Besides being an important source of drinking water, the loch and its surrounding area also provides great options for local food. Some of the lake’s fish include green sunfish, rainbow trout, largemouth bass and bluegill. Elsewhere in the national park, visitors can pick strawberries, brambleberries and blaeberries, which are the European version of the American blueberry.
Tourism provides essential jobs to the local people, but it's also one of the most difficult parts about living by this great loch. Every year, about four million people visit Loch Lomond and The Trossachs. With so many visitors, the small local towns can quickly become overrun by tourists. For example, during one of my visits, my huge tour group of over 100 students walked through Luss, a small village of only about 450 people. While tourists are great for bringing in business, it can be overwhelming for locals when so many people visit at once!
Loch Lomond isn’t exactly new territory. The first inhabitants arrived about 5,000 years ago! With fresh water and so many other natural resources, the Loch Lomond area has long provided a convenient place to live. Some of the early inhabitants lived on manmade islands, called crannogs. Today, most inhabitants live in small villages on the shore, and even visitors can experience the magic of loch life. Visitors can spend a weekend “wild camping,” which is an eco-friendly way to camp in the national park.
