This is the perfect UK staycation for summer 2021!  Staycations are a lot more popular for good reason; not least because they can be a more eco friendly option for a holiday.  We want to help you plan the perfect UK short break and so have put together a list of the best walks in Loch Lomond! One of the best feelings after a walk is chilling in a hot tub so we have also linked this up with our post that shares some epic dreamy luxury eco friendly lodges with Hot tubs in Loch Lomond.  There really are some awesome hidden gems in loch Lomond There are lots of other activities in and around this area too so you could easily have a longer holiday in Loch Lomond, either way this post will give you lots of ideas and get you excited about a much needed UK break!

If you are planning a holiday in Scotland there are so many new things to do and experience, so we we have put together the 12 best Scotland staycation ideas to help you plane the ultimate getaway!

ooo and If you have any questions please feel free to ask us questions in the comments and we will do our best to help you plan your perfect UK holiday! 

Where is Loch Lomond?

Loch Lomond is a vast and beautiful Loch that is part of the beautiful Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park located just north of Glasgow in Scotland.  The area is part of Southern Scotland and so is very accessible from most areas of the UK.  There are many ways to reach it by both public and private transport.  Walks in loch lomond are regarded as some of the best in Scotland, so to have this area so easy to get to, is a win!

Activities in Loch Lomond 

Loch Lomond is perfect for a Scottish staycation, anything from a short break through to a 2 week adventure holiday.  Although this post is about creating the perfect UK short break combo of stunning walks in Loch Lomond and luxury lodges with hot tubs, you could easily spend much longer enjoying Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park. There are endless stunning and varied Loch Lomond walks, but if you are staying a little longer in Loch Lomond, these are some great activities for adventure and nature lovers! 

Birds of pray centre

Swim in a loch

Drive a tank

Chase waterfalls

TreeZone aerial adventure course

Wakeboard and water ski 

River rappelling adventures

Cycle adventures 

Pony trekking

Loch Lomond boat trips

Can you walk around Loch Lomond?

This is a very popular question and the short answer is yes, but it is about 50km and takes 3 to 4 days and quite a bit of organising.  If you do want to do it, it is recommended by many hiking groups that you start in Balloch, loop past Gareloch and Loch Long and finish at Inveruglas on Loch Lomond’s western shore.

A better idea for most however would be to rent a cosy lodge for a few days to a week and plan several day walks in Loch Lomond.  This gives you more variety and you can tailor it to your own needs and levels.  This is why we have put together 6 of the best walks in Loch Lomond , all of which with beautiful views and are achievable within a day.  If you are looking to tailor the perfect Scotland staycation, then you will want to check out our top picks for Loch Lomond lodges with hot tubs! It really does make for the perfect short break.

Where should i stay in Loch Lomond?

Loch Lomond has many great areas to create a base for your perfect UK short break. It really depends on what walks in Loch Lomond you would like to take and any activities you plan to do. We have pinned the best walk on a map further down to help you get an idea of the area you might want to stay in.  Loch Lomond and the trossachs national park have so many great options in and around the area it does make it hard to choose!  Ranging from remote luxury lodges to simple rooms in little villages on the loch shores.  I don’t think anything beats a good hike in the hills followed by a hearty meal and culling in a hot tub.  So to help you plan your perfect short break, we have also put together a list of some gorgeous Loch Lomond lodges with hot tubs just below the list of great walks in Loch Lomond.

If you have more time and are looking other great places to make up more of a longer Scotland staycation, there are many fun and beautiful options around Scotland. Our friend has written about some of the best Scotland staycations here.

Map of the best Walks in Loch Lomond

We have pinned the starting point of each of these Loch Lomond walks to give you an idea of where they are within the national park. Hope this is super handy for helping you to pick the best area to stay in too.

Click on the pins for more details.

1. Ben A’an from Loch Achray 

Distance: 2.7 miles / 4.5km | 454 meters altitude  

Walk Duration: around 1 hour

Loch Lomond Walk Location: Ben A’an is central east of Loch Lomond and the trossachs national park. See Map Pin 1 

If you’re going to explore walks in Loch Lomond you have to make time for this hike! For such a short hike, the views of the countryside and surrounding Loch is stunning.  We would grade this walk as easy for most.  The terrain is a bit rocky and uneven at points, but nothing you wouldn’t expect from a ben hike in this area.  

2. Conic Hill Walk from Balmaha

Distance: 4 miles / 6.5km | 361 meters altitude  

Walk Duration: 1 to 2 hours

Loch Lomond Walk Location: Conic Hill walk is South east of loch lomond and the trossachs national park. See Map Pin 2

This beautiful Conic Hill walk is very scenic, but there are a few variations.  For the best views and most straight forward walk, we would suggest hiking from Balmaha up Conic Hill.  Conic Hill is a fairly easy walk with a clear path all the way up.  The rising views of the loch make it a very rewarding hike.  It is one of the most popular walks in Loch Lomond, especially with families and dog walkers, so it does get busy during the holidays.  It is a bit of a victim of its only popularity, but still totally worth hiking. Just watch out for those highland cows on the path!

3. Ben Lomond Climb

Distance: 7 miles / 12km | 974 meters altitude  

Walk Duration: 3 to 5 hours

Loch Lomond Walk Location:  Ben Lomond is central and just east of main loch in loch lomond and the trossachs national park. See Map Pin 3

If you’re going to visit Loch lomond, climbing Ben lomond is a bit of a must!  Aside from being iconic, it may actually be the most stunning out of the walks in Loch Lomond! The view of the loch gets progressively better as you trek and conquer this mountainous beauty.  It is a moderate trail and you do need to be reasonable fit, but nothing an experienced hiker should shy away from.  There are endless places to stop and admire the view and as you near the trig point at the summit it really becomes quite a wild and beautiful experience.  Do note this particular hike is one of the most popular walks in Loch Lomond during school holidays.

4. Ben Venue from Loch Achray 

Distance: 7 miles / 10km | 729 meters altitude 

Walk Duration: 4 to 6 hours

Loch Lomond Walk Location: Ben Venue is central east of loch lomond and the trossachs national park. Start in the pass of Achray. See map Pin 4 for the start of this trek.

This is one of the longer day walks in Loch Lomond, but truly worth every step.  We would consider this as a moderate to hard hike, especially if you extend or take one of the more hillside route options.  Depending on how much you want to take in the view and deviate, allow between 4 and 6 hours for this walk.  The path is mostly clear, but there are parts, especially when it gets quite high up and more rocky where the path isn’t quite as clear.  With a little hiking experience this shouldn’t pose any problems.

5. Ben More Crianlarich loop

Distance: 8 miles / 13km | 1,174 meters altitude 

Walk Duration: 4 to 6 hours

Loch Lomond Walk Location: Ben More is to the north of loch lomond and the trossachs national park. Start the walk at Ben More Farm, See Map Pin 5.

Ben More actually just means ‘ big hill’, and this is a fair summary! Ben More is one of the most challenging walks in Loch Lomond, especially if you do it as a loop including Stop Binnein.  The beautiful ridge tops offer epic panoramic views and make for great photos!

Although it is more challenging it is still very achievable for anyone fit and used to hiking.  As it is an exposed ridge top hike, it is especially important to check the weather before hiking this one.

6. Loch Lomond Walk 3 Munro Challenge

Distance: 14 miles / 22km | 1320 meter altitude 

Walk Duration: 6 to 8 hours 

Loch Lomond Walk Location: These 3 Munro’s are located central north of loch lomond and the trossachs national park. Take the trial east bound from Beinglas Campsite – See Map Pin 6.

This Loch Lomond walking challenge is made up of Beinn a’ Chroin, Caisteal and Ben Chabhair. If you like to Bag Munro’s this is the hike for you.  It is arguably the most challenging of the walks in Loch Lomond if you complete it in one day. There are several variations.  Beinn a’ Chroin has several great hikes surrounding it and they vary massively in how challenging they are.  Beinn a’ Chroin  is a picturesque hike in a rugged and rocky wild kind of way.  From Beinglas campsite follow the trail past Beinglas falls and continue east. You will pass Lochan Beinn Chabhair (a small lake). Follow the trail until you reach Beinn Chabhair. Follow the trail northeast to An Caisteal and then finally Beinn a’ Chroin. For fuller information on the variations check out this great hiking website.

Sustainable Tourism In Loch Lomond

Loch Lomond has suffered from Overtourism in the past to some degree.  Due to its location it became a popular spot for people to camp, drink and trash the place.  In response to this there have been some great clean up projects and there are now stricter rules imposed for camping.  Where possible it is best to avoid camping and stay at a local eco friendly lodge.  This is why part of this post is encourage you towards enjoying more of an eco holiday where you walk… and stay in local Loch Lomond lodges with hot tubs, – Ok, the hot tubs aren’t essential, but they are a great touch for making this a perfect eco friendly short break!  Organising a holiday like this way makes for a beautiful nature based eco holiday whilst supporting local small business.

Hiking is arguable the best and most sustainable way to enjoy Scotland, so make sure you take time to research all the best hikes in Scotland. All of these hikes are absolutely perfect for this summer!

As part of your visit please do make sure you are part of a sustainable solution, not just adding to the problem.  The main things to be aware of are well summed up in the countryside code, please be mindful of this when exploring walks in Loch Lomond.

Take only pictures, leave only footprints

Carry all your litter with you and dispose of it responsibly.

Leave gates and property as you find them.

Stick to paths where possible to minimise damage.

Generally just be mindful and responsible! You can check out the full countryside code here.

You can find out more about Loch Lomond’s approach to responsible tourism here on the National Park website.

The BEST Loch Lomond Lodges with hot tubs

From Cosy cabins and lodges to modern stylish glamping pods, we have picked out the best places to stay with hot tubs in Loch Lomond. The are many places to stay during a walking holiday in Loch Lomond, but if you want to make it the perfect UK short break, splash out a bit more and book yourself somewhere with a hot tub! I say splash out, some of the ones we have found are surprisingly cheap! To us this really is the perfect staycation, it just doesn’t get better than enjoying the best walks in Loch Lomond and the recovering and relaxing in a hot tub underneath the stars.