Loch Eck is another place I discovered while out for a drive. There is a really lovely little bit of land jutting out into the water which has beautiful pine trees and a place to park with easy access to the water. I think it was a combination of the beautiful environment and short distance from the car to the launch that makes Loch Eck a great place to go stand up paddleboarding.
The Main Points
- Location – Argyll
- SUP – Own Fatstick Inflatables, 10′ Pink Panther and 10’6″ Blue Lagoon
- Cost – Free
- Conditions – Freshwater loch with surrounding mountains and an alpine feel to it with the Scots Pines
- Other users – Fairly quiet with the odd boat (tinny) quite near the main road so a lot of traffic
- Entry Point – Sandy beach with rocks
- Surrounding amenities/Bathrooms- Benmore Botanic Gardens further down the A815
- Getting There – Take the A82 out of Glasgow along the western shore of Loch Lomond then onto the A83 at Tarbet, up over Rest and Be Thankful turning onto the A815 towards St Catherines. Keep following for about another 16km to Lock Eck.
Wee Blether
Loch Eck is another of my favourite lochs for stand up paddleboarding. Since I first discovered it, I have long wanted to SUP there especially with the easy parking amongst a faery-like landscape of pines and wee hillocks at the waters edge. It’s a truly magical place. It has an alpine feel to it with the Scots pines and you feel like you are miles from anywhere, tucked away up in the mountains.
On the downside it is worth mentioning that the road which runs along the eastern shore of the loch is a fairly busy one and it can be quite noisy with traffic. Don’t let that deter you though as the magic of the place is worth experiencing.
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