Everyone’s heard of the bonnie, bonnie banks of Loch Lomond, but many don’t know that the national park incorporates both the famous loch and several others that make up the second part of the park: the Trossachs.
Though popular with locals, this is a really underrated part of Scotland. Packed with forest walks, hikes and plenty of lochs to explore, it gets busy on a nice sunny day, but it’s also easy to get off the beaten path.
If you’re not planning any hikes, it’s easy to see most of the Trossachs in a day. But I’d really recommend staying overnight in one of the lovely towns of Callander or Aberfoyle, or enjoying the outdoors at a campsite.
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When lockdown ended, the first thing we did was head into nature, and we ended up driving around the Trossachs for a day, discovering lots of places we’d never been. I couldn’t believe we’d been missing out. And then… other than one epic hike, we didn’t really go back for a long time.
Recently, that changed and we explored an entirely different part of the Trossachs to before, cementing the fact that this is a brilliant area of Scotland to spend some time.
So now I feel ready to write about it.
Some of my highlights of the Trossachs include:
⭐ biking or cruising around Loch Katrine
⭐ hiking Ben A’an
⭐ driving the Three Lochs Forest road
⭐ looking for reflections at Loch Ard
⭐ exploring a priory on the Lake Of Menteith
⭐ wandering beautiful Callander
⭐ stopping off at Loch Lubnaig
⭐ visiting the grave of infamous outlaw Rob Roy MacGregor
⭐ finding the Mirror Man at St Fillans
⭐ grabbing lunch in lovely Aberfoyle
This post contains affiliate links. Please note if you buy or book anything through my links, I may earn a little commission that helps keep this site running, at no extra cost to you. Thank you so much for your support!
Day 1 – the south & heart of the Trossachs
Loch Katrine
Undoubtedly one of the best lochs to visit in the Trossachs is Loch Katrine. This huge loch stretches for eight miles, with a fantastic path connecting both ends. That’s why cycling is the best way to see it, though the cruises are also great. Or you could cycle one way and take the boat back!
There are three cruise boats to choose from, but for something unique, go for the Sir Walter Scott steamship. This is truly a highlight of any visit to Loch Katrine, and you can choose between a 2 hour return cruise end-to-end (you can also take this one way), or a 1 hour circular cruise.
The other options are The Lady Of The Lake (the name of a Sir Walter Scott poem) and Rob Roy III.
You could easily spend a day just around Loch Katrine, so if you’re on a time limit, we’ve just walked some of the path and then turned back. If you’re not hiking Ben A’an (below) then you could spend most of the morning here.
Ben A’an
Following on from Loch Katrine, one of my favourite hikes in Scotland gives you a fantastic view over the loch.
Ben A’an is a fab wee hill, and although it’s steep, it doesn’t take too long to reach the top – I think it took us just over an hour. Don’t underestimate it though – this is very much a hike, not a short walk.
However, it’s got to be one of the best effort to view ratios. If you’re looking for a great hill walk, it’s wonderful!
Allow 3 hours for this hike.
Want more short but epic hikes? 10 Short Hikes With Spectacular Views In Scotland
Drive the Three Lochs Forest road
Between April 1st and November 1st, a forestry road opens up to the public for access to some otherwise hidden views around three lochs. Loch Achray is on the main road, but this forestry track gives you access to the fantastically named Loch Drunkie, and a wee lochan that I won’t try to pronounce (Lochan Reoidhte).
This is a brilliant “off-road” adventure, and at our first stop overlooking Loch Drunkie, I was immediately struck by how calm and peaceful it was. No car engines, and no people, just nature.
It’s a one way road (although watch out for bicycles and walkers going the other way!) and tracks out a route around the lochs for seven miles. There are lots of laybys to park in, and we didn’t come across any other cars until the one right next to Loch Drunkie which was busy!
A little further up is a larger car park with a toilet block and information, and a few people were here too. Other than that, we didn’t see anyone until the end! There’s an ice cream van at the end of Loch Achray ready to provide a treat before you leave back to reality.
The Three Lochs Forest drive is open from 9am to 4pm between April 1st and November 1st. It costs £3 and I’d recommend a minimum of an hour, but longer if you want a picnic or to walk some of the trails.
Lunch in Aberfoyle
From there, it’s only 10 minutes to Aberfoyle, so you should be right on time for lunch. If anything, try to be early, because Aberfoyle can get busy.
We got lunch at the Station Cafe and the toasties were excellent and really reasonably priced. We sat down and ordered straight away, and by the time we had finished our food, there was a huge queue out of the door. It’s busy for a reason!
However that leads me to a warning: whatever you do, don’t then go to the adorable Wee Tablet Shop next door for ice cream. It’s unbelievably overpriced – I’ve never even seen tourist trap gelato stalls in Italy charge this much! Read the Google reviews; they’ll back me up. It’s rare that I see any establishment in Scotland get reviews this terrible, and even more rare that I would ever bad-mouth a business on here. But come on guys, get your act together.
Got adventurous kids? Aberfoyle is home to Go Ape! Go traverse those tree tops!
Lake Of Menteith – Inchmahome Priory
Yes, you read that right. This is a lake, not a loch. What’s the difference? Nobody really knows.
As far as I knew, that was the only interesting thing about it, but as usual, I was proven very wrong.
I only learned recently that there’s a priory on an island in the middle of it, and you can pay £10 to visit, including the boat that takes you there (and back, I hasten to add). This is a fantastic little adventure and doesn’t take too long at all. We booked ourselves on the 10:45am boat to Inchmahome but it ended up leaving a little earlier, and returned about midday, so we had over an hour on the island in total.
Of course, you can make your visit longer, and a couple of families were enjoying picnics overlooking the priory while we were there.
Our guide on the boat also took us on a short detour past a nearby island and told us lots of things about the lake. We even managed to see some osprey! I did ask him about why it’s called a lake, and apparently it used to be listed on maps as a loch. It was around the time Sir Walter Scott published The Lady Of The Lake that it seemed to change, so his theory is that it was to cash in on being called a lake to entice tourists!
This is a great way to spend a couple of hours. It’s also dog friendly, although Bonnie wasn’t sure what to make of the boat!
Bonus: take photos of reflections at Loch Ard
One lovely walk we discovered on this same trip was at Loch Ard.
This and Loch Achray are two of the best places for reflection shots, so they’re a must for photographers and it’s on my radar to return in autumn. (After all, did you know Perthshire is the best place in Scotland for autumn colours?)
If you want a walk, but didn’t want to tackle Ben A’an, then a great alternative is the much flatter walk along Loch Ard. There are several trails, but we took the art & sculpture trail which is just over four miles. It took a couple of hours, and if you didn’t want to do the full thing, you could park in the layby between Milton and the forestry car park and walk along the loch past the Narrows until you reach the above viewpoint.
That said, a highlight of the full trail was unexpected, as it included a boring bit of forestry track culminating in this beautiful bonus lochan which made it worth it:
And the good news if you just want a quick view of the reflections, the best spot, just before the Narrows, is only a few minutes away from the car park. We did the walk the other way around so it was right at the end for us.
Day 2 – Northern Trossachs
Today we are exploring the northern part of the Trossachs. This is an area I’ve driven through countless times without really stopping – turns out, as usual, that this was a mistake. I’ve done lots of exploring since, so here are my highlights for a day in the area.
Callander
Callander is one of my favourite wee towns in Scotland, and we regularly stop off there as a half-way point between Edinburgh and Glencoe. There are a couple of short hikes you can do here, including Bracklinn Falls. For the purpose of the itinerary, I won’t include it, but if you stay there, you’d have time to do this in the morning before you leave for day 2 of our Trossachs itinerary.
Depending on when you are in Callander, I recommend:
- Breakfast at Puddingstone Place, coffee at Ancaster Coffee
- Lunch at Deli Ecosse
- Fish & chips at The Frying Dutchman Café
Make sure to pop into Lady Kentmore’s Antiques as well; it’s not really your typical antique store, but it’s a fascinating shop with lots of quirky things to look at!
Tip: want to see Highland cows? A couple of miles north of Callander, there are usually Highland cows in Kilmahog, by the old woollen shop. There’s a car park so you can stop to say hello!
Pit stop at Loch Lubnaig
Loch Lubnaig is another popular stop on the way to Glencoe, but we do normally treat it as a pit stop to get some nice photos and fresh air.
It can be a destination in itself though, as there’s a café and campsite as well as kayaks to hire.
We usually park in the first car park you come to with the above view, which only has space for a few cars but it’s much more peaceful.
Balquhidder – grave of Rob Roy MacGregor
Shortly after Loch Lubnaig, there’s a turn off to the left at Kingshouse. A few miles down this road, you can stop by a pretty church and see the grave of Rob Roy MacGregor and his family.
Rob Roy was a Jacobite outlaw who became something of a folk hero in Scotland. He’s been dubbed the “Scottish Robin Hood”, Sir Walter Scott wrote a book about him (which elevated his fame even further), and his legacy has spread to the other side of the world.
Fun fact: Roy’s Peak, one of the most popular hikes in New Zealand, is named after Rob Roy MacGregor!
Loch Voil & Loch Doine
If you continue down this road, there are a couple of really pretty lochs to check out. Loch Doine might be one of my favourites!
Between the two lochs, there’s a really cool art installation where you can take mirrored photos of the scenery. Unfortunately when I visited the first time, it was so flooded that it was actually IN Loch Doine. The second time, some people were having a frigging barbecue around it which, even if I had invaded, would have ruined any photos, given that it’s a mirror. So I am STILL to get a photo of this!
I will add that I hate the road down to it, as it’s really narrow and can be a bit of a nightmare when it’s busy, especially when people are parked illegally in every single passing place. Please do NOT do this!!
Lunch at the Golden Larches
Back out on the main road, it’s time to grab lunch at the Golden Larches.
We have passed this place countless times and as with many stops that are right on a main road, we never stopped to find out whether it’s good or a tourist cash-in.
Well, finally, we stopped for lunch – and I can confirm it’s very good! It’s dog-friendly and the staff are lovely. Our food was great and it’s not overpriced. And so what if I had pancakes? Bananas are healthy, I’ll have you know.
However… even if you just pop in for a coffee, DO use the loo! We have seen the sign so many times. It was finally time to see the “world famous shark toilet”.
Prepare yourselves…
This might be the only time ever that I share a photo that I’ve literally taken from the toilet seat. And if you’re thinking “but why?”… the answer, from the café themselves, is “why not?”
From here, we can see a couple of my favourite lochs in Scotland which are nearby, although one of them isn’t actually in the national park.
Loch Earn
So firstly: Loch Earn.
Loch Earn has the lovely St Fillans at the other end, which feels like a bit of a detour but it’s only just over a 10 minute drive from Lochearnhead, and it marks the boundary of Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National Park, so it definitely counts.
On a sunny day, the waterfront of St Fillans is sparkling, and regardless of weather, it’s filled with ducks!
It now also has the Mirror Man installation, which makes for fantastic photos. The art installation is officially called “Still”.
Originally installed in 2014, the Mirror Man mysteriously disappeared in 2017, and it was only in March this year that the community managed to buy it to re-install it back in the loch. Now I just need to get back on a calmer day, as my photo is anything but “still”!
There’s a lovely walk to the hill overlooking St Fillan’s which took us around 20 minutes to reach the top, so the whole walk is only around 30-40 minutes. I’d recommend it as an easy walk to get a view looking over a loch, but if you want a different kind of walk (by which I mean flatter), keep reading.
You could drive back along the south road of the loch for a change of scenery, although it’s not as exciting as the main road. Either way, drive back along to Lochearnhead and turn right for our next stop.
Glen Ogle
Another place we often stop for a view: the Glen Ogle viaduct. This is a lovely drive through the glen above Lochearnhead, with a sweeping view near the top, and the old viaduct on the left (or right as you look back down the glen). This is no longer in use and is now a pathway for walkers and cyclists.
There’s an unmarked car park about half way up where you can stop for the view. We have also parked in the forestry car park further up, just over the hill, and walked to the viaduct and back, which is just over 1.5 miles each way. You could also walk all the way back to Lochearnhead, which ends with some fabulous views over Loch Earn itself.
The viaduct makes for some great photos if you only go that far, and it’s a really easy walk as it’s flat.
The rest of the Trossachs leads through to Crianlarich; the junction that leads north to Glencoe, and south to Glasgow. I have to be honest: this part isn’t really an exciting drive, in my opinion. So instead, we’re gonna turn off to Killin.
Killin
I find it hard not to mention Loch Tay when Killin is the final stop on this itinerary. I absolutely love Loch Tay. But it deserves a day on its own, so we’re stopping just short of it in the lochside town of Killin.
The main attraction here is the Falls of Dochart. These aren’t your typical waterfalls; more a cascading river. Nonetheless, it’s worth a stop and they’re pretty spectacular when they’re raging after a lot of rainfall.
Killin is a lovely little town and somewhere we haven’t spent a lot of time, to be honest, so I don’t have a lot of recommendations here. It’s not a big place so doesn’t need a whole heap of time compared to Callander and even Aberfoyle.
Where to stay in the Trossachs
My top choice for where to stay would be Callander. It’s centrally located for all of the above places, and it’s one of my favourite towns.
We’ve never actually stayed in Callander as it’s less than an hour away from us, but these would be my choices:
The Crags Hotel – reasonably priced hotel in the heart of town
Dalgair House Hotel – slightly cheaper, also in a great location
Poppies Hotel – mid-range hotel in a beautiful building on the way out of town
For something a little more off the beaten path, Monachyle Mhor down by Loch Doine looks divine, and is one of the highest rated hotels in the Trossachs.
One that we’ve driven past and have decided we really want to stay at is the Macdonald Forest Hills Hotel & Spa, which is really reasonably priced near Loch Ard. The White Stag Inn in Strathyre looks lovely, too.
There are several campsites throughout the national park. Note that wild camping requires a permit within the national park; it’s the only place in Scotland that requires one.
There are *lots* of variations of this itinerary that you could do. After all, we’ve done all of these on more than two single day visits.
You could take picnics to enjoy next to the lochs, or spend more time walking and less driving.
If you’re visiting the Trossachs as part of a larger road trip, it’s a perfect way to break up the journey en route to Glencoe, or even through Argyll to Oban. Or from Killin, a drive along Loch Tay to the rest of Perthshire is fantastic. If you want my opinion, I can’t help I’m afraid as all three of those options are three of my favourite places to explore in Scotland.
But to be honest, the Trossachs are galloping up behind to join those forces as another of my favourite areas. Which is why I’m writing about it before I’ve even written about the more famous Loch Lomond.
The Trossachs are truly a fantastic alternative to their neighbour – hopefully this post gives you an idea why.
Read more on Scotland:
⭐ 10 Short Hikes With Spectacular Views In Scotland
⭐ Autumn Is So Beauti-fall In Perthshire
⭐ Glasgow: Scotland’s “Second City” That Shouldn’t Be Missed
⭐ A Great Day Out Puffin-Spotting On The Isle Of May, Scotland
⭐ A Car-Free Adventure On The Isle Of Bute, Scotland
⭐ 20 Photos Of Glorious Glencoe
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Gorgeous! I’ve been to Loch Lomond, but have only heard of the Trossachs and haven’t explored much of it. Looks like there’s a lot more to Scotland than I’d imagined, and I hope to return to see the wild beauty of this part of the world. Thanks for sharing, Clazz!
Looks fantastic. Adds to list!
Great guide to the Trossachs! Loved the hidden spots like Three Lochs Forest Drive and Ben A’an hike. The boat trip to Inchmahome Priory sounds amazing. Thanks for the helpful tips on where to eat and stay!
Gorgeous landscape!
Well that’s a terrifying toilet haha! I suppose “why not” is as good a reason as any, though. It sure is unique.
Yesssss – The Frying Dutchman is SO good! We sometimes stop in Callander just for a portion of chips to share from there haha. You really lucked out with the weather for Ben A’an. It’s such a scenic hike, definitely in that relatively low effort/high reward category. Although the West Highland Way passes through and I’ve done several Munros in the area, I feel there’s still so much of Loch Lomond and the Trossachs left to explore – especially the western side of the national park.