Loch Lomond restaurants, pubs and cafes

South end: the easiest places to eat without a car

The south end is closest to Glasgow, with the station at Balloch. It has the largest number of venues in one place.

• Balloch

  The widest choice at the south end: an inn in the village, a pier cafe bar, cafes and restaurants at Loch Lomond Shores, and the bars of Cameron House. Go for variety, and check each venue for hours.

West shore: the A82 villages

The road up the west shore has a classic village, a ferry point and the head of Loch Long. Choice is good in Luss and Arrochar, and thin at Tarbet.

• Luss

  A village pub at the Loch Lomond Arms, a village restaurant and a cafe at the distillery. Go for a pub lunch before the pier, and expect it to be busy on summer weekends.

• Tarbet

  A hotel bar and restaurant, a takeaway cafe at the pier and a bar on the waterbus. Go for a quick stop before a cruise; for more choice, move on to Arrochar.

  Hotel breakfast and brunch 8am to 2:30pm

• Arrochar

  A village inn on the shore of Loch Long and two hotel restaurants. We found no website for the tea room searchers ask about, so we give no details for it.

East shore and the West Highland Way

The east shore is quieter. Each village has one or two venues, so plan your meal before you walk.

• Balmaha

  One pub and restaurant, the Oak Tree Inn, with a coffee shop and a village shop beside it. Go after Conic Hill, and book ahead in summer.

• Rowardennan

  The Clansman Bar at the hotel serves food all day, and the youth hostel offers pre-booked meals. There is nowhere else, so carry food for Ben Lomond.

  Clansman Bar food all day

Inland and the Trossachs

The towns south and east of the loch have the widest choice outside Balloch, and they are the easiest to reach by bus.

• Drymen

  A pub on the square, two hotel restaurants, a tearoom and a bakery. Go for a West Highland Way stop with a choice of venues.

• Aberfoyle

  A dog-friendly bar and restaurant, a hotel with a lounge menu through the day, a coffee shop and a restaurant at the Scottish Wool Centre. Go for a Trossachs day out.

• Callander

  The widest choice in the Trossachs: a country pub at Kilmahog, a bakery and tearoom, a hotel restaurant and a lochside restaurant. Go for lunch on a Trossachs day.

North: Loch Earn and Loch Tay

North of Callander the villages are small. Plan the meal before you drive.

• Lochearnhead

  One hotel restaurant on the shore of Loch Earn, with a Sunday roast. We could not confirm a village shop, so bring a picnic for the hills.

• Killin

  The Falls of Dochart Inn with a coffee shop and smokehouse counter, and a hotel with a whisky bar and restaurant. Go for a stop at the head of Loch Tay.

How to choose where to eat

Start with where your day is. If you are walking Conic Hill or Ben Lomond, eat at Balmaha or Rowardennan, where the choice is short but close to the path. If you are on a cruise day, Balloch, Luss and Tarbet all have food near the piers. If you want a choice of venues, drive or take the bus to Drymen, Aberfoyle or Callander.

Then think about how you travel. Balloch is the one place with a direct train from Glasgow, and the Ember coaches and local buses reach Luss, Tarbet and Arrochar. Rowardennan has no regular bus, and the waterbus from Tarbet runs only in summer, so work out how you will get there and home before you rely on a meal.

Pubs on the West Highland Way

Walkers on the route between Drymen and Rowardennan pass three of the venues we list. The Oak Tree Inn at Balmaha describes a walkers' welcome, the Clansman Bar at Rowardennan serves food all day, and the Clachan Inn on Drymen's square is the pub of the village. There is no pub between Balmaha and Rowardennan that we could verify, so eat before you set off along the shore.

Opening times in winter are the main risk. Several venues state hours for summer only, and some state none. Phone before a long walk if the meal matters.

What to check on any visit

We list a venue only when we have read its own website or an official listing, and every page says which day we read it. We do not give hours that a venue does not state, and we give no prices, ratings or review scores.

Check four things before you travel: whether the kitchen is open on your day, whether you need to book, whether dogs are allowed where you want to sit, and how you will get home. Each village page has a Check before you go list with the details we could verify.

Planning the rest of the trip? Pick a base from the best bases for a stay, check the events calendar for what is on, or browse all the towns and villages around the loch. Booking links on this site may earn a commission, as explained in how we earn a commission.

Questions people ask