Inversnaid upper car park: Garrison Farm and the hotel car park
Two car parks, one single-track road and the boat from Tarbet
No operator uses the name Inversnaid upper car park, but two car parks serve the village. The RSPB's Garrison Farm car park has 7 spaces and an accessible toilet, and the RSPB places a council-run car park of about 40 spaces by the Inversnaid Hotel, further downhill. We found no published charge for either, so check the signs.
- Garrison Farm car park. RSPB car park for the reserve: 7 spaces including 1 accessible space, an accessible toilet and two picnic tables. Position from the RSPB's grid reference.
- Inversnaid Bunkhouse. A converted church, 800 m from the West Highland Way. The RSPB says Garrison Farm is on the right before the bunkhouse as you arrive from Aberfoyle.
- Inversnaid Hotel car park. Council-run, with about 40 spaces according to the RSPB. We found no charge or overnight rule.
- Inversnaid pier. Cruise Loch Lomond boats from Tarbet call here in season.
- Garrison Farm spaces (RSPB)
- 7
- Hotel car park spaces
- About 40
- B829 from Aberfoyle, single track
- 12 miles
- Cruises from Tarbet, high season
- 3+ a day
Where do you park at Inversnaid?
There are two car parks. Garrison Farm is the one up the hill, on the right before the bunkhouse as you arrive from Aberfoyle. It belongs to the RSPB's Inversnaid reserve, with 7 spaces, 1 of them accessible, an accessible toilet and two picnic tables. If you want the Inversnaid upper car park, this is the one the RSPB's directions place uphill of the other.
The second car park is by the Inversnaid Hotel, down at the loch. The RSPB calls it council-run, with approximately 40 spaces and no height restrictions, and tells walkers to continue downhill from Garrison Farm to reach it. Neither the RSPB's pages nor anything else we fetched gives a charge, a payment method or an overnight rule for it, so read the signs.
The road is the hard part. From Aberfoyle you take the B829 for 12 miles on single track, then turn left at a T-junction. Allow extra time in poor weather. For the village, see visit Inversnaid. If you would rather not drive, the loch is the easier way in: routes in by car, train and bus covers the West Highland Line to Tarbet, where a Cruise Loch Lomond boat crosses to Inversnaid at least three times a day in high season.
Inversnaid car parks and the ways in without driving
The two car parks set beside the boat and the West Highland Way. Prices and times are as they stood on the date shown above, and where we have no value we say so.
| Option | Cost | Hours | Overnight | Notes | Map |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Garrison Farm car park (RSPB reserve)RSPB. | Not stated on the RSPB page. | Not stated. | Not recorded. | 7 spaces, 1 of them accessible, with an accessible toilet and two picnic tables. Address Garrison Farm, Inversnaid, FK8 3TU. No height restrictions. The reserve is walkable along the West Highland Way. | Open in maps |
| Inversnaid Hotel car parkCouncil-run, according to the RSPB. | No charge found: check the signs. | Not recorded. | Not recorded: ask the hotel if you are staying. | Approximately 40 spaces. It is the nearest car park to the pier and the second starting point for the reserve walks. | |
| Cruise from Tarbet pierCruise Loch Lomond. | Fares not recorded: check the operator. | At least three cruises a day from Tarbet to Inversnaid in high season. | Not applicable. | Leave the car at Tarbet. Parking in Tarbet has the pier car park and the Tarbet Isle car park. | |
| West Highland Way on footNot applicable. | Not applicable. | Not applicable. | Not applicable. | The reserve is reached along the Way from both north and south. The bunkhouse is 800 m from it. |
Only the first two rows are car parks. We found no source for the number of spaces beyond those the RSPB gives.
How to plan parking at Inversnaid
Decide which end you want
Garrison Farm is the reserve's own car park and is the one nearest the bunkhouse. The hotel car park is closer to the loch, the pier and the other reserve starting point.
Allow for the road
The B829 is 12 miles of single track from Aberfoyle. The RSPB asks drivers to allow extra time and drive carefully, particularly in poor weather.
Expect a small car park
Seven spaces at Garrison Farm fill quickly. Go to the hotel car park of about 40 spaces when the first is full.
Check charges and overnight rules on the signs
We found no published charge or overnight rule for either car park. For a night out, pitching a tent in Inversnaid covers the bunkhouse and the permit rules.
Or leave the car at Tarbet
The boat is a real alternative on a busy summer day. The RSPB says Cruise Loch Lomond runs at least three cruises a day from Tarbet to Inversnaid in high season, with a waterbus timetable to plan with.
Rules, toilets and how busy it gets
- Charges: neither car park has a published charge on any page we fetched. The RSPB page does not give one, and we could not read the council's page for it. Pay if there is a machine, and read the signs.
- Spaces and fill times: the RSPB gives 7 spaces and about 40 spaces. No source gives fill times. Garrison Farm has few spaces, so arrive early on a fine weekend (our judgement, not a measured figure).
- Toilets: an accessible toilet at the Garrison Farm car park, according to the RSPB. We found none listed at the hotel car park.
- Dogs on the reserve: the RSPB asks you to keep dogs on a short lead from 1 April to 15 August and where there is livestock. Assistance dogs are permitted throughout.
- No electric vehicle charging is mentioned on the RSPB pages.
From the car park: what is close
Everything below is on foot from the hotel or Garrison Farm.
- The RSPB reserveThe reserve starts at Garrison Farm or at the hotel car park, and the West Highland Way runs through it.
- A bed for the nightPlaces to stay in Inversnaid covers the hotel and the bunkhouse, whose free pick-up from the pier is useful if you arrive by boat.
Eat, stay and park nearby
For the other villages, see parking in Arrochar, the council car park at the head of Loch Long.
Questions people ask
Where is the Inversnaid upper car park?
No operator uses that name. The RSPB's Garrison Farm car park is the one uphill, on the right before the bunkhouse. The hotel car park is further downhill by the loch.
How many spaces are there at Inversnaid?
Seven at Garrison Farm, 1 of them accessible, and about 40 at the council-run Inversnaid Hotel car park, according to the RSPB.
Is parking free at Inversnaid?
We found no published charge for either car park, so check the signs and any machine on the day.
Are there toilets at Inversnaid?
There is an accessible toilet at the Garrison Farm car park, according to the RSPB.
How do I drive to Inversnaid?
Take the B829 from Aberfoyle for 12 miles on single track, then turn left at the T-junction. Garrison Farm is on the right before the bunkhouse.
How can I get a boat to Inversnaid?
Cruise Loch Lomond runs at least three cruises a day from Tarbet to Inversnaid in high season, according to the RSPB. Check the timetable.
Where is Inversnaid located in Scotland?
On the east shore of Loch Lomond, in the Stirling postal area, at the end of the B829 from Aberfoyle. The reserve address is Garrison Farm, Inversnaid, FK8 3TU.
What are some fun things to do in Inversnaid?
Walk the RSPB reserve, join the West Highland Way, or take the boat from Tarbet. The village guide has more.
Can I park overnight at Inversnaid?
We found no overnight rule for either car park. If you are staying, ask the hotel or the bunkhouse.