In-form South African Louis Oosthuizen, European number one Robert Karlsson, Spain's Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano and Frenchman GregoryHavret are a shot further back on six-under after playing a handful of holes.
He has been a regular at the Scottish Open in recent years and has played at Loch Lomond on six occasions, losing in a sudden death play-off to GregoryHavret in 2007.