If you are visiting Scotland and happen to be near the Glasgow area, drive about a 45 minutes north west and you’ll stumble across the beautiful Loch Lomond. This freshwater Loch is nestled inside Scotland’s first National Park – Trossachs National Park and offers breathtaking views of nature and wildlife, making a weekend in Loch Lomond the perfect getaway.
We had the luxury of spending roughly a month in Loch Lomond. Whilst this is perhaps far too much time to spend here, it gave us a real insight into what to do around this stunning area.
Here are my top things to do for your weekend in Loch Lomond:
1. Explore Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park
You’re probably thinking – duh – that’s an obvious thing to do. But the area is so big that there are many different spots to explore in your weekend at Loch Lomond. You can opt for a walk, a hike and even a boat ride. However, we found the best way to explore the area is by foot.
As usual, we did absolutely ZERO research into Loch Lomond. We ended up ended up parking up in laybys or pub car parks and seeing what paths we could find for a stroll.
We ended up exploring two areas this way:
- Duck Bay: Around Duck Bay Hotel, there are some laybys and off road parking parallel to the Loch. We parked up here and decided to walk from here through Cameron House towards Balloch Castle on the other side.
The area is a great place to explore. Not only do you have the breath-taking views of Loch Lomond on one side, but you also have plenty of restaurants, bars and ice cream places dotted around along the walk. This broke up our stroll and gave us plenty of options to stop and rest.
Of course, we did not end up making it to Balloch Castle as we left for our stroll at 5pm and realised it was closed. So, if you do opt for this route, learn from our mistake and head out at an earlier time!
- Luss to Inverbeg: This is by far my favourite walk that we did. We were staying at the Beach house in Inverbeg and decided to walk to Luss for some cocktails and dinner and then opt for a taxi back.
This 3 mile walk has a parallel path along the Loch Lomond and offers some of my favourite views of Loch Lomond – and the best part of it was that we were the only ones on this stroll, so it felt as though we had the whole Loch to ourselves.
If you do opt for this walk, ensure that you come prepared with snacks, bottle of waters and an umbrella, as there are no places to stop on this 1hr 15 minute one way walk.
Tip: As mentioned above, our plan was to grab a taxi back. However, after speaking to the lovely staff at Lodge at Loch Lomond, the nearest taxi service is in Balloch and they charge 25 quid(!) as a flat fee for travelling out of Balloch. On that note, we ended up walking all the way back. If you plan on doing this route, just bare in mind the hefty taxi fare, or a long walk back!
We did no research for our walks and in hindsight, I would have loved to have opted for a hike or a stroll exploring more of the mountains that Loch Lomond has to offer.
If that sounds like you, I highly recommend checking out the following website. They offer routes for hikes, gentle walks, guided walks and also places to park your car. I wish I had found this earlier and it is something I will certainly be using on my next trip weekend trip to Loch Lomond!
2. Explore the Surrounding Villages
There are so many beautiful villages dotted around Loch Lomond, that it’s hard to pick one to explore. Here is a breakdown of some of our favourite villages that we stumbled across:
- Balloch and Loch Lomond Shores: This village is a perhaps the busiest as it has many restaurants, bars and shopping areas for you to explore. This is also a great place to stay, as you have plenty of options for hotels and restaurants.
From here, you can easily explore Balloch Castle or head to the small shopping centre at Loch Lomond Shores. Here, you’ll also find Sea Life, Balloch Pier and the Birds of Prey Centre (which we really enjoyed).
Tip: The main car park at Lomond Shores is free and offers plenty of parking bays. We parked here and headed for a stroll towards Balloch Castle which took around 30 – 40 minutes. Whilst Balloch Country Park has its own parking, we found this option enabled us to explore a lot more by foot.
- Luss: Luss is a very picturesque village. Not only do you have beautiful views of Loch Lomond, but you are surrounded by cobbled streets and cute pubs, so there is plenty to choose from.
Head to the Village Shop to pick up some unique souvenirs (and the amazing shortbread!), or follow the Loch Lomond Faerie Trail if you are after a little adventure.
Tip: For those who are indeed of a little relaxation, head to the Lodge at Loch Lomond to their Spa. I ended up going twice and had an amazing time using their facilities.
- Duck Bay and Cameron House: Located near Duck Bay Hotel and Cameron House, this is the perfect spot to watch some sea planes land! As mentioned above, this is one of the areas we explored on foot and has lots of restaurants and bars dotted about. It is also a great place to stay, as they offer more luxurious hotels – if you have the budget for it of course!
- Inverbeg: For the majority of our stay, we were located in Inverbeg. This is a great place to stay if you want to be secluded from the world. If you are looking for a more romantic getaway, I recommend Inverbeg.
Tip: If you do decide to stay in Inverbeg, I highly recommend having a car to get to places!
3. Get Stuck in the Water
To my surprise, Loch Lomond offers many options to explore the area by water. There are plenty of places for you to kayak, canoe, sail and even paddle board during your weekend in Loch Lomond.
Located in Luss, the company Loch Lomond Leisure – Luss Pier offer paddle boarding and pedal boats. We saw lots of people using these in all types of weather conditions.
If would rather do an activity that does not involve getting wet, then a boat cruise is your best option.
The above company offers boat trips in Luss and there are also a few boat companies in Balloch that offer boat cruises and tours. This is a great way to explore the breathtaking views of Loch Lomond from a different angle.
4. Venture further away from Loch Lomond
There are many day trips or half day trips you can take from Loch Lomond and explore over your weekend getaway.
For much our stay, we opted to head into Glasgow for things like watching a movie, getting some dinner or even just shopping. It was a great way to explore the nearby city without having to actually stay there.
We also headed to the small town of Helensburgh. This town is a lovely place sitting along the Gare Loch. It has everything you need from a supermarket to coffee shops as well as lovely restaurants. It also has some of the friendliest people I have met!
One of the best things to do here is explore Hill House – an amazing mansion designed by Charles Rennie Mackintosh. We stumbled across this place and ended up spending a good couple of hours exploring the house and the grounds.
If you are still after a challenging hike, the famous Ben Nevis is a 2 hour drive from Loch Lomond. This makes it a perfect day trip for hikers.
5. Explore The Devil’s Pulpit
OK, so this isn’t technically in Loch Lomond but it is a must-see for adventure seekers. The sandstone gorge with red river hues is known as the Devil’s Pulpit. Just a 15 minute drive from Balloch, th ehidden gorge can be a bit tricky to find as it is not well signposted but the hunt makes it even more worth it.
In order to get down to the Devil’s Pulpit, you need to locate the Devil’s Steps (or Jacob’s Ladder). These steps are SUPER steep and not in the best condition but if you do make it down the steps, you will find yourself surrounded by the beautiful colours of the river. The place is beautiful and we felt like we were in Jurassic Park!
Tip: Parking here is a nightmare and extremely limited. There is a small car park located off the A809 where you can park to visit the Devil’s Pulpit. We ended up waiting here for about 20 minutes until a spot became available. It’s perhaps best to get here early in the morning to avoid the crowds.
6. sEE hiGHLAND coWS
A trip to Scotland is not complete without seeing Highland Cows. And who knew you could see them in Loch Lomond?!
After a crazy hunt for the cows, we only managed to locate them on the last week of our stay. They were right under our nose the whole time in the village of Luss!
Located just opposite The Village Rest Luss is a small park. Just opposite this, you will see a farm with sheep, rams and other farm animals – including 2 highland cows.
This is great spot to watch the cows as well as the other farm animals.
Where to Stay
Loch Lomond has a range of places to stay depending on your budget. You can opt to camp, stay at a hotel or even opt for a self-catering lodge. There is something available to suit everyone.
Low Budget
- Premier Inn/Travelodge: As always, I recommend looking at these hotels for their rates to see if they come out a little cheaper. Whilst they are both a little drive away from Loch Lomond, if you have a car and on a budget, these hotels may fit your needs.
- Camping: If you are a camper, then get your gear ready and set camp along Loch Lomond! There are plenty of spots to camp and we saw many people doing this. If you opt for this option, be aware that you can only camp during the summer months and must obtain a permit.
Medium Budget:
- Lomonds Woods Holiday Park: is a great self-catering place to stay at and some of their lodges offer hot tubs. If you have a campervan, you also have the option to stay here. It is located near Balloch, so you have plenty of options to eat and explore.
- Loch Lomond Hotel: Based in Balloch, I stayed here for roughly 4 nights and had an amazing experience. The staff are incredibly friendly and the location is great. They also have a fantastic restaurant, which I highly recommend checking out.
- The Corries B&B: Located in Luss, this top rated B&B has great views of the Loch and offers free breakfast.
- Duck Bay Hotel: This beautiful 3 star hotel offers amazing views of the Loch and has a restaurant and bar on site. It is also perfectly located between Balloch and Luss, making it a great spot to explore all areas mentioned in this post.
Luxury Budget:
- Cameron House: This luxurious 5 star hotel has incredible views of the Loch and also has a pool and spa. It is located just next to Duck Bay Hotel and therefore the perfect place to explore the various villages surrounding the area.
- Lodge on Loch Lomond: This 4 star hotel and spa. Some of the rooms have beautiful views of the Loch with balconies and the hotel even has a spa, restaurant and bar. We were also lucky enough to stay in one of their luxurious suites with an amazing view of the Loch and a gorgeous bath tub!
- The Beach House: This is where we spent the majority of our stay. Whilst it is a little further away, I really enjoyed the quietness of it all. There is no restaurant on site and it is best to have a car if you are staying here.
Where to Eat
There are many places around Loch Lomond to eat. Our favourite restaurants were:
- Colquhoun’s Restaurant: Located in Lodge on Loch Lomond, this restaurant was great and offered some amazing cocktails.
- The Village Rest: Located in Luss, this cute bistro pub offers great food, from filling dinners to quick snacks.
- The Loch Lomond Hotel Restaurant: Located in the hotel itself, this was my favourite restaurant offering great food and cocktails. Be sure to book in advance as it can get very busy on the weekends!
There you have it, the top things to do for your weekend in Loch Lomond. Have you visited before? If so, let me know what your favourite spot was!
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