Loch Lomond & the Trossachs Newsletter
Visit Loch Lomond

An independent traveller’s guide

Balmaha harbour on a sunny day, with moored boats, a grassy shore and wooded hills behind Save
Balmaha harbour on a sunny September day, boats moored off the grassy shore. Photo: Eirian Evans, CC BY-SA 2.0

Balmaha

East-shore village below Conic Hill

Verdict

Go if you want Conic Hill and the Inchcailloch ferry in one stop.

Skip on a fine summer weekend after mid-morning if you need a guaranteed space. Read up on parking in Balmaha.

Sketch map of Balmaha: the road along the shore, the car park, the National Park centre, the harbour and Loch Lomond with Inchcailloch Sketch map of Balmaha: the road along the shore, the car park, the National Park centre, the harbour and Loch Lomond with Inchcailloch. Marked places: Balmaha car park, Balmaha harbour.
  • Balmaha car park. Stirling Council pay and display. Up to one hour is free if you display the ticket. Check the signs for today’s charges.
  • Balmaha harbour. The Inchcailloch ferry leaves from the boatyard, and Cruise Loch Lomond boats call here in season.
Parking
1 h free
All day
£5
Ferry return
£10
Conic Hill
2–3 h

Today: 6°C and partly cloudy, sunset 16:17. Fine weekends and school holidays are the busy times, and parking is the pinch point. Weekdays and early mornings are easier.

Last checked 12 Oct 2026 Map © OpenStreetMap contributors. Open in maps

Balmaha in photos

A wooden jetty with small boats moored alongside and wooded hills across the waterSave
Balmaha jetty in May, with small boats moored alongside. Photo: Chris Heaton, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Loch Lomond from the Balmaha shore, with a wooded island on the horizonSave
Loch Lomond from the Balmaha shore in May, a wooded island on the horizon. Photo: Chris Heaton, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Boats moored in Balmaha Bay on a still, cloudy day, with a wooded headland behindSave
Balmaha Bay on a still May day, pleasure boats on their moorings. Photo: Chris Heaton, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Upturned dinghies on the grass beside the harbour, with moored boats and wooded hills behindSave
Upturned dinghies on the grass beside Balmaha harbour in September. Photo: Eirian Evans, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
A concrete slipway and pebble beach at Balmaha with boats moored in the bay and a wooded headlandSave
Balmaha slipway and the moorings in the bay, in May. Photo: Richard Webb, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Grassy lochside shore at Balmaha with reeds, shallow water and thick woodland along the baySave
Balmaha shore in September, with reeds and grass along the bay. Photo: Richard Webb, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Old gravestones in a sunny woodland clearing on Inchcailloch, an information board under the oaksSave
Inchcailloch burial ground beside the ruined church, a short walk from the island pier. Photo: Euan Nelson, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Ben Lomond and the hills of the east shore above Loch Lomond and the wooded island of InchfadSave
Ben Lomond and Inchfad in January, the view from the summit path on Inchcailloch. Photo: Richard Webb, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

Is Balmaha worth it?

Balmaha is worth it if you want a hill, a boat and the loch from one car park. Conic Hill starts here, the Inchcailloch ferry leaves from the harbour, and the West Highland Way passes through. Parking is the pinch point. Staying overnight? Look at the best bases for a stay around the loch.

Go if you want

A half day or full day outdoors: Conic Hill in the morning, the island by boat after lunch.

Think twice if you want

A big village with lots to browse, or certainty of a space on a sunny Saturday. Check weather and the best time to go before you pick a day. Bringing a tent? Camping near Balmaha needs a permit from March to September.

Parking & getting there

Balmaha car park (Stirling Council)

Operator
Stirling Council, pay and display
Price
Up to 1 hour free (display the ticket); 2 hours £3; 4 hours £4; all day £5. Check the machine for today’s rates.
Charging hours
Monday to Saturday 8:45am to 5pm, and Sundays at Balmaha. Check the signs.
Payment
Cash, or RingGo for cashless
Overnight
Motorhomes may park in one bay. Sleeping overnight in a motorhome in Stirling Council car parks is not allowed.
Conic Hill start
The walk starts from this car park (grid reference NS421909).

Last checked 12 Oct 2026

Open in maps Apple Maps

Car-free

Bus 309 runs from Balloch to Balmaha via Gartocharn and Drymen (McColl’s Travel). We have not recorded times, so check Traveline Scotland on the day. Trains reach Balloch about twice an hour from Glasgow. You can also come by boat: Cruise Loch Lomond sails from Luss to Balmaha (adult £20), and on the autumn timetable checked on 12 October 2026 boats left Luss at 10:00, 11:30, 13:15 and 14:45 and returned from Balmaha at 10:45, 12:15, 14:00 and 15:30. Taxi from Balloch? We have no verified fare, so ask a local firm for a quote before you set off. Travel from Glasgow and Edinburgh covers the wider options.

When it is busy

Editorial estimate of a typical summer day, not measured counts. No fill times are published for this car park.

How busy Balmaha gets by hour, summer pattern
Day9:0010:0011:0012:0013:0014:0015:0016:0017:00
WeekdayQuietQuietSteadySteadySteadySteadySteadyQuietQuiet
SaturdayQuietSteadyBusyBusyBusyBusyBusySteadyQuiet
SundayQuietSteadyBusyBusyBusyBusyBusySteadyQuiet

Q QuietS SteadyB BusyF Car park full

Tip: arrive before 10:00 on a fine weekend, or come by bus. Charging runs from 8:45am, and the first hour is free.

Things to do in Balmaha

  1. Conic Hill

    2–3 hours · 4 km · 350 m ascent

    The classic climb from the village, on a good path with steps to a summit of 361 m. There is a short rocky scramble on the summit detour. Enclosed fields on the approach are closed to dog walkers from 1 April to 31 May, and an alternative route is available. The full Conic Hill route, parking and timings are in their own guide.

    A gravel path through bracken and birch climbing towards the bare brown dome of Conic Hill
    Photo: Dave Kelly, CC BY-SA 2.0

  2. Inchcailloch by ferry

    Adult £10 return

    The ferry from Balmaha Boatyard (run by Macfarlane and Son) takes you to a 52-hectare nature reserve of oak woodland, with paths of 30 to 45 minutes each and the ruins of a 13th-century church. It runs daily in summer from 9:25am to 5pm, usually every half hour, and aims to run to at least the end of September. Pay by cash or contactless. Planning a trip? Read about visiting Inchcailloch first.

    A wooden pier on Inchcailloch running into calm water, with autumn-coloured wooded islands beyond
    Photo: Richard Webb, CC BY-SA 2.0

  3. A cruise to Luss

    Adult £20 · season to the end of October

    Cruise Loch Lomond’s Balmaha Explorer links the two villages by water. Scheduled cruises run to the end of October, with a reduced winter service. The pier you land at is pictured in our Luss Pier guide.

  4. West Highland Way

    Long-distance route

    The West Highland Way passes through Balmaha and climbs over Conic Hill. Even a short stretch gives good views of the loch. For more routes nearby, browse hill and lochside walks around the loch.

  5. Harbour and shore

    Short stop

    Sit by the bay and watch the boats. A National Park information centre stands near the car park, but check its opening times on the day before you plan around it.

    Small motor boats and a wooden rowing boat moored in Balmaha harbour below wooded slopes
    Photo: Euan Nelson, CC BY-SA 2.0

  6. Fishing from a boat

    Permit from the boatyard or shop

    Balmaha is one of the two most popular places to launch a boat for fishing on Loch Lomond, and the Endrick Bank lies next to the village. Balmaha Boatyard and Balmaha Village Shop sell the angling association’s tickets; fishing on Loch Lomond has the prices, the seasons and the salmon release rule.

    An angler fishing from an orange kayak on Loch Lomond, with hills under a blue winter sky
    Photo: Richard Webb, CC BY-SA 2.0

1 hour, 3 hours or a full day

1 hour

A quick stop (suggested timings)

  1. 0:00 Park (the first hour is free, but display the ticket) and walk down to the bay.
  2. 0:20 Along the shore and out on the jetty.
  3. 0:45 Back to the car before your free hour ends.

3 hours

Conic Hill

  1. 0:00 Start from the car park. The whole hill takes 2 to 3 hours, so the 4-hour ticket (£4) is the safe choice.
  2. 1:30 Summit views over the loch (suggested timing).
  3. 3:00 Back at the harbour for a drink.

A full day

Hill and island

  1. 9:00 Arrive early. All day is £5, and charging starts at 8:45am.
  2. 9:30 Conic Hill, back by lunchtime.
  3. 14:00 Ferry to Inchcailloch (adult £10 return) for one island path. Check the last ferry back, as the boat runs to 5pm in summer.

Eat & drink

  • Village pub and café

    Check first · Village centre

    Expect a pub and light lunches near the harbour. Opening hours change by season, so check before you plan a meal around them. Our guide to Balmaha restaurants, pubs and tearooms has more. The Oak Tree Inn closes on Christmas Day but takes non-residents for dinner at New Year: Hogmanay at the Oak Tree Inn is in our festive calendar.

  • Shop and picnic

    Shop · Village

    We have not verified the village shop’s hours or range. Bring water and snacks for a hill day so you are not relying on it.

  • Harbour-side takeaway

    Takeaway · By the bay

    A hot drink on the shore beats queueing for a table on a busy day.

Where to stay near Balmaha

Partner links: we may earn a commission

Prices and free rooms change daily, so check them for your dates.

Check hotels in Balmaha on Booking.com Compare bases around the loch

Questions people ask

What is Conic Hill?

Conic Hill is a 361 m hill beside Balmaha, on the Highland Boundary Fault, with a good path with steps and views over Loch Lomond. The walk is 4 km with 350 m of ascent and takes 2 to 3 hours. It starts from Balmaha car park.

Does Balmaha have shops?

Balmaha is a small village, and we have not verified shop hours or ranges. Bring water and snacks for Conic Hill, and check opening times before you rely on a shop.

Where to park in Balmaha?

In the Stirling Council pay and display car park in the village. Up to one hour is free if you display the ticket, then 2 hours £3, 4 hours £4 and all day £5. Charging runs Monday to Saturday 8:45am to 5pm, and Sundays at Balmaha.

How much is a taxi from Balloch to Balmaha?

We have no verified fare, so ask a local taxi firm for a quote before you travel. Bus 309 from Balloch (McColl’s Travel, via Gartocharn and Drymen) is the other option.

How do I get to Balmaha without a car?

By bus 309 from Balloch, which has trains from Glasgow about twice an hour, or by Cruise Loch Lomond boat from Luss (adult £20). Check Traveline Scotland for bus times on the day.

How do I get to Inchcailloch?

By the ferry from Balmaha Boatyard. It costs £10 return for adults and £5 under 16, and runs daily in summer from 9:25am to 5pm, usually every half hour. Pay by cash or contactless.

Can I stay overnight in a campervan in Balmaha car park?

No. Motorhomes may park in one bay, but sleeping overnight in a motorhome in Stirling Council car parks is not allowed.

Is Balmaha worth visiting?

Yes, if you want a hill and a boat in one stop. Go early on summer weekends, because parking is the pinch point, and use the busy chart on this page to pick your time. More villages are compared in every village in the park.

Nearby places