Rowardennan car park
Charges, payment, toilets and the car-free way to Rowardennan
Rowardennan car park is pay and display, run by Forestry and Land Scotland. It costs £2 for up to 1 hour and £5 all day, and Blue Badge holders park free. You pay with coins, card or RingGo. It is the start of the Ben Lomond path, so a day on the hill needs the all-day rate. 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.
- Up to 1 hour
- £2
- All day
- £5
- Blue Badge holders
- Free
- Buses to Rowardennan
- None
Today: 11°C and showers, sunset 18:22. Fine weekends and school holidays are the busy times, especially for Ben Lomond. Weekdays and early starts are easier.
Can you park at Rowardennan?
Yes. Forestry and Land Scotland runs the car park as pay and display: £2 for up to 1 hour, £5 for all day and £14 for a minibus or coach all day. Blue Badge holders park free, and the badge must be displayed clearly. Payment is by coins, card or RingGo, and annual passes are available. We read the Forestry and Land Scotland page on 13 October 2026.
Most people come for the hill. The Ben Lomond path starts from this car park, and the round trip takes much longer than an hour, so plan on the all-day rate. Ben Lomond on foot has the route and the time. We found no published space count, so we cannot say how quickly it fills: arrive early on a fine weekend.
The pages we read give no rules for overnight stays or electric vehicle charging, so check the signs. No bus serves Rowardennan. Routes in from Glasgow and Edinburgh covers the road, the train to Tarbet and the summer waterbus across the loch.
The car park, the other car park and the car-free options
The Rowardennan car park set beside Sallochy, the Balmaha stop for coaches and the waterbus. Prices and times are as they stood on the date shown above, and we say where we have no value.
| Option | Cost | Toilets | Notes | Map |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rowardennan car park | £2 up to 1 hour; £5 all day; £14 minibus or coach all day. Blue Badge holders free. Coins, card or RingGo. | Public and accessible, open from Easter to October. | Forestry and Land Scotland. Postcode G63 0AR. The Ben Lomond path starts here. Spaces, overnight rules and charging points: not stated. | Open in maps |
| Sallochy car park | No tariff stated on the page we read. Check the machine. | The public toilets were closed for the winter when we checked on 13 October 2026. | Forestry and Land Scotland, with oakwood trails. Nearest postcode G63 0AW. Its directions say it is on the left, 9 miles along the road from Drymen towards Rowardennan. | Open in maps |
| Balmaha, for coaches | See the Balmaha car park guide. | Not applicable. | Coaches are not permitted beyond the main car park in Balmaha. Only minibuses can use the road on to Rowardennan. | |
| Waterbus from Tarbet | Fares not found on the pages we read. | Not applicable. | A 30-minute crossing. Tarbet to Rowardennan runs on Saturdays and Sundays only, and Rowardennan to Tarbet on Fridays and Saturdays only, in a season of roughly May to late September. Dogs travel free and bikes cost £5. |
The first row is the car park for the Ben Lomond path. Everything else is an alternative or another way to arrive.
What it costs and how to pay
Pick your band
Forestry and Land Scotland charges £2 for up to 1 hour and £5 for all day. A day on the hill takes far longer than an hour, so pay for the day.
Pay by coins, card or RingGo
The machine takes coins and cards, and RingGo takes payment by phone. Set up the app before you arrive if you can.
Display a Blue Badge clearly
Blue Badge holders park free, as long as the badge is clearly displayed.
Minibus or coach
A minibus or coach pays £14 for the day. Coaches are not permitted beyond the main car park in Balmaha, so only minibuses can use the road on to Rowardennan.
Think about an annual pass
Annual passes are available for this car park. Ask on the Forestry and Land Scotland page if you walk here often.
Rules, toilets and how busy it gets
- Spaces and fill times: neither is published on the page we read, so we do not guess. Arrive early on a fine weekend or school holiday.
- Overnight parking and electric vehicle charging: the page does not mention either. Read the signs on site.
- Toilets: the public and accessible toilets at Rowardennan are open from Easter to October, so expect none in winter.
- Food and drink: the local hotel and hostel offer accommodation, food and drink. Where to eat in Rowardennan has what we can confirm.
- Phone signal and cash: take coins or set up RingGo before you arrive.
- Tariffs change part-way through a year. We say when we read each figure, and how we check facts explains how.
From the car park: what is close
Everything below starts at or near the car park.
- Ben LomondThe path to the summit starts from the car park, which is at grid reference NS359986 on OS map OL39. The Ben Lomond route guide below has the detail.
- Hotel and hostelThe local hotel and hostel offer food, drink and beds. See Rowardennan hotels and hostels for what we can confirm.
- A night outFor a tent or a van, camping at Rowardennan covers the sites and the permit rules.
Eat, stay and park nearby
For the village itself, Rowardennan and the Ben Lomond start covers the shore, the jetty and the summer waterbus. The car park prices and rules page compares every village.
Other villages have their own tariffs: Luss car parks and the Tarbet parking rules.
Questions people ask
Can you park at Rowardennan?
Yes. Forestry and Land Scotland runs a pay and display car park: £2 up to 1 hour, £5 all day and £14 for a minibus or coach all day. Blue Badge holders park free.
Is it possible to climb Ben Lomond from Rowardennan?
Yes. The Ben Lomond path starts from the Rowardennan car park. The route to the summit is 6.2 km one way from the car park, about 12.4 km there and back.
How do I get to Rowardennan?
By car, from Glasgow through Drymen along the east Loch Lomond road. No bus serves Rowardennan. In summer a waterbus crosses from Tarbet in 30 minutes, which you can reach by coach or train.
How much is parking at Rowardennan?
£2 for up to 1 hour, £5 for all day and £14 for a minibus or coach all day. Blue Badge holders park free. Pay with coins, card or RingGo.
Are there toilets at Rowardennan car park?
Yes. The public toilets, which include accessible ones, are open from Easter to October.
Can I park overnight at Rowardennan?
We found no overnight rules on the Forestry and Land Scotland page, so read the signs. The National Park's motorhome permit locations are Firkin Point, Inveruglas and the Three Lochs Forest Drive, none of them at Rowardennan.
Is there another car park near Rowardennan?
Sallochy car park, nearest postcode G63 0AW, is on the same road. We found no tariff on its page, and its toilets were closed for the winter when we checked on 13 October 2026.
Can coaches go to Rowardennan?
Coaches are not permitted beyond the main car park in Balmaha. Only minibuses can use the road on to Rowardennan, where a minibus or coach pays £14 for the day.