This walk is part of the trek The West Highland Way.
This 3rd section of the West Highland Way (WHW) goal is to walk up to Loch Lomond. You start by increasingly going up a beautiful forest, where you can spot incredible views of the loch. On the way, go past waterfalls coming from Ben Lomond. As soon as you get back along the lochside, follow it for quite a while, along paths going up and down and in between rocks. A brief climb between two beautiful hills and one way downhill towards Inverarnan to finish this stage.
Calculated time: 7h35[?] 
Distance : 22.6km
Vertical gain : 387m
Vertical drop : 388m
Highest point : 143m
Lowest point : 13m 
Difficulty : Difficult
Back to starting point : No
Walking
Area : Loch Lomond and The Trossachs 
Location : Stirling
Starting point : N 56.149233° / W 4.641063° 
Ending point : N 56.330753° / W 4.717056° Start : Rowardenann Hotel (G63 0AR)
The official WHW waymark to follow: waypost with the "iconic little logo of a thistle with arrows on either side" + waypost - waymark with a yellow arrow when there is a change in direction."
(D) Walk North on the road then follow a path parallel on the right side.
(1) When you reach a car park, turn right towards the youth hostel. Leave a small building on your left-hand side and follow a shady wide path. Join the loch again and carry on North.
(2) When you get to a Y junction, take the wide path right (the one on the left brings you to the youth hostel). At the following Y junction, turn left. Further along, ignore on your right a "B&B" access and carry straight on the wide path. Cross over a river and carry on in the wood along the wide path. Soon you join the lochside again and go straight for almost 2Km.
(3) At a Y junction (private access on the left), take the path right, go past an iron gate and go uphill. Reach the junction with two WHW available paths. "N.B. The location of the junction is not accurate on the OpenStreetMap."
(4) Here, two options are available. They both join waypoint (7) :
- Follow the low road down, as the signpost indicates,
- Follow the high road, as it is on the map and described here. So, take to the right on the good path which goes up into the woods. The incline is constant and moderate. Go through the forest of oaks, then reach the flat part, a pine forest.
(5) A few meters on the left, spot a beautiful viewpoint of the loch. (Bench)Then, carry on the good path which goes down a forest with a mix of oaks and birch trees.
(6) Ignore a path on the left and carry on a light climb. Go downhill and later on find the other route that could have chosen coming from the left ("Here, again, the OpenStreetMap layer is not accurate.")
(7) Carry on going downhill. Cross a river then go up and down. Join the Lochside again then cross the river using the footbridge. Cross another footbridge to cross Cailness Burn.
(8) As soon as you reach the end of the footpath, walk diagonally left and cross a space where the ferns are abundant. Walk up tone stairs made of stone. Cross several boardwalks and alternate between long climbs and downhill, while staying close to the lochside. Past an information board about the Great Trossachs Path, cross Arklet Water using a gateway (waterfall). Go down the stairs on the left to reach Inversaid Hotel.
(9) Leave the hotel on your right-hand side and diagonally cross the car park left to find the WHW waymark. Start on the good path, past a water treatment plant and Inversnaid National Reserve information board.
(10) Go round the right of a boathouse, go diagonally left and use a footbridge. After another footbridge, the path goes between rocks and roots. Go past the bottom of the cliffs and reach a junction (here you can take a quick detour towards Rob Roy's Cave.)
(11) Carry on the path right. Stay close to the loch on the winding gravel path which alternates between going up and down. This part can feel quite boring...
(12) Go up a wooden ladder then a footbridge to cross a waterfall. Then carry on the path on the riverside.
(13) The path leaves the lochside and carries straight on in the wood. Slowly go up between the small Creag a Mhadaig hills on the left-hand side and bigger on the right hand. Leave the wood and walk on flat ground. Go downhill leaving two old buildings on the left-hand side.
(14) Reach back the lochside. Carry on the path and cross a few rivers.
(15) Leave the lochside again and start going uphill. Cross a footbridge. As soon as you crossed a wooden stile, reach a junction.
(16) Carry straight on towards Inverarnan. Walk along a wall made of stones and carry on going uphill : first, it is quite a steep incline then it becomes more moderate.
(17) Reach a flat bit and cross a few wetlands (boardwalks). Leave a pond on your left-hand side (Dubh Lochan).
(18) Past a few ruins and start the last descent. Past under a powerline and carry on going downhill. Cross Ben Glas Burn and quickly reach Beignglas Farm (A).
Waypoints :
D : km 0 - alt. 23m - Loch Lomond
1 : km 0.25 - alt. 18m - Parking
2 : km 0.76 - alt. 21m - Y-Junction
3 : km 2.5 - alt. 27m - Y-Junction
4 : km 3.08 - alt. 40m - Two options : bottom route or higher route
5 : km 4.95 - alt. 143m - Viewpoint of the loch - Loch Lomond
6 : km 6.24 - alt. 60m - Junction
7 : km 7.28 - alt. 65m - Junction where bottom route or higher route join
8 : km 9.12 - alt. 19m - Cailness
9 : km 11.97 - alt. 17m - Inversnaid Hotel
10 : km 12.54 - alt. 21m - Boat House
11 : km 13.37 - alt. 31m - Rob Roye's Cave access
12 : km 16.35 - alt. 30m - Ladder
13 : km 16.91 - alt. 24m - Deviation from the loch side
14 : km 18.24 - alt. 19m - Loch Lomond
15 : km 18.84 - alt. 16m - Start of the climb
16 : km 19.04 - alt. 29m - Junction
17 : km 19.89 - alt. 94m - Flat
18 : km 21.07 - alt. 102m - Ruins
A : km 22.6 - alt. 13m
Gears :
Waterproof walking shoes. Waterproof gears. Warm clothes depend on how you handle the cold. Spray against midges.
Terrain :
This walk is relatively simple to follow and the route is well-signed at the junctions. An OS Explorer map is recommended or route on a smartphone. (Think about downloading your map offline before departure.)
Food and drink :
Take water and food with you from the start.
(11) Inversnaid Hotel : hotel-pub-restaurant. Tel : + 44 - (0)1 877 386 223.
(A) Beinglas Farm : snacks available
Accommodation at the end of the walk (A)
- Beinglas Farm. Tel : + 44 - (0)1 301 704 281. Pub-restaurant and campsite.
- Drovers Inn, if you wish more comfort and a warm pub atmosphere. The B&B is located around 700m further : at Beinglas Farm, take the minor road on the left and cross the bridge over Falloch river, then follow the road left A82 until you reach the B&B. Tel : + 44 - (0)1 301 704 234. Pub-restaurant.
Walk translated by Delphinium originally from the French author Netra
Visorando and this author cannot be held responsible in the case of accidents or problems occuring on this walk.
- Several viewpoints of Loch Lomond along the way
- Beautiful perspectives of the elevations surrounding the loch on its left side (Ben Lomond massif)
- Several waterfalls and streams
- At waypoint (11), detour to Rob Roy's Cave, the cave where, recording the legend, there was hiding the outlawed Robert Roy McGregor (1661-1734).
2.3km
+21m
-21m
0h45
Easy
Starting point in Argyll and Bute An easy walk around the pretty conservation village of Luss, famous for having been the setting for the successful TV soap ‘High Road’. This walk encompasses it’s sandy beach, the Luss Water and a quiet woodland containing remnants of a former slate quarry.
16.03km
+671m
-665m
6h30
Difficult
Starting point in Argyll and Bute A challenging high-level loop beneath the Arrochar Alps, beginning and ending at Succoth car park. On a clear day enjoy fantastic close-up views of the surrounding mountains, including The Cobbler, Beinn Narnain and Beinn Ime, returning via Glen Loin.
4.78km
+95m
-91m
1h40
Moderate
Starting point in Argyll and Bute This walk is like a treasure hunt. This walk goes through the woodlands and valley bottom before enjoying a nice waterfall. However, if you do wish to explore the caves (Glen Loin), you will need some balance and awareness.
3.74km
+303m
-303m
1h55
Moderate
Starting point in Stirling Conic Hill (361 m) forms part of the popular West Highland Way and as such is a busy little peak! The path is very well used, so navigation is easy, with a little scrambling over scree necessary close to the top. This is the perfect hill for a beginner or for a day when you only have a few hours to spare. The views are spectacular all the way!
33.45km
+651m
-650m
11h25
Difficult
Starting point in Stirling The West Highland Way is the most established of Scotland’s long distance walking routes. This is the second of a five stage route, staying at prebooked accommodation along the way.
11.64km
+883m
-884m
5h50
Difficult
Starting point in Argyll and Bute Ben Vane is the smallest of the 282 Munros and it is renowned for its many false summits which lure you into a false sense of achievement! In clear weather you will be rewarded with extensive views across the Arrochar Alps, Loch Sloy, Loch Lomond and far beyond across the peaks of the southern Highlands.
28.91km
+671m
-644m
10h10
Difficult
Starting point in Argyll and Bute This half of The Three Lochs Way is strenuous but the scenery makes it all worthwhile! Loch Long is your companion for the majority of the route and you also get glimpses of Loch Lomond and The Gareloch: the three lochs which give this long distance walk it’s name. This is The Three Lochs Way Day 1.
For more walks, use our search engine.
The GPS track and description are the property of the author.
