Visiting Britain’s biggest lake from Lochend
The famous ‘bonny banks of Loch Lomond’ lie only about half an hour’s drive from our chalets, offering beautiful walks, magnificent scenery and at its southern shores a panoramic shopping and leisure complex with restaurants, a visitor centre, cruise tours, and an aquarium.
For scenery, there are several spots along Loch Lomond’s eastern shores we’d recommend. For wild, Highland glens and bens, perhaps the most spectacular spot is Inversnaid, a tiny settlement reached via a dramatic, 35-minute drive from Lochend. Here, there are several walks you could do along the West Highland Way (which heads along Loch Lomond’s eastern shore right up through the Highlands to Fort William), one of which loops along the shores via Rob Roy’s Cave.
Alternatively, the wee village of Balmaha lies slightly further south of Inversnaid at the foot of Conic Hill with fantastic summit views (only 90 minutes up and down) over Loch Lomond and the Arrochar Alps. Or if you don’t fancy any uphill, just stroll along the West Highland Way, which trundles alongside the loch along beaches and bays, forests and fields. From Balmaha, you can also take the tiny ferry out to Inchcailloch, a lovely little island covered in oak, with a sandy beach that makes a brilliant picnic spot.
