Loch Katrine visitor centre
A steamship loch in the Trossachs, with a pier hub, cafes and a lochside cycle road
Verdict
Go if you want a steamship trip, a lochside cycle or a pier cafe stop, and you are happy to book a sailing.
Skip if you want a hill walk or a free roadside stop. Parking is paid and the day is built around the boats.
- Cruise to Stronachlachar, round trip
- 2 hours
- First 45-minute sailing, spring and summer timetable
- 10:00am
- Pier to Stronachlachar by bike, just under
- 14 miles
- Length of the loch
- 8 miles
The short answer
The Loch Katrine visitor centre is, in practice, Trossachs Pier: the gift shop, the Steamship Café, the cycle hire and the cruise departures all sit together there. The loch is eight miles long and was the setting for Sir Walter Scott’s 19th-century poem The Lady of the Lake. On the spring and summer timetable checked on 12 October 2026, the 2-hour cruise to Stronachlachar sails at 10:30 and 14:30. Parking is paid at posts by the pier, and the tariff is not published where we looked. For more ideas across the park, try top things to see and do.
What you get
The Steamship Sir Walter Scott
The cruises run on the steamship, which a charitable trust maintains. On the timetable for 27 March to 25 October 2026 there is a 2-hour cruise to Stronachlachar at 10:30 and 14:30, a 1-hour circular at 13:00, and 45-minute circulars at 10:00, 11:00, 12:00, 13:15, 14:15, 15:15 and 16:15. Book online, or phone the ticket office on 01877 376315. Fares were not in the text we could read, so check the booking page. Boats and ferries compares this with the Loch Lomond cruises.
Trossachs Pier
The pier has a gift shop, a fully licensed Steamship Café and a takeaway kiosk, plus cycle hire. There are ten eco-lodges and motorhome pitches on site, so you can stay at the loch; check availability with the operator. For a bigger choice of meals, pubs and tearooms in Aberfoyle helps, and Aberfoyle accommodation compared covers beds. The Aberfoyle village guide covers the town itself.
Cycling to Stronachlachar
The road along the loch is just under 14 miles from Trossachs Pier to Stronachlachar. The operator describes it as smooth with limited car traffic. There are a few hills on the north shore road, including a 12-degree gradient at the graveyard brae. Katrine Wheelz hires bikes at the pier, including e-bikes, from £15, for anything from one hour to a full day. Helmets are included and the minimum age is 14.
Sail one way, cycle back
Between May and October you can take the boat to Stronachlachar and cycle back, or the reverse. The timetable has boats leaving Stronachlachar at 11:30 and 15:30, which is what makes the plan work. A per-bike charge applies on the boat, and the two operator pages we read give different amounts, so check when you book. Pre-book, especially for the afternoon sailing.
Stronachlachar
Stronachlachar Pier has the Pier Café with a lochside outdoor picnic area, and motorhome pitches. Parking there is cash only. Dogs are allowed at the Pier Café.
On foot
Forestry and Land Scotland says you can return along the shore on foot or by bike, and follow shorter trails from the pier. We did not find distances or times, so look at the signs at the pier. Further afield, the Trossachs hills are covered in the walk guides below.
A loch with a story
Scott’s poem, set at Loch Katrine, helped start Victorian tourism here. Queen Victoria took a boat excursion on the loch in 1869. The 45-minute circular cruises give a first look at the loch without committing to the full 2 hours.
How long to allow
These are planning estimates built from the checked facts. They are not timed visits.
| Time you have | What fits | Worth knowing |
|---|---|---|
| One hour | A 45-minute circular cruise plus a drink at the Steamship Café. | Book ahead on busy days. |
| Half a day | The 2-hour cruise to Stronachlachar and back, with time at either pier. | The morning sailing is at 10:30 and the afternoon one at 14:30. |
| A full day | Sail one way, cycle the just-under-14 miles back, and stop at the Pier Café. | Cycle-and-sail runs between May and October. |
| A wet day | A boat trip and the cafe, but we have no verified shelter details. | Check the day’s sailings on 0330 056 3170 before you drive. |
Prices and hours
- Cruise fares
- Not in the text we could read. Check the operator’s booking page.
- Cruise timetable
- Spring and summer timetable runs 27 March to 25 October 2026. The operator says sailings run daily all year, so winter times differ.
- Cycle hire
- Katrine Wheelz, from £15, one hour to all day, helmets included, e-bikes available, minimum age 14.
- Bike on the boat
- A per-bike charge applies. The operator pages show different amounts, so confirm at booking.
- Dogs on the boats
- £2 per dog, subject to availability. Only assistance dogs go in the front cabin of the Sir Walter Scott.
- Parking
- Pay at the posts. Tariff not published in the text we read.
Getting there and parking
Most visitors drive to Trossachs Pier. For the wider picture, car parks around the loch compares prices and rules across the park.
Trossachs Pier car park
- Postcode
- FK17 8HZ (Trossachs Pier)
- Payment
- At the posts: cash or card at Trossachs Pier, cash only at Stronachlachar Pier
- Tariff
- Not published in the text we read. Check the posts on arrival.
- Why you pay
- The charge contributes to the upkeep of the Steamship Sir Walter Scott
Last checked 12 Oct 2026
Car-free
We have not verified a bus stop at Trossachs Pier. The Trossachs Explorer links Aberfoyle and Callander all year (Stirling Council); check Traveline Scotland for the nearest stop on the day.
Is it for me?
| If you are | Fit | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Families | Good | The 45-minute circular is a short first boat trip, and the pier has a cafe and kiosk. |
| Cyclists | Good | A smooth lochside road with limited car traffic, but allow for the hills and the 12-degree brae. |
| Dog owners | Check | £2 per dog on the boats, subject to availability. Dogs are not allowed inside the Steamship Café. |
| Wheelchairs and buggies | Check | There is disabled access on the Sir Walter Scott but not on the other boats. Phone first. |
| Visitors without a car | Poor | We have not verified public transport to the pier. |
| Hill walkers | Mixed | The loch suits gentle trails. The big hills are a drive away. |
Questions people ask
How long is the walk around Loch Katrine?
We found no verified walk right round the loch. The distance we can give is the lochside road from Trossachs Pier to Stronachlachar, just under 14 miles one way, on a loch that is 8 miles long.
Is Loch Katrine worth visiting?
An opinion: yes, for a steamship trip, a flat cycle or a café stop, but not for a quick roadside look, because parking is paid and the boats are the main draw.
Is parking free at Loch Katrine?
No. You pay at posts, by cash or card at Trossachs Pier and cash only at Stronachlachar. We did not find the tariff, so check the posts.
What is there to do at Loch Katrine?
Sail on the Steamship Sir Walter Scott, hire a bike and cycle to Stronachlachar, eat at the Steamship Café or the Pier Café, or stay in one of the ten eco-lodges.
Does Loch Katrine have eco pods?
The operator lists ten eco-lodges at Trossachs Pier. We found no mention of pods, so check the operator’s accommodation page.
Can I take my bike on the Loch Katrine boat?
Yes, on the cycle-and-sail option between May and October, for a per-bike charge. Pre-book, particularly for the afternoon sailing.
Are dogs allowed on the Loch Katrine cruise?
Yes, for £2 per dog, subject to availability. Only assistance dogs are allowed in the front cabin of the Sir Walter Scott.
What is the Loch Katrine weather like?
We have no loch-specific forecast. Loch Lomond weather explains how conditions change across the park, so check the Trossachs forecast on the day.
Nearby
- Same pierTrossachs PierA separate guide covers the pier and its cruises.
- TrossachsBen A’an walkA Trossachs hill walk with its own guide.
- TrossachsBen Venue walkAnother Trossachs hill walk with its own guide.
- After darkNorthern lights from the TrossachsWhen the aurora can reach Loch Katrine and where to look.