Mammals - Lochend Chalets

LOCHEND MAMMALS

Mammals including deer, hares and pine martens are regularly spotted loping across the lawn, especially first thing in the morning.

First light is a good time to spot roe and red deer: families of them sometimes trot about in front of the Log Cabins and in the field beside Coach House. Guests have also spotted hedgehogs, otters and mink, which were liberated from a farm near Kippen in the 70’s, and have found their way to our shores.

Occasionally, we get red squirrels at Lochend as well, but if you don’t see them here, you’re almost guaranteed to see them from the Red Squirrel Hide at The Lodge, another great place to see Trossachs wildlife. Only 10 minutes away in Aberfoyle. The Lodge has an excellent cafe and gift shop, as well as webcams onto local osprey nests, tonnes of information about local wildlife, a GoApe high-ropes adventure course, and miles and miles of waymarked footpaths through the Queen Elizabeth Forest Park.

For budding Attenboroughs, the lake shore provides hours of entertainment, with fry teeming in the shallows, always just out of reach of children’s fishing nets. As for micro-beasties: just peel back some bark, turn over a stone, and let the fun times begin, or visit our wee Bee & Beastie Hotel just next to the Games Room. The Bee & Beastie Hotel is essentially a framework of bedding boxes for wee beasties to claim as their home.

We have books in each chalet to help you identify any birds or wild flowers you may meet while on holiday beside the lake.

Lochend Nature Walk trees sculpted by Justin Beaver

Paddle Boards & Kayaks

PADDLE BOARDS & KAYAKSPaddle Boarding is currently the fastest growing area of paddle sports in the UK and it is easy to understand why. Stand Up Paddle Boarding (SUP) is hugely versatile – if you are wanting a fun splash about in the water for the first time you will pick up the basic skills…

Restaurant

Nick’s at Port of MenteithNick’s Restaurant Nick’s is a relaxed, family‑friendly spot serving delicious food in a warm, welcoming setting, perfect for long lunches, easy dinners and celebrating time together on the estate. Lochend guests get 10% off dining at Nick’sNick Nairn Cook School Nick Nairn’s renowned Cook School at Lochend offers fun, hands‑on cooking…

Fishing

FISHING AT LOCHEND CHALETS The Lake of Menteith is one of Scotland’s premier trout fishing waters, and it frequently hosts fly-fishing national and World Championship events. The lake is stocked with 30,000 fish every year, all over 1lb in weight, and draws anglers from across Scotland and beyond. Guests in our waterside lodges and chalets…

Lake of Menteith

Star gazing

NIGHT SKIES AT LOCHEND CHALETSWe have been star gazing at Lochend all of our lives. It’s something we, our children, and our guests love to do. While we do not have dark skies status (too near the big cities) we still have wonderfully unpolluted skies. On a clear night we have just the most phenomenal…

Games Room

GAMES ROOM AT LOCHEND CHALETS Stage of many a keenly contested family grudge match, the games room is a great place for young guests to hang out with newfound pals. Housed in its own separate chalet just next to the tennis court, the games room has a table-tennis table (bats and ball are provided in…

Play Area

PLAY AREA AT LOCHEND CHALETSOur wee adventure play park by the lakeSheltered beside an ancient oak tree just back from the lake, our play area for littluns has a wooden play-house with a wee climbing wall that is always a real hit with young guests. The Lochend play area also has swings and a giant …

Twitching

Swimming

LAKE SWIMMING AT LOCHEND CHALETS Stretching out in front of our chalets, cabins and lodges, the lake dominates life at Lochend. Here are some of the ways you can enjoy water activities on the lake while you are here: Getting out on the lake on holiday at Lochend WILD SWIMMING Wonderfully clean, the lake is…

Tennis

TENNIS AT LOCHEND CHALETS We have a full-sized concrete tennis court at Lochend (we supply rackets but not balls) – stage of many a week-long, family Wimbledon! Play tennis on holiday in the Trossachs The Lochend tennis court is also a great place for impromptu games of cricket or football-tennis, or simply just to meet…

Bikes At Lochend

BIKES AT LOCHEND CHALETSA bike-tastic base for cycling holidays in Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park“This would be an amazing place to stay and train,” said Tour de France-winner, Chris Froome when he stayed at Lochend as a teenager. He’s right: Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National park is a cycler’s paradise. It’s popular…

Lochend Nature & Wildlife

NATURE & WILDLIFE AT LOCHEND CHALETS Lochend Chalets is hidden away on 38 tranquil acres beside the Lake of Menteith. The shore and woods around our cabins and lodges shelter a wealth of Trossachs wildlife and all sorts of birdlife. A Nature Trail snakes alongside the Goodie Burn in the trees behind the tennis court.…

Photography

PHOTOGRAPHY AT LOCHEND CHALETSPerhaps one of the most interesting things about taking photos around Lochend is the light that Scotland’s seasons offer. Even snapping on our phones, we are aware of the quite amazing shore views giving, in one picture, a perfect summing up of the Trosscahs: the Menteith Hills (Scotland’s Fault line that divides…

Sauna

Sauna Availability & Booking. Seating for up to 10 adults£10p/personMinimum of £40 for fewer than 4LinksMassage & FacialsWellness RetreatsOUR FAVOURITE THINGS TO DOBrowse a selection of our favourite things to do when you enjoy a short break here on the Lake of Menteith. Stay on site or explore local landscapes. Explore our national park, take a…

Activities

Special Occasions

Lochend Chalets has been at the heart of family holiday traditions, celebrations and special occasions since the 1970’s! We love that so many of our guests return year after year, bringing new generations of family with them to share this amazing place and create beautiful, lasting, memories.BIRTHDAYS & ANNIVERSARIES Celebrate milestone events with friends and…

Short Break

HOLIDAYS AT LOCHEND CHALETS - MORE THINGS TO DO

Browse a selection of our favourite things to do when you enjoy a short break here on the Lake of Menteith. Stay on site or explore local landscapes. Explore our national park, take a trip further afield, or use your holiday lodge as a base to tour around Scotland. Whatever your interests, there will always be something to keep you entertained and make memories that will last a lifetime.

Bird flying over water - activities around lochend chalets

Typography is the art and technique

Typography is the art and technique of arranging type to make written language legible, readable and appealing when displayed. The arrangement of type involves selecting typefaces, point size, line length, line-spacing (leading), letter-spacing (tracking), and adjusting the space within letters pairs (kerning).