Loch Chon

Loch Chon is a freshwater loch west of Aberfoyle in the Stirling council area. It lies north-west of Kinlochard and above Loch Ard, with Loch Katrine to the south. The loch’s old name, Loch-a-Choin, means ‘loch of the dog’ in Scots Gaelic. Water from the loch flows into the 4.5-kilometre Water of Chon, which soon passes Loch Dhu before joining Loch Ard. Several small streams feed the loch and form the true sources of the River Forth. Three islands float on the water, the largest unnamed and about 96 metres long, while Heron Island measures roughly 70 metres.

Geologists Ben Peach and John Horne described Loch Chon as a classic rock basin in their 1910 survey. The upper lake floor is mica-schist, while the lower part is Ben Ledi grits and schistose epidotic grits known as Green Beds. A fault line runs north-east to south-west, creating a deep trough over 23 metres deep near the west shore. Near the outlet a band of schistose epidotic grits once acted as a rocky barrier during the last glaciation. Striae on the rocky islands show ice once flowed along the loch’s length, carving the basin.

The west shore and its islands lie outside the national park’s camping control zone, so wild camping is permitted there if the Scottish Outdoor Access Code is followed. The east shore has a managed campsite opened in 2017 to provide affordable pitches. Visitors find a quiet shoreline with views across to Heron Island and the forested hills beyond. The narrow trough and shallow bays show how the loch’s shape was shaped by ancient ice. A broad alluvial flat at the northern end marks where streams have slowly built up silt over time.