BALLOCH
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Loch Lomond was a major waterway north to south. Balloch though denoted the point at which travellers past east to west at its southern end. The name Balloch comes from the Gaelic “bealach” meaning a pass. [VoL History Project]. Today it is a village served by two busy roads east to west and is reached from the south by Main Road, Stirling Road and even the A82. But there was a time when it was awkward to pass through due to the River Leven until it was bridged and also due to the boggy terrain. Anyone who remembers the area before Lomond Shores was developed will also remember it to that description. Balloch was therefore the place to pass through. Not a hilly or mountainous pass, but one where the road was good enough to use and a place to stop for sustainance.
Although this did not give rise to a very large population centre, it did give Balloch a certain profile from the early middle ages onwards, with the Earls of Lennox having their base at Balloch Castle for some years, and Balloch Horse Fair being one of the most important in Scotland from the later Middle Ages to the beginning of the 20th century.
For centuries, Balloch consisted of the ferry crossing of the Leven, and close by the ferryman's farmhouse that doubled as an Inn. [VoL History Project].
The River Leven contributed to the textile industries downstream. Eventually day trippers such as from Glasgow and tourists found that cruises on Loch Lomond were a wonderful experience and the railway line was extended all the way to the lochside.
Balloch Castle sits within extensive grounds not that far away. Joseph Irving writes : ...crossing the Leven at what used to be the Ferry of Balloch, now superceded by an elegant suspension bridge, erected by Sir James Colquhoun of Luss, the first estate of historic interest is Balloch. literally the "field of the pass". Here the Earls of Lennox, prior to the fatal blow inflicted on their house by James I. , kept a state worthy of their exalted rank. [Irving].
Once Balloch became developed it attracted more visitors. This scene is of the River Leven alongside Balloch Bridge with the fence of Balloch Hotel. While the river current is quite strob up here, it does not seem to deter boaters, even those without engines. [VoL History Project].
The development of Lomond Shores was very controversial at the time, but does enable a large number of people, visitors and locals alike to come right down to the waters edge and enjoy the view of the loch and Ben Lomond in the distance. That project left pockets of natural areas to be enjoyed almost untouched. And it did not nearly cover the whole of the potential area that it could have. That has meant that other developers have been attracted to try to convince the local authority and the Park Aurhtority to allow them to develope too. What is appropriate though in such a high demand yet very sensitive area merging commerce, recreation and one of the world's most important natural environments differs depending on your point of view. The locals as well as many others who love Balloch and Loch Lomond were up in arms when the ill-named Flamingo Land proposals were tabled. Those were amended, but not nearly enough to satisfy its objectors and it was withdrawn in mid-2024.
IRVING, JOSEPH. The Book of Dumbartonshire. W. and A.K. Johnston. Edinburgh and London. 1879.
VALE OF LEVEN HISTORY PROJECT : https://www.valeofleven.org.uk/balloch.html
