It is one of the first things that comes to people’s minds when you ask them to think of something, somewhere, so typically, definably Scottish.
It is for that reason that every year tens of thousands of people descend on the beauty spot.
When the sun is shining there are fewer places I would rather spend time with my family.
Knowing how much I enjoy the area, it brings me great joy to see people having fun on the bonnie banks of Loch Lomond.
It’s for that reason that the recent tragic events on Loch Lomond, with four people losing their lives in the space of one weekend, were so much worse.
Families who were out enjoying themselves are now left grieving the loss of loved ones, and my thoughts and prayers go out to those left behind.
The brutal reality of the situation is that this is not an isolated incident. On average there are more than 50 people who drown every year in Scotland.
This is almost double the UK average. How many more families are going to be left grieving for a family member?
Nobody should ever go on a day out with friends or family to enjoy the sunshine and not make it back home.
The loch may look beautiful and idyllic, but it hides its dangerous nature under that beauty.
When we read about this beautiful location in the news or see it on TV, it should be for positive reasons.
Not for avoidable tragedies such as those we saw last month. The question needs to be asked: what more can we do?
The answer to that is very simple. Lots.
I recently wrote to the Cabinet Secretary for Finance, Kate Forbes MSP, to outline what more could be done to limit the possibility of another tragic incident. I highlighted in the letter the importance of Police Scotland, the Loch Lomond Rescue Boat, RNLI, ROSPA and the Scottish Fire and Rescue being given more funds.
With extra funding, we could see the introduction of much needed bigger and better signage around the loch to warn people about the steep drop off on the shore, the dangers of cold-water shock, and reminders to always wear lifejackets on the water.
We also need a better joined-up working relationship between the organisations that monitor and act as first responders on the loch.
With more funding and better integration, we can avoid organisations overlapping, which should in turn lead to better response times to call outs.
I want Loch Lomond to be the safest place it can possibly be for the people who live there, work there and visit.
Too many families are suffering when they should have left with happy memories.
