Wild Swimming
Loch Venachar
Venachar is the easternmost of the Trossachs lochs — gentler and more pastoral than Lubnaig, about 6km long, with a tree-lined south shore and Ben Ledi rising to the north. Its level is controlled by a 19th-century dam and sluices at the east end, built as part of the Loch Katrine water scheme. A sailing club uses the loch from spring to autumn.
Quick facts
- Type
- Loch
- Region
- Loch Lomond & The Trossachs
- Grid ref
- NN 578 049
- Entry
- Gravel / pebble
- Depth
- Medium (chest-deep)
- Midges
- Moderate
- Dogs
- Off-lead OK
Key hazards
- cold water shock
- dam and sluices at the east end
- sailing boats
- blue-green algae in late summer
Getting there
The A821 runs along the north shore; the south-shore Invertrossachs road is a private road. Parking is limited — do not block the road, gateways or passing places. Access rights apply. The loch shores are inside a Loch Lomond & The Trossachs camping management zone — camping needs a permit 1 March–30 September.
Safety
Not a designated bathing water. Keep well clear of the dam and sluices at the east end. Watch for sailing boats. Blue-green algae blooms can occur in late summer on warm, still days — avoid scummy or discoloured water, and check reported blooms on the Bloomin' Algae app (UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology) before swimming.
Best for
- warmer-water swimming
- family splash
- Trossachs circuit day
Nearby
Current conditions
Daylight Today
- Sunrise
- 07:22
- Sunset
- 16:40
- Civil dawn
- 06:42
- Civil dusk
- 17:19
NOAA Solar Calculator · 31 October 2026
Common questions
- Is Loch Venachar a reservoir?
- Its level is controlled by a dam and sluices at the east end, built as part of the Loch Katrine water scheme. Access rights still apply for swimming, but keep well clear of the dam and sluices, and look out for algae in late summer.
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More on Loch Venachar
TripSCOT covers the loch in full — travel context, things to do, where to stay.