Luss Loch Lomond View Point

The view from Luss hits you properly. You're standing above the village looking out across Loch Lomond with the mountains rising up on the far shore - Ben Lomond dominates the skyline when the light's right. It's a short walk up from the car park near the village itself, nothing strenuous, and the whole thing takes maybe thirty minutes there and back including a good few minutes just standing about taking it all in.

Luss village itself is the draw here as much as the viewpoint. It's got the kind of neat-as-a-pin look you don't often see - proper whitewashed cottages, a church, a handful of decent pubs and cafes. The viewpoint is free, naturally, and there's no charge to explore. Come early on a summer weekend though and you'll be fighting for car space with half of Glasgow.

Historically minded visitors will appreciate the age of the place. The settlement's been here since medieval times, though what you see now is mostly Georgian rebuilding. It photographs like nowhere else on Loch Lomond, which is precisely why it gets rammed.

If you're staying at Milarrochy Bay or Inverbeg nearby - both are excellent spots - this works as a morning or late afternoon outing. The walk's fine for families with older kids, though younger ones might find the climb a bit of a slog. The real magic is being there when the tour buses have cleared off. Go at dusk if you can manage it.