Rowardennan pub and where to eat
A hotel bar with food all day and a hostel with pre-booked meals
The Rowardennan pub is the Clansman Bar at Rowardennan Hotel, which serves food all day and is dog friendly. Rowardennan Lodge youth hostel, along the shore, offers a breakfast and evening meals if you book. That is all we could verify at the foot of Ben Lomond, so plan your meal before you set off. We give no ratings or prices.
- Places listed
- 2
- Clansman Bar food service
- All day
- Hostel evening meals, pre-book
- 6–7:30pm
- Rowardennan car park, all day
- £5
Where can I eat in Rowardennan?
Eat at the Clansman Bar. It is the bar of Rowardennan Hotel, on the loch shore, and its own page says food is served all day in the bar, with seasonal lunch and dinner menus, daily specials, a children's menu and dietary needs accommodated. There is a log fire indoors and beer garden seating outside, and dogs are welcome. The hotel recommends booking ahead.
Eat at the youth hostel if you are staying there or want a simple meal after a long walk. Hostelling Scotland's page says a Wee Breakfast and evening meals are available, evening meals are served from 6pm to 7:30pm, and breakfast must be pre-booked. Whether the meals are open to non-guests is not stated, so phone first.
Nothing else in Rowardennan has a website we could read, and the National Park's own page for the area says only that the local hotel and hostel offer accommodation, food and drink. So pack a picnic for the hill. For the village and the Ben Lomond path, start with the village of Rowardennan.
Places to eat and drink in Rowardennan
One row per venue, from its own website on 13 October 2026. The columns say what it is, where it is, what it serves and what to check.
| Venue | Type | Where | What it serves | Good to know | Map |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clansman Bar, Rowardennan Hotel | Hotel bar and restaurant, with a log fire indoors and a beer garden. | Rowardennan Hotel, on the east shore of Loch Lomond. Phone 01360 870273. | Food all day in the bar. Breakfast 7am to 9am from April to October and 8am to 9:30am from November to March. Seasonal lunch and dinner menus, daily specials, a children's menu. | Dog friendly. Dietary needs are accommodated. The hotel recommends booking, and groups of more than 12 should contact it directly. | Open in maps |
| Rowardennan Lodge youth hostel (Hostelling Scotland) | Youth hostel on the West Highland Way, with a licensed lounge and a self-catering kitchen. | Rowardennan, by the hostel jetty. Booking is through Hostelling Scotland. | A Wee Breakfast and evening meals from 6pm to 7:30pm. Basic provisions, confectionery and soft drinks at reception. | Breakfast must be pre-booked. Dogs are accepted in private rooms only. Whether non-guests can book a meal is not stated, so ask. |
We list two places, not every place. We give no prices, ratings or review scores.
How to choose
Eat before the hill
The Clansman Bar starts breakfast at 7am from April to October. That suits an early start up Ben Lomond, and the hotel's page lists food all day for the walk back.
Walking the West Highland Way
The trail passes both buildings. A meal at the bar and a bed at the hostel or hotel is the simplest plan, but book both before you leave, because there is no second pub to fall back on.
If you drive
The Forestry and Land Scotland car park charges £2 up to 1 hour and £5 all day, paid by coin, card or RingGo. Rowardennan car parks and fill times say when it is busiest, which matters if you want a lunch table.
Arriving by waterbus
The Cruise Loch Lomond waterbus crosses from Tarbet in 30 minutes, Tarbet to Rowardennan on Saturdays and Sundays and back from the hostel jetty on Fridays and Saturdays, roughly May to late September. Tarbet places to eat are on the other side.
Stay the night
Places to stay in Rowardennan compares the hotel, its lodges and the hostel, and camping near Rowardennan covers a tent.
Check before you go
- Hours: the hotel gives breakfast times and says food is served all day, but gives no closing time. Phone before a late arrival.
- Booking: the hotel recommends reservations. Book the hostel breakfast ahead, because it must be pre-booked.
- Non-guests: the hostel page does not say whether passers-by can eat there. Ask.
- Season: the waterbus runs in summer only, and the Rowardennan car park toilets are open Easter to October.
- Prices and ratings: we give none. Use the hotel's menus.
Further along the loch
If you are heading on, these villages have their own places to eat.
- LussOn the opposite shore, reached by boat or by road: Luss cafes and pubs lists the village pub and cafes.
- TarbetThe waterbus crossing point on the west shore, with a hotel and a pier cafe.
Eat and drink around the loch
For every village page in one place, the food and drink guide gives a short summary of each.
Questions people ask
Where can I eat in Rowardennan?
At the Clansman Bar in Rowardennan Hotel, which serves food all day, or at Rowardennan Lodge youth hostel, which offers breakfast and evening meals if you book.
Is there a pub in Rowardennan?
Yes. The Clansman Bar at Rowardennan Hotel is a character pub with a log fire and a beer garden, per the hotel's own page.
What time does the Clansman Bar serve breakfast?
From 7am to 9am between April and October, and 8am to 9:30am from November to March, according to the hotel's page.
Is the Clansman Bar dog friendly?
Yes. The hotel's page says dogs are welcome.
Can I eat at Rowardennan youth hostel without staying?
The hostel's page lists breakfast and evening meals, with evening meals from 6pm to 7:30pm. It does not say whether non-guests can book, so ask.
Is there anywhere to buy food before climbing Ben Lomond?
The hostel sells basic provisions at reception, and the hotel serves breakfast early. Pack your own food for the hill.
Do I need to book a meal at Rowardennan?
The hotel recommends reservations, and the hostel needs breakfast pre-booked.
How much is parking at Rowardennan?
The Forestry and Land Scotland car park is £2 up to 1 hour and £5 all day.