Camping Rowardennan: campsite, permits and rules
Cashel Campsite, the east shore permit zone and how to get there
Camping Rowardennan mostly means Cashel Campsite, which takes tents, motorhomes, touring caravans and campervans, is booked online and has the West Highland Way passing its entrance. Elsewhere on the east shore you need a National Park camping permit from 1 March to 30 September, at £4.50 a tent per night for up to three nights. Sallochy campsite is temporarily closed, and no bus serves Rowardennan.
- Rowardennan car park. Forestry and Land Scotland pay and display. The Ben Lomond path starts here. Check the signs for today’s charges.
- Youth hostel jetty. The summer waterbus to Tarbet leaves from this jetty. Check the operator’s dates and days.
- Permit per tent per night, 1 Mar to 30 Sep
- £4.50
- Maximum nights on a permit in one area
- 3
- Fine for camping in a zone without a permit, up to
- £500
- Bus services to Rowardennan
- None
Where can you camp at Rowardennan?
At Cashel Campsite, which gives Rowardennan, G63 0AW, as its address and is run by Let The Wood Times Roll Limited. It has grass pitches, hardstanding pitches with electric hook-up and seasonal pitches, and takes tents, motorhomes, touring caravans and campervans. Facilities listed include toilets, showers, drinking water, dishwashing, laundry, a chemical waste point, a play area and accessible facilities. Dogs are welcome. The site says no fires or BBQs are allowed in the National Park, and the main gate locks from 10pm to 7am with no vehicle movement. Book online through CampManager or phone 01360 870 234.
Dates and prices are the gap. We found no season dates, pitch numbers or prices on the pages we read, so check the site before you plan. The National Park lists Cashel for tents and motorhomes, and says the Sallochy Bay campsite, run by Forestry and Land Scotland, is temporarily closed.
Outside a campsite, the east shore of Loch Lomond is a camping management zone. From 1 March to 30 September a permit costs £4.50 per tent or motorhome per night, for up to three nights in one area, and camping there without one can lead to a report to the Procurator Fiscal and a fine of up to £500. From 1 October 2026 to 28 February 2027 no permit is needed in the zones.
Camping near Rowardennan compared
What each way of camping involves, from Cashel's own pages and the National Park's published rules. Check anything marked as not found before you travel.
| Option | When | What you get | Booking and cost | Map |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cashel Campsite | Season dates not found on the pages we read: ask the site. | Grass and hardstanding pitches (electric hook-up on hardstanding), seasonal pitches, showers, laundry, a play area, accessible facilities. Dogs welcome. No fires or BBQs. The gate is locked from 10pm to 7am. | Online through CampManager, or 01360 870 234. No prices on the pages we read. | Open in maps |
| Sallochy campsite | Temporarily closed, according to the National Park's campsite page on 13 October 2026. | A Forestry and Land Scotland campsite on the east shore, listed for tents and motorhomes. | Check the Forestry and Land Scotland site for any reopening. | |
| Permit camping in the east shore zone | Permit needed 1 March to 30 September. None needed 1 October 2026 to 28 February 2027. | £4.50 per tent or motorhome per night, up to three nights in one area. Tents arrive from 1pm and leave by 11am; motorhome permits run from 7pm to 10am. No facilities are provided. | On the National Park's booking site up to four weeks ahead, or 01389 722001. Cancel up to a week before; no refund under £9. The guide to permit zones and rules has the process. | |
| Beds instead of a tent | Hotel and hostel dates vary: see our guide. | A hotel, four lodges and a youth hostel on the shore. Sleeping in Rowardennan compares them. | Book direct. |
We give no campsite pitch prices. Cashel's pages that we read did not list them, and we found no verified permit area map for Rowardennan.
How to camp at Rowardennan
Decide between the site and a permit
A campsite pitch gives you showers, water and a laundry, and you book with Cashel. A permit gives you a place in the zone for up to three nights with no facilities. For a first trip, the campsite is simpler.
Book early
The permit booking opens up to four weeks ahead. If one option is full, check both Cashel's booking page and the permit site if one is full.
Plan the journey
No bus serves Rowardennan. By car, the Forestry and Land Scotland car park charges £5 for all day, and we found no overnight rules for it, so ask the campsite where to leave a vehicle. Without a car, take the train or coach to Tarbet and the waterbus across: it runs from Tarbet on Saturdays and Sundays and returns from the youth hostel jetty on Fridays and Saturdays, in a season of roughly May to late September.
Walk the Way or the hill
The West Highland Way passes the campsite entrance. Drymen to Rowardennan is about 23 km, and Rowardennan to Inversnaid about 12 km. The Ben Lomond tourist path starts at the car park and is about 12 km there and back: see Ben Lomond: route, parking and timings.
Check the weather
When to visit shows which months suit a tent.
Check before you go
- Cashel's season dates, pitch numbers and prices are not on the pages we read. Ask before you plan.
- Sallochy campsite is temporarily closed. Do not plan around it.
- We do not know which permit area covers your exact spot. Check the National Park's zone map before you pitch outside a campsite.
- No fires or BBQs at Cashel, and the gate locks from 10pm to 7am.
- The car park's overnight rules are not stated. Do not leave a vehicle there overnight without asking.
Camping elsewhere on the loch
If Rowardennan is full or not the right base, these are the closest alternatives.
- LussThe west shore, with its own campsite. Luss pitches and permits covers the tent field and the permit rules.
- TarbetThe waterbus start for the east shore. Tarbet campsites covers the options there.
Eating, parking and the weather
Forestry and Land Scotland says the local hotel and hostel offer food and drink. Food and drink in Rowardennan covers the choices, and Rowardennan parking: prices and busy times has the car park tariff.
Back to the village: on to Rowardennan covers the pier, the Ben Lomond path and the waterbus.
Questions people ask
What happens if you're caught wild camping?
In the National Park's camping management zones from 1 March to 30 September, camping without a permit can lead to a report to the Procurator Fiscal and a fine of up to £500. From 1 October 2026 to 28 February 2027 no permit is needed in the zones.
What is there to do in Rowardennan?
The Ben Lomond tourist path starts at the car park, the West Highland Way passes through, and the summer waterbus links Tarbet. There is a hotel, a youth hostel and the loch shore. See the Rowardennan village guide for the full list.
Is there a campsite at Rowardennan?
Yes. Cashel Campsite takes tents, motorhomes, touring caravans and campervans and is booked online. The National Park says Sallochy campsite is temporarily closed.
Do I need a permit to camp at Rowardennan?
Only if you camp outside a campsite in a management zone from 1 March to 30 September. A permit costs £4.50 per tent per night for up to three nights in one area. Staying at Cashel does not need one.
Can I have a fire at Rowardennan?
Not at Cashel: it says no fires or BBQs in the National Park. For permit camping, check the National Park's current rules on fires before you go.
Can I camp at Rowardennan without a car?
Yes, with planning. No bus serves Rowardennan, but the summer waterbus runs from Tarbet on Saturdays and Sundays. Check Cruise Loch Lomond's dates before you set out.