Bala (more correctly Y Bala) is a market town in Gwynedd, north Wales, and formerly an urban district of the old county of Merionethshire. It lies at the north end of Bala Lake (Llyn Tegid), 17 miles (27 km) north-east of Dolgellau, with a population (2001 census) of 1,980. It is little more than one wide street, Stryd Fawr (Welsh for 'Big Street' but more usually translated as 'High Street'). The main street and its shops can be quite busy in the summer months with many tourists.