Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park National Park

Address: Carrochan (Park Headquarters / Visitor Centre), Balloch, Alexandria, West Dunbartonshire, G83 8BP, Scotland

Website: https://www.lochlomond-trossachs.org/

Admission: Free to enter park; some paid attractions/visitor centres

Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park is a protected area in central Scotland that covers a wide swath of Loch Lomond, surrounding hills and the Trossachs region. It was designated as a national park in 2002 to conserve landscape, wildlife and cultural heritage.

The park includes extensive freshwater shoreline, many islands and a mix of upland hills and lower wooded glens. Key recreational activities are hillwalking, sailing, mountain biking and wildlife watching, and popular destinations within the park include the loch’s shores and the ascent of Ben Lomond.

Historically the landscape is a product of glacial sculpting and centuries of pastoral land use; settlements, estates and designed landscapes developed around the loch and glens from medieval times onwards. The national park framework brought a coordinated approach to planning, access and conservation in the early 21st century.

Geographically the park spans parts of the southern Highlands and the Central Belt fringe, extending from the southern end of Loch Lomond to central highland glens north and east of Glasgow, and incorporates lowland shores, islands and mountainous terrain.

• Designation: Designated a national park in 2002, the area is managed for a mix of recreation, nature conservation and local communities.
• Visitor points: The western and southern shores offer popular viewpoints and visitor facilities; Balloch at the southern end provides visitor services and boat access to Loch Lomond.

What to See#

• Loch Lomond: Loch Lomond is the largest freshwater loch in Great Britain by surface area and contains many islands, with the largest being Inchmurrin.
• Ben Lomond: Ben Lomond rises to 974 metres and is one of the park’s most frequented Munros, with a popular ascent from the eastern shore near Rowardennan.
• The Trossachs: The Trossachs refers to a smaller, wooded and loch-filled area east of Loch Lomond that contains classic Highland scenery of glens, lochs and wooded hillsides.

The park is easily reached from Glasgow. By public transport, take ScotRail from Glasgow Queen Street to Balloch (service via the North Clyde/Argyle connections) for the southern end of Loch Lomond (the Balloch station is a short walk into the lochside village). For the western lochs and the northern Trossachs, trains on the West Highland Line run from Glasgow Queen Street to Arrochar & Tarbet (station a short walk to lochside trails).

By car, follow the A82 north out of Glasgow along the western shore of Loch Lomond; the drive from central Glasgow to Balloch or the southern loch is roughly 20-30 km (15-20 miles) and to the northern parts of the park a bit farther. Numerous lay-bys and small car parks provide short walks into viewpoints and trailheads.

• Aim for early morning or late afternoon to avoid the busiest coach and day-tripper periods around Balloch, Luss and Balmaha; these quieter hours also give better light for photos on the loch and on popular short hikes like Conic Hill.
• Use public transport where possible - trains to Balloch or Arrochar & Tarbet and frequent local buses into the park dramatically reduce parking headaches at popular car parks, especially on summer weekends.
• If you want solitude head for the less-visited northern and western parts of the park (e.g., Glen Coe-facing valleys and remote shorelines) rather than the south-eastern shorelines around Balmaha and Luss, which concentrate most visitors.
• Check the National Park visitor centres (Balloch and others) for seasonal trail closures, recommended routes and boat timetables - planning routes around scheduled ferry/boat services can save long detours and queues.