Setting Sail
Experience the health benefits of being on or around water with exciting and scenic loch cruises
CAN you really say you’ve explored Loch Lomond and the Trossachs properly if you’ve never actually been on one of the National Park’s lochs? There are several cruise operators on-hand to help you get that unique perspective from the sparkling waters with a variety of guided tours.
Cruise Loch Lomond does what it says on the tin, providing daily trips around the largest expanse of fresh water in the UK – 71 sq km (27.5 square miles) – from various departure points.
“Visitors love the serenity and the scenery,” says director Stuart Cordner. “We have a big push at the moment on ‘blue health’, a movement which promotes the amazing health benefits you can get from being on or around water.”
With this operator, you can choose from serene cruises to soak up the fascinating landscape or a more adventurous trip with a stop-off on one of the loch’s many islands.
“Our most popular cruise for kids is the one to Inchcailloch – I call it the Famous Five island, because it’s perfect for some Enid Blyton-style exploring. There’s an old graveyard, a coffin valley, fantastic beaches and lovely walks.” Choose to set sail from either Tarbet, Luss, Inversnaid, Balmaha or Rowardennan – and you can also customise your trip with different drop-off and pick-up points.
The company’s fleet of seven vessels all have toilet facilities and an on-board bar with tea and coffee.
At the southern end of the loch, visitors to the Loch Lomond Shores shopping centre in Balloch can take a trip with Sweeney’s Cruise Co, which also offers daily boat tours, operating from the Shores’ visitor centre.
“We have a big push at the moment on blue health
They host a 50-minute exploration of the southern end of the loch or, if you fancy a more leisurely approach, sit back and relax on the two-hour Island Discovery cruise that weaves between the islands that mark the Highland Boundary Fault.
Sweeney’s also operates evening sunset cruises and private charters. And you might recognise the dulcet tones of the onboard audio commentary – it was recorded by historian and TV presenter Neil Oliver.
Rivalling its larger neighbour for stunning scenery, Loch Katrine is a fantastic destination for boat tours – and although the much-loved 120-year-old steamship Sir Walter Scott is being renovated, daily tours of Scots author Sir Walter Scott’s favourite loch are provided by Lady Of The Lake and Rob Roy III.
“This is a truly magical place,” says Loch Katrine CEO James Fraser. “It’s one of Scotland’s best days out, embracing some spectacular scenery in a safe and relaxing wilderness environment.”
All cruises leave from the Trossachs Pier at the south-east end of Loch Katrine. You can book a circular trip or combine the cruises with your own on-shore adventures, with drop-off and pick-up at Stronachlachar.
“A family favourite is hiring a bike at Katrinewheelz at Trossachs Pier and taking a one-hour cruise to Stronachlachar Pier before having a snack and cycling back along the North Shore Road.”
There’s also an abundance of wildlife to see from the boat deck – look out for ospreys fishing for trout and otters frolicking on the banks as you glide by.
The lochs are the beating heart of Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park, so don’t miss the opportunity to set sail and reap the blue health benefits of skimming across their surfaces.