:57
- Civil dusk
- 17:06
NOAA Solar Calculator · 7 November 2026
Common questions
- Where do you get into Loch Ard?
- The usual access is at the Kinlochard end. Parking is the limiting factor — spaces are few, so arrive early on a warm weekend or come midweek, and never block passing places or gateways.
- Do you need a permit to swim in Loch Ard?
- No. Swimming is covered by access rights under the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003. The Loch Lomond and The Trossachs camping management zones govern where you may pitch a tent, not where you may swim. Loch Ard is inside the Trossachs West zone, so camping there needs a permit 1 March–30 September.
- Are there midges at Loch Ard?
- Yes, and the wooded shoreline is the reason. Sheltered, damp broadleaf woodland is prime midge ground from May to September, and dusk on a still evening is the worst of it. A breeze on the open water is usually your escape; getting changed afterwards is when you pay.
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