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Ardlui
Head of Loch Lomond: station, hotel and marina on the west shore
Verdict
Go for a quiet base at the top of the loch with a station, a hotel and the water on your doorstep.
Skip if you want shops, a choice of places to eat or a lot to do on foot from the door. Ardlui is small, and the hill and the loch are the draw.
- Ardlui Hotel and holiday park. The hotel, the holiday park and the marina share the shore here, by the A82.
- Marina and visiting boats' pier. The marina has floating pontoons and a pier for visiting boats. The small Ardleish ferry also sails from here in season.
- Train from Glasgow, about
- 1 h 35
- Hotel bedrooms
- 10
- Ferry to Ardleish
- Apr–Oct
- Ben Vorlich above it
- 943 m
Today: 10°C and rain, sunset 18:22. Quiet for most of the year. Check the hotel and marina before you plan around them.
Ardlui in photos
Is Ardlui worth it?
Ardlui is a small place at the head of Loch Lomond, and it is one of the easiest on the loch to reach without a car: the West Highland line, Citylink 975 and Ember E5 all stop here. A hotel, a holiday park and a marina share the shore, a small ferry crosses to Ardleish in season, and Ben Vorlich rises above. Staying over? Where to stay in Ardlui compares the hotel, the park and the pods.
Go if you want
A quiet night at the top of the loch, a hard day on a Munro, or the train and waterbus out to the east shore.
Think twice if you want
Shops, a choice of cafes or lots to do on foot from the door. Check what the weather is like before you plan a hill day.
Parking & getting there
Parking at Ardlui
- Hotel and holiday park
- The pages we read do not describe parking. Phone the hotel on 01301 704 243 before you plan around it.
- Public car park
- We have not found a council or National Park car park at Ardlui in the sources we checked, so do not assume one. The parking guide for the loch lists the car parks we have verified.
- Roadside
- Do not leave a car on the A82. Ask the hotel or marina where it can stay.
- For Ben Vorlich
- The National Park lists starts at Ardlui, at Arrochar and Tarbet station, and at Inveruglas by the Loch Sloy dam road.
Last checked 13 Oct 2026
Car-free
ScotRail's West Highlands route stops at Ardlui, about 1 hour 35 minutes from Glasgow Queen Street on the listing we checked. Citylink 975 (Glasgow to Oban, via Ardlui and Tyndrum) takes about 1 hour 20 minutes from Glasgow, and Ember E5 (Glasgow to Fort William) also stops here. We have not recorded timetables, so check the operators and Traveline Scotland. For the wider picture, see public transport to the loch.
When it is busy
Editorial estimate of a typical summer day, not measured counts. No visitor numbers are published for Ardlui.
| Day | 9:00 | 10:00 | 11:00 | 12:00 | 13:00 | 14:00 | 15:00 | 16:00 | 17:00 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weekday | Quiet | Quiet | Quiet | Quiet | Quiet | Quiet | Quiet | Quiet | Quiet |
| Saturday | Quiet | Quiet | Steady | Steady | Steady | Steady | Steady | Quiet | Quiet |
| Sunday | Quiet | Quiet | Steady | Steady | Steady | Steady | Steady | Quiet | Quiet |
Q QuietS SteadyB BusyF Car park full
Tip: come by train or coach and you do not need to worry about parking at all.
Things to do in Ardlui
-
Ben Vorlich (the Loch Lomond one)
The hill above Ardlui is a Munro on the west side of the head of the loch. It is close to the road, but its steep sides make it a tough ascent, and the National Park notes active deer management and farming on the land. It is not the Ben Vorlich above Loch Earn: the Ben Vorlich guide has a section on telling them apart.
-
The ferry to Ardleish
A small ferry runs between Ardlui and Ardleish, across the loch, in that season only. You summon it by signal ball at Ardleish, so do not plan a tight connection around it.
-
Train and waterbus
National Park advice is to get off at Ardlui or Tarbet to connect with waterbus services across to the east shore, the West Highland Way, Ben Lomond and Balmaha. Check the waterbus times before you travel.
-
The marina and the loch
The marina has 26 swinging moorings, floating pontoons and a 20-ton travel hoist, and a refurbished floating pier for visiting boats with fresh water and electric hook-up. It is a place to watch the boats even if you have none.
1 hour, 3 hours or a full day
1 hour
A stop by the water (suggested timings)
- First Walk down to the marina and along the shore.
- Then Check the hotel for a drink or a meal, if it is open.
3 hours
Train in, loch out
- Arrive Come by train or coach and walk to the shore.
- Afterwards Plan the last train or coach home before you start anything else.
A full day
Ben Vorlich
- Early Start for Ben Vorlich. It is a tough ascent, so give it a full day.
- Back Finish by the loch and check the last train or coach before you set off.
Eat & drink
-
Ardlui Hotel bar and restaurant
The hotel's own pages list a bar and a restaurant. We have no verified opening hours, so phone ahead on 01301 704 243 before you plan a meal around it.
-
Inveruglas Visitor Centre cafe
The visitor centre at Inveruglas has a takeaway cafe, with views across the loch to the Arrochar Alps and Ben Lomond. Check its hours on the day. Inveruglas has the detail.
-
Picnic
Bring food and water for a hill day, as there are no shops in the sources we checked.
Where to stay near Ardlui
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Questions people ask
What to do in Ardlui?
Walk the shore and watch the boats at the marina, take the small ferry to Ardleish in season, change at the station for the waterbus to the east shore, or climb Ben Vorlich, a 943 m Munro. Check the hotel for a meal.
Is Ardlui nice?
It is quiet, with water, hills and a station on its doorstep, so it suits a still night or a hill day better than a busy outing. It is small: a hotel, a holiday park and a marina rather than shops.
Is Ardlui on Loch Lomond?
Yes. Ardlui is on the northern shore of Loch Lomond, at the head of the loch, with Ben Vorlich above it. The hotel, the holiday park and the marina all sit on the water.
How do I get to Ardlui without a car?
By ScotRail's West Highland line (about 1 hour 35 minutes from Glasgow Queen Street on the listing we checked), by Citylink 975 or by Ember E5 coach. Check times with the operators before you travel.
Is there a ferry at Ardlui?
Yes, a small ferry between Ardlui and Ardleish, from 1 April to 31 October. It is summoned by a signal ball at Ardleish, so allow for a wait.
Is there a hotel in Ardlui?
Yes, the Ardlui Hotel, with ten en-suite bedrooms, a bar and a restaurant, in an historic country house on the loch bank. Phone 01301 704 243. The holiday park beside it has caravans, pods and lodges.
Who owns the Ardlui Hotel?
Harrison Holidays presents the holiday park, hotel and marina as its own on its website, while the hotel's own website talks of a family in residence since 1959. We could not settle the difference, so we name no owner.
Which Ben Vorlich is at Ardlui?
The Loch Lomond one, a 943 m Munro on the west side of the head of the loch. The other Ben Vorlich is above Loch Earn.
Can I camp at Ardlui?
The holiday park's booking page shows no touring pitches, and the hotel's website carried a notice that its tent area did not reopen for 2022. Ask before you bring a tent. The camping and motorhome rules apply on the loch shore from 1 March to 30 September.
Nearby places
- South on the A82InveruglasVisitor centre, cafe and viewpoint on the west shore.
- Across the lochInversnaidAcross Loch Lomond, reached by cruise boat in season.
- Further southTarbetStation and pier on the west shore, where the waterbus also connects.
- RelatedTowns and villagesEvery village and town in the park, side by side.