Things to do at Loch Lomond

On the water

Boats run in the main season, from late March to early November.

• Boats and cruises

  Go for the loch from the water: cruises and ferries from Balloch, Luss, Balmaha, Tarbet and Inversnaid.

  Adult fares from £17

• Inchcailloch

  Go for oak woodland and a short ferry from Balmaha.

  Ferry, adult return £10

• The islands

  Choose an island day trip by ferry or cruise.

• Water sports

  Paddling and sailing on the loch.

• Luss Pier

  What to expect at the pier, where several cruises start.

Attractions

Open most days, and several take bookings in advance.

• Loch Lomond Shores

  Go for shops and the water at the south end.

  Parking, all day £4

• SEA LIFE Loch Lomond

  Go on a wet day, and pre-book.

  Adult, in advance from £14

• Go Ape Aberfoyle

  A treetop course in the forest.

• TreeZone

  A woodland adventure course.

• Loch Lomond Bird of Prey Centre

  A centre for seeing birds of prey close up.

• Cameron House

  The lochside resort near Balloch.

• Balloch Castle Country Park

  Parkland above the loch, near Balloch.

Other lochs

Smaller lochs in the Trossachs and beyond.

• Loch Katrine

  Go for the steamship Sir Walter Scott.

  2026 season ends 25 October

• Trossachs Pier

  The departure point for Loch Katrine.

  Postcode FK17 8HZ

• Loch Venachar

  A loch west of Callander.

• Loch Earn

  A loch beyond the Trossachs, at Lochearnhead.

• Loch Long

  The sea loch beside Arrochar.

Outdoors

• Walks

  Half-day hills, Munros and long paths, sorted by effort.

• Three Lochs Forest Drive

  A scenic drive near Aberfoyle.

  Length 7 miles

• Wildlife

  Where to look for birds and deer.

• Cycling

  Routes and bike hire around the park.

• Golf

  Courses on and around the loch.

Eat, events and plans

• Eat and drink

  Cafes, pubs and tearooms by village.

• Events

  What is on, by month.

• Weddings

  Venues around the loch.

• Weather and best time

  Which months suit which plans.

• Villages and bases

  Choose where to stay and start from.

Which day out suits you?

On a wet day, go to SEA LIFE Loch Lomond. It has over 1,500 creatures in seven themed zones and sits inside Loch Lomond Shores. Booking online is essential, and adult tickets start at £14 in advance and cost £21 on the day.

For the loch itself, take a boat. Sweeney's Experience Cruise from Balloch takes 1 hour and costs £18.50 for an adult. Cruise Loch Lomond's adult fare is £20, and the Inchcailloch ferry is £10 return.

For a hill with a view, choose between Conic Hill (2 to 3 hours) and Ben Lomond (4.5 to 5.5 hours). The walks guide sorts the routes by effort.

For a quieter day in the Trossachs, the Loch Katrine steamship sails from Trossachs Pier, including a 2-hour cruise to Stronachlachar. The Three Lochs Forest Drive is a 7 mile one-way circular drive near Aberfoyle.

With children, and when it rains

SEA LIFE is the dependable family choice because it is indoors. Over 1,500 creatures live in seven themed zones, including a tropical ocean tunnel with blacktip sharks and rays. Under-2s go free.

Outdoors, the three short Forest Drive trails of 1.2 km, 1.5 km and 1.9 km suit small legs, and Inchcailloch's paths each take 30 to 45 minutes. Under-5s travel free with Sweeney's.

Loch Lomond Shores is open seven days, its outdoor areas never close, and the foyer toilets are open from 9am. Most shops open from 10am to 5:30pm.

Cycling and culture

National Cycle Network route 7 runs west from Glasgow along the Clyde through Clydebank and Dumbarton to Balloch. It is mostly traffic-free and uses old railway lines, a canal towpath and a riverside path. Sweeney's and Cruise Loch Lomond both carry bikes.

For culture, Luss stood in for the fictional village of Glendarroch in the STV soap Take the High Road, which ran from 1980 to 2003. Callander was the main location for the BBC series Dr Finlay's Casebook from 1962 to 1971. The Loch Katrine steamship Sir Walter Scott is cared for by a trust.

Inchcailloch has the ruins of a 13th-century church and a burial ground, and Inchmurrin has the ruins of a Lennox castle at its south end.

What is open when

The boat season runs from 27 March to 1 November in 2026. The Loch Katrine steamship's spring and summer schedule ends on 25 October 2026, then selected sailings run until 25 March 2027.

In autumn and winter, Loch Lomond Shores stays open seven days, and SEA LIFE opens from 10am to 5pm with last entry at 3:50pm on the dates we checked. The Forest Drive is closed to vehicles from 4pm on 30 September but open to walkers.

For wildlife, the red deer rut is in September and October, while ospreys fish in the summer months.

Doing it without a car

Balloch is the easiest base. Direct ScotRail trains run from Glasgow about twice an hour, and the cruises and Loch Lomond Shores are close to the station.

Bus 305 runs from Balloch to Luss, and bus 309 runs to Balmaha. The Citylink and Ember coaches also stop at Luss.

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Questions people ask