We loved the convenience of beach-front rental and the thorough guidance they provided for…read morenavigating the loch. Luss is an adorable town and exploring Loch Lomond by kayak made the whole experience all the better. Reasonable prices too!

On our drive to Ben Nevis and the Isle of Skye, we stopped here for a few minutes to stretch our…read morelegs. I should have worn my jacket. It may be summer to the Scottish folks, but to this Florida girl, my teeth were chattering. That breeze off the loch was numbingly cold. We walked around for a good bit, reaching the waters edge, to touch the coolness and watch the bots on the waves. It was a peaceful time of day. Not too many folks out yet, but you could tell (it was a holiday weekend) that they'd be out in force soon. Kayaks and boats, water sports equipment is all for hire, this place is absolutely gorgeous.

Beautiful lake in the Trossachs area of the Highlands. We came on an extremely cold day or we would…read morehave taken a boat tour. Pretty area to hike or bike around. The tiny gift shop has hot tea served by a friendly staff.

If ever I needed encouragement at the mid-point of a challenging, torturously hilly 32 mile cycle,…read morethen catching sight of Loch Katrine was it. The Aberfoyle/Dukes Pass/Loch Katrine loop we tackled was a beautiful, scenic route and any difficult climbs paid off in the abundance of awe-inducing views as we came soaring back down. Loch Katrine was a definite highlight for me. She's a beauty and well-worth the visit whether you're planning on biking, walking or taking a trip on the flagship Sir Walter Scott steamship which we were lucky enough to catch sight of. Cyclists, this whole area in general is just great and this route has been my favourite so far. The hills are tough but coming down them is genuinely breath-taking. I definitely want to return to Aberfoyle again and do all kinds of lovely touristy things. Visiting Loch Katrine will definitely be one of them.

Loch Lomond Shores is a small shopping complex mainly aimed at tourists so you will find an…read moreoverload of tartan and shortbread on offer here. There's a few stores including; -Jenners -Catherine Kinloch -Misty Glen -Edinburgh Woollen Mill -Thorntons -Julien Graves ...So it's not the kind of place you could go on a shopping spree but it caters for tourists and is a pleasant place to browse. In addition to the shopping centre there's also a Sea Life Centre and if you're looking for some activities then you can hop on the loch for a spot of canoeing or paddle boating. Like Gavin, I find it a little odd that there's a complete lack of place to eat apart from a small cafe attached onto Jenners and a restaurant with the worst looking menu I've ever seen.

Ugh, I clearly made an error in planning to launch my exploration of Loch Lomond from this site…read more It's a tourist-choked amusement park. Besides restaurants and an aquarium (to which I'll give a pass), they have paddleboats and a "retail crescent." They do offer some legitimate services for exploring the park, such as kayak and mountain-bike rentals. On the upside, the park service has a large visitor center here which serves as a gateway to Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park. What I really wanted to do was hike around the vicinity above the lake, since I didn't have time enough in my day to climb Ben Lomond. I got plenty of pamphlets and then got the hell out to drive up the west side of the lake towards Luss.

Well it's easy for me to give this loch 5 stars because it is one of my very favourite places to…read morevisit! I've walked the paths and roads around here over many years and I learnt to drive on some of them too. This is the largest of a group of reservoirs in this area and named after the engineer Robert Thom (1774 - 1847). He designed the scheme to create this reservoir which has provided Greenock with water since 1827. A wonderful place to take a walk - you won't meet many people either. There are two nearby cafes and a large free car park. Video link: http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=AGNIjq-60ns

A hidden gem which your Julia Donaldson loving little ones will love to visit!…read moreWe call this Gruffalo Wood because of the Gruffalo-themed carvings dotted near the entrance of the Loch. The Loch itself is fairly small, taking only 15-20 mins to walk around. There is lots of nature and wildlife to explore here from toadstools to frogs to wild raspberries to dragonflies... We met a particularly large, and bold, swan today whilst feeding the ducks! On our last visit we stumbled across hundreds and hundreds of baby frogs migrating across the pathway to the Loch. This has become a regular location for us to visit with our little Julia Donaldson fan. There is a play park at the far end of the Loch from the little car park off Kilmardinny Avenue and if you need something to eat or liquid refreshments after your walk there is a recently opened Waitrose with a lovely cafe minutes away by car or foot!

We visited here after discovering Gruffalo Wood through Ali's review :)…read more My friend was visiting with her 6 and 3yr old girls and we took A in his pram. We really enjoyed walking round the loch in the sunshine, the path is pretty easy going for littles and the pram alike, and there are a few places to stop along the way and see the ducks or discover the awesome carvings. We couldn't find the play park, perhaps a little sign would help, but we asked someone and soon found the little path leading up to it. There were some different play areas to explore including an awesome rope swing that the adults enjoyed too! We had a great, free day out and it worked well to tire out the kids. Would highly recommend.

An attractive small reservoir right beside the road between Largs and Loch Thom. You can park on…read morethe roadside or in the adjacent car park (just north of the reservoir). There is also a picnic area, and some moorland trails you can follow on foot. I'm told it's a good spot for birdwatching too but I only stopped to photograph the reservoir itself. You can only get here by car unless you are a very good walker. (The reservoir isn't shown on the Google map, unfortunately, but the arrow is in the right place because I put it there!)

Take the ferry to Inchimahome Priory. This priory is part of Historic Scotland. Ferry sits 12…read morepeople. Get there early as the last ferry is 4:15pm. The Priory is good. Read the signs and see the Abbey and ruins. Take a walk around the island. Last ferry leaves island at 5pm. Enjoy it!

Officially named as two reservoirs although one flows into the other. They are located east of Loch…read moreThom in Inverclyde in the hills above Greenock and one of my favourite places to visit. There is a rough track on the southern banks which you can drive along and there are a few parking bays overlooking the water. The views are beautiful of the reservoirs, the hills on the other side and the forest to the south. The nearest cafe and other facilities can be found at the Cornalees Bridge Centre on the other side of Loch Thom. A marvellous place for a walk and well worth a visit all year round.

16 miles south of Oban, this remote and beautiful sea loch is well worth a visit…read more It's a wonderful place for hill walking and cycling. There are peaceful beaches to stroll along too and a few restaurants, hotels and pubs not far away. This is an area of stunning natural beauty, teeming with wildlife sometimes you'll see otters, seals and porpoises swimming in the loch. Perfect for birdwatching too. There are wonderful views from the top of the surrounding hills over the Sound of Jura and many small islands. Highly recommended! From Oban you'll need the A816 south to Kilmelford. Then turn right to Degnish for nearly 2 miles. there are signs for Melfort Pier and Harbour.