Stronachlachar Pier

Stronachlachar Pier is a small ferry terminal at the western end of Loch Katrine, with a car park and The Pier Cafe beside the water. It is a useful stop if you want the loch's atmosphere without signing up for a hill walk, and the starting point for a boat-and-walk day. The pier is calm and scenic rather than a destination that needs hours on its own. One important map-reading detail: this is not Trossachs Pier at the other end of the loch. The two are connected by boat, but the road journey between them takes about 45 minutes.

The historic steamship Sir Walter Scott has served Loch Katrine since 1900 and still makes Stronachlachar part of its cruise route. Seasonal sailings make the pier a good place to arrive by boat and walk or cycle back toward Trossachs Pier, or do the route in reverse. The lochside route is about 13 to 14 miles, with a few short steep sections and roughly four and a half to five and a half hours on foot. It follows a minor road that is closed to most vehicles, so it feels more like a long waterside outing than a roadside stroll. Book a place for your bike on the boat ahead of time.

From the jetty or café, look along the loch toward Glengyle at its head, with Factor's Island among the named features on the water. The hills and shoreline change character quickly with the weather. The road around Loch Katrine dates to the water-supply scheme that began sending water to Glasgow in 1859; Queen Victoria opened the scheme. For the best pier photograph, keep the jetty in the foreground and the long line of the loch and hills behind it. The view of Royal Cottage is better from the cruise than from the landing.

Come via the B829 from Aberfoyle; Stronachlachar is about 11 miles from town. Parking beside the pier is charged and cash-only, so bring notes and coins. The Pier Cafe offers sit-in or takeaway food, indoor and outdoor seating, and a dog-friendly welcome. General public toilet and accessibility details are not clearly published, so check before relying on a particular facility. If you are here for a cruise, check the seasonal timetable and pre-book rather than treating the pier as a turn-up-and-sail stop.