The Highlands is known for its many fabulous walking routes, whether they’re the shorter, easier routes like the loop around Loch an Eilien. Or the longer, more strenuous walks like the famed West Highland Way. These walks allow people to truly soak up everything that the Highlands has to offer, from mountains to lochs, views across the North Sea to incredible wildlife.

The West Highland Way

With the longer walks, like the West Highland Way, adventurers must seek out places to stay on their journey. There are a few options; you could camp, and carry your tents with you. Or get a friend to meet you at the end of each day. But, by far the best place to stay on the West Highland Way is in a shepherd’s hut. At Loch Lomond Waterfront, you can stay in one of our shepherd’s huts and enjoy some time glamping.

Shepherd’s Huts – a perfect little home from home

The West Highland Way is a brilliant, but exhausting walk. Nobody wants to haul a tent with them for 96 miles all the way from Milngavie to Fort Williams. And certainly, nobody will want to lay down on a mere roll mat after walking for 8 hours! Luckily, situated between sections 2 and 3 of the West Highland Way, there are three cosy shepherd’s huts.

After exploring the east side of Loch Lomond, staying in a shepherd’s hut at Loch Lomond Waterfront will allow you to truly unwind before carrying on with your exciting adventure. The huts, glamping pods, and chalets take plenty of walkers in as they pass through Balmaha.

Exciting activities along the Way

The site offers walkers the chance to truly appreciate all that Loch Lomond has to offer. The brilliant sparkling waters to visitor hotspots like Inchcailloch Island and Inversnaid RSPB Reserve. No matter what type of thing sparks your interest, there’s bound to be something nearby to excite you. There’s the Loch Lomond Bird of Prey Centre and the TreeZone Aerial Adventure Course to keep you busy too! Who says the walk has to be done as quickly as possible? Take a moment and enjoy the Highlands! There’s even plenty to do on-site, with a private beach, wild swimming, and even deluxe spa treatments.

Relax and unwind

If you’re too worn out to take a trip out to any of the nearby visitor attractions, you can simply enjoy your stay in our shepherd’s hut. Comfortable beds. Soft, luxurious linens and towels. A full en-suite bathroom to clean up after your walk. They’re a little slice of heaven on your long journey through the Highlands. For travellers with canine companions, two of our shepherd’s huts are completely dog-friendly. So even your furry friend can enjoy the fun.

When it comes to dinner time, you can purchase a BBQ, or pop next door to The Oak Tree Inn or Mocha Cafe for incredible food to eat in or take away. And yes, that means you can stock up before the next stretch of your walk!

Stress-free accommodation

Choosing to stay in a shepherd’s hut whilst you journey around the West Highland Way means you’ll be able to enjoy alfresco dining in a private, beautifully designed hut. It also allows you to really rest and recuperate before you continue on your walk. You won’t have to worry about muddying up a hotel room either.

Take all of the stress out of finding accommodation on the West Highland Way and just allow yourself to actually relax with a beautiful backdrop of the Scottish Highlands.

We would love to help make walking the West Highland Way a wonderful experience. Check out our shepherd’s huts and what’s included.

The post Where to stay along the West Highland Way appeared first on Loch Lomond Waterfront.

Looking for dog-friendly holidays in Scotland? Loch Lomond Waterfront is the perfect place to enjoy a luxury break with your four-legged friends. To help you plan your activities, we are taking a look at some of the best things to do with dogs in the Loch Lomond area.

Dog-Friendly Accommodation

We have five dedicated lodges and chalets at Loch Lomond Waterfront that welcome guests and their dogs. Owners can enjoy the luxury facilities of our self-catering accommodation, while dogs will love running free, off the lead, in large parts of our secure 18-acre site. They can swim in the loch, run on the grass and snooze on the patio! Please see our dog-friendly accommodation page for full details. 

Local Walks with Dogs

Within our grounds, away from the direct vicinity of the lodges, your pets can run, swim, nap and play. But there are also several wonderful walks you can take together in the local area. We are based near the village of Balmaha, on the eastern shores of Loch Lomond, a beautiful spot for you to enjoy on holidays with dogs. Here are a couple of our favourite nearby walks:

Balmaha Millennium Forest – A 30-minute walk exploring the local village of Balmaha. 800 acres of Scots pine and other indigenous trees have been planted here, creating a lovely woodland area. The path climbs up to Craigie Fort and then back down Loch Lomond’s rocky edge.

Conic Hill – Conic Hill lies on the Highland Boundary Fault Line. This is quite a steep walk to the top of the hill and takes a couple of hours to complete. You and your dog should be reasonably fit to take this one on. From the summit, you can take in spectacular views of the surrounding areas.

West Highland Way – This is a long-distance route, stretching from Milngavie to Fort William. Stage 2 of the walk, from Dryman to Rowardennan, passes right through Balmaha. This stage is 23 km long and takes up to 7 hours to complete. But you only need to take on a small section of that to enjoy the stunning beauty of the West Highland Way.

For a full list of local walks, see the Walk The Highlands website and our own Walking and Hiking guide. However, be sure to check if your chosen route is suitable for dogs.

Local dog-friendly pubs and cafés

There are a number of places to eat and drink in our local area on your dog-friendly days out. Here are just a few:

The Oak Tree Inn and Mocha Cafe, just next door, offer delicious dining, cakes and coffee. Or you can pop along for a sumptuous breakfast, brunch or lunch. Plus they do takeaway, so you can also grab great food to enjoy on the go. Both offer dog-friendly dining areas.

The Clachan, Drymen – stop for a drink in the oldest registered licensed pub in Scotland. Dogs are welcome in the bar area.

The Cross Keys, Kippen – with the ancient city of Stirling just minutes away, the Cross Keys is the ideal place to stop off on route.

The Old Mill, Killearn – stop for a drink or bite to eat if you’re on route to Glasgow or Glengoyne Distillery, in this traditional old pub.

For a full list of dog-friendly pubs in the area, see the Dugs and Pubs website.

Respecting the local area and staying safe on dog-friendly holidays

At Loch Lomond Waterfront, we ask that you keep dogs on a lead in direct vicinity of the lodges. Please don’t leave pets unattended in your lodge, and please bag and dispose of mess responsibly.

Please also read the Loch Lomond and The Trossachs guide to respecting the park and staying safe and the Scottish Outdoor Access Code for dog walkers, for advice when out and about.

Book your dog-friendly break

So come and stay with us at Loch Lomond Waterfront for luxury dog-friendly holidays in Scotland. With so much to do with your dogs, both on the resort and in the surrounding area! Take a look at our dog-friendly lodges and chalets and book your break today!

The post A dog-friendly guide to Loch Lomond appeared first on Loch Lomond Waterfront.