Diving Loch Lomond

Diving Loch Lomond offers a very different diving experience. Obviously, it's freshwater, deep and there are few currents. What wasn't so obvious was how dark it gets just a few meters below the surface.

There's a small offroad restaurant at Firkin Point (N56:10:15 W4:40:37) about 3 - 4 miles south of Tarbet on the A82. The car park is just beside the lake so it's an ideal place to kit up in and walk the few yards to the water's edge.

Loch Lomond is deep. In June 2004 we entered the water and quickly began to go down the steep angled slope. The water was clear but brown, and as we descended the light soon disappeared. By 20m we were into night dive conditions, but the feel of the water was rather odd. It was rather like diving a tomb or a sepulchre - one diving pair commented that "it was like diving inside a teabag". There were a few fish around - perch and an eel - but this is no place for a fish to spend an exciting and meaningful life. Unlike the beauty of the Loch above water, below it is quiet, still and rather moribund. We reached 35m but as we ascended the slope and the muddy brown light began to appear at 18m we were happy to emerge into the mild drizzle.

Nonetheless, this is a great place to dive.

Underwater photos by Mark Warren - mark.warren@echarris.com

Richard Knights - June 2004