Loch Lomond Day Trip

Loch Lomond, Scotland

The west coast of Scotland is often considered to be the ‘best coast’. Given that our travels with my dad and his friend would take us mainly up the east coast, we knew we had to get out there somehow. Thus, the idea for a Loch Lomond day trip was born. We chose Loch Lomond because of its relative proximity to the east coast; it’s still mountainous and picturesque, but accessible via a 1.5 hour drive from Fife County.

Loch Lomond Day Trip

The journey to Loch Lomond was fairly uneventful. (If you count the endless cursing and quick maneuvering that plagues most North American drivers in manual transmission cars on narrow, winding roads as uneventful). We arrived semi-shell-shocked and battle worn, but a jaunt into the small town of Balloch certainly lifted spirits. We had left Fife in a rainstorm, but arrived to Loch Lomond with slightly cloudy skies but no rain!

Boat Cruise

Our first event on this Loch Lomond day trip was taking a boat cruise up and down the Loch. We went with the only boat cruise operator in Balloch – Sweeny Cruises. They have five cruises to choose from, ranging from 50 minutes to two hours. There is a bar on board, and commentary provided throughout.

Loch Lomond is the biggest of the 22 lochs in Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National Park. It’s 24 miles long, and has a depth larger than the North Sea.  Our cruise was two hours long and we learned all about the history of many of the buildings that line the loch. We saw the prestigious Loch Lomond Golf Course – where member fees top £100,000.00; Balloch Castle Country Park – a disused, privately-owned castle; and many of the 22 islands within the loch – most of which are also privately owned.

Eventually the views gave way to Ben Lomond (974m) – the most southerly mountain above 900m (aka Munroes – a mountain higher than 3000ft/914m). Hiking to the summit of Ben Lomond is a popular activity, but given the heart-pounding adventures of the drive up, we opted against it.

The turnaround point of the cruise is a small town called Luss. After losing then gaining a few passengers here, we headed back towards Balloch.

More Information

We did the two hour Island Discovery Tour which was £19.00 per person.

Circumventing the Loch

There is a road that runs almost entirely around Loch Lomond (A82 then A85), and any tourist map will indicate a few landmarks worth visiting along the route. Four of these landmarks are part of the Scottish Scenic Routes initiative. These landmarks were designed by young Scottish artists and provide architecturally impressive & breathtaking views of the surrounding areas. As a bonus, most of them are within easy reach of the A82 and A85 roads that circle Loch Lomond! We were able to visit three of the four viewpoints, and they were some of the highlights of our Loch Lomond day trip!

An Ceann Mòr View Point

At the very tip top of Loch Lomond is an architecturally impressive view point just past the town of Inveruglas.  Rows of benches lead up to a set of super-powerful binoculars; we could even see hikers summiting Ben Lomond! You’re also provided with lovely views of Loch Lomond almost in its entirety.

(Woven Sound) Falls of Falloch

Just up the road are The Falls of Falloch. The sound of the falls could be heard along the entire walk from the car park. The falls were incredible, and the art installation/viewing platform was equally impressive.

LookOut at Loch Voil

This attraction was the most difficult to get to – a narrow, single track road filled with blind hills and sharp turns. Fortunately the men persevered through the tasks of driving and navigating while Mac and I sat agog in the back seat admiring the incredible scenery.

The LookOut Mirror is located in the middle of a field between Loch Voil and Loch Doine. It’s artistic vision may have been lost upon our group, but the views more than made up for our lack of understanding of contemporary art. We arrived close to sunset, and the shadows of the hills and mountains surrounding the still loch waters was just stunning.

After the Mirror, it was time to begin the not-so-long journey home. This Loch Lomond day trip was an amazing adventure, and one I’d definitely recommend if you’re only in Scotland for a short time. The roads may be a little tricky, but I think the landscape more than makes up for the white knuckles on the steering wheel.

What’s your experience on Scottish roads? Have you ever visited/heard of Loch Lomond?

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