Balloch, West Dunbartonshire

Balloch Scottish Gaelic: Am Bealach
National Park Visitor Centre with the 'Maid of the Loch' in the background
Balloch Location within West Dunbartonshire
Population	6,010 (2022)
OS grid reference	NS390820
• Edinburgh	54 mi (87 km)
• London	360 mi (580 km)
Civil parish	Bonhill
Council area	West Dunbartonshire
Lieutenancy area	Dunbartonshire
Country	Scotland
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	ALEXANDRIA
Postcode district	G83
Dialling code	01389
Police	Scotland
Fire	Scottish
Ambulance	Scottish
UK Parliament	West Dunbartonshire
Scottish Parliament	Dumbarton

Balloch (/ˈbɑːləx/ BAH-ləkh, Scots: [ˈbɑləx]; Scottish Gaelic: Am Bealach) is a village in West Dunbartonshire, Scotland, at the foot of Loch Lomond.

Etymology

Balloch comes from either the Gaelic word baile which means village or hamlet, or the Gaelic bealach meaning "a pass". Using the former derivation, Balloch means "village on the loch", i.e. the nearby Loch Lomond, but this would be Baile Loch.

Geography

An environmental art installation in the woods at Balloch

Balloch is at the north end of the Vale of Leven, straddling the River Leven itself. It connects to the larger town of Alexandria and to the smaller village of Jamestown, both of which are located to its south. It also borders the Kilpatrick Hills. To the east of the town lies the major local authority housing scheme in the area known as 'The Haldane' or 'The Mill of Haldane'. Glasgow is located around 16 miles (26 km) to the southeast. Balloch lies on the 56th parallel, at about the same latitude as Moscow.

Tourism

With its accessible location at the southern end of Loch Lomond and just off the main road from Glasgow to the West Highlands (A82), it is an important centre of tourism, especially from Glasgow. The village has a number of hotels, inns and pubs, and there are cruises from Balloch up Loch Lomond, and other services, including to nearby locations like Luss, and the Renfrew Ferry service. The largest number of boats cruising on Loch Lomond leave from Balloch. The village is also the home of Dunkirk vessel Skylark IX which helped rescue 600 troops during WWII. It contains Balloch Country Park and Balloch Castle, and is at the southern end of the first Scottish national park, Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park. There is a Sea Life Centre in the village. The Loch Lomond Youth Soccer Festival used to take place in the village. "Lochfoot" in the Jean Robertson novels of Jane Duncan is partly based on the village. The PS Maid of the Loch is currently being restored at Balloch pier and the Balloch Steam Slipway is located nearby.

Transport

The A811 road (based on an 18th-century military road) goes from Balloch to Stirling, and the A813 goes from Dumbarton to Balloch. The Glasgow to Loch Lomond cycle path (part of National Cycle Route 7) ends at Balloch. The West Loch Lomond Cycle Path also runs from Balloch. The village was formerly served by two railway stations on the Caledonian and Dunbartonshire Junction Railway: Balloch Central, and Balloch Pier, which closed in 1988 and 1986, respectively. The village now has one railway station opened by British Rail, which is a terminus of the North Clyde electric train service from Glasgow.

Education

Balloch is served by Balloch Primary School and St Kessog's Primary school, both located at the newly built Balloch Campus. Balloch Primary School is the result of a merger between Haldane Primary School and Jamestown Primary School In 2018.

Notable residents

• George Findlay, Victoria Cross recipient
• Sharleen Spiteri, singer-songwriter; guitarist; lead vocalist of the Scottish pop-rock band Texas
• Morgan McMichaels, drag queen
• Ross Murdoch, swimmer, gold medallist at the 2016 European Championships

See also

• List of places in West Dunbartonshire

References

2. http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/incoming/wwii-rescue-boat-skylark-ix-7446557