Where do you get into Loch Ard?

The usual access is at the Kinlochard end, where the shore shelves off a grassy bank rather than dropping away. Parking is the limiting factor — the Forestry and Land Scotland car park in the village takes about eight to ten cars and there is no overflow, so arrive early on a warm weekend or come midweek.

Is Loch Ard warmer than the other Trossachs lochs?

It is shallower than Lomond or Lubnaig, so it responds faster to a warm spell and is usually swimmable earlier in the season. That is a matter of weeks, not degrees of comfort — treat it as cold water and acclimatise properly whatever the month.

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, and Loch Ard sits outside them in any case.

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.

Wild Swimming

Loch Ard — Kinlochard

Loch Ard runs roughly five kilometres west from Aberfoyle to the village of Kinlochard, whose Gaelic name simply means the head of Loch Ard. It is a Trossachs loch on a human scale — birch and oak down to the waterline, Forestry and Land Scotland ground on the south side, and Ben Venue standing above the far shore. Because it is shallower than the big fjord lochs it warms sooner in the season, which is the practical reason swimmers from Stirling and Glasgow keep coming back to it rather than driving another hour north. It is 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)
Summer water temp: 10–17°C
Midges: High
Dogs: Off-lead OK

Best months

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: the Forestry and Land Scotland car park in the village holds roughly eight to ten cars, and the village hall car park is reserved for people using the hall. Kinlochard Community Council publishes dates when an access exemption order applies to the lochside field — check their site before a planned trip and respect the restriction if one is in force. Scottish Outdoor Access Code rights apply to the loch itself; the shore is a working, lived-in place, so park considerately and do not block passing places or gateways.

Safety

Not a designated bathing water and not monitored. Enter slowly — the loch looks benign and the shock response does not care. Forestry and Land Scotland carry a standing open-water hazard notice for this site. Canoes, kayaks and paddleboards launch from the same shore, 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
early-season swims before the deep lochs warm

Nearby

Current conditions

Daylight Today

17h 02mwalking daylight

Sunrise: 05:38
Sunset: 21:09
Civil dawn: 04:52
Civil dusk: 21:54

NOAA Solar Calculator · 10 August 2026

Common questions

Where do you get into Loch Ard?: The usual access is at the Kinlochard end, where the shore shelves off a grassy bank rather than dropping away. Parking is the limiting factor — the Forestry and Land Scotland car park in the village takes about eight to ten cars and there is no overflow, so arrive early on a warm weekend or come midweek.
Is Loch Ard warmer than the other Trossachs lochs?: It is shallower than Lomond or Lubnaig, so it responds faster to a warm spell and is usually swimmable earlier in the season. That is a matter of weeks, not degrees of comfort — treat it as cold water and acclimatise properly whatever the month.
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, and Loch Ard sits outside them in any case.
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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town

Base yourself: Luss

West Loch Lomond village — Highland Boundary, Loch Lomond Way

13km from the swim

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