Trossachs Pier

Trossachs Pier is the main visitor and cruise hub at the eastern end of Loch Katrine, set among wooded hills in the heart of the Trossachs. This is where the regular sailings leave, but it is more than a boarding point: there is a cafe, gift shop, cycle hire, motorhome pitches and a short walk up to a panoramic tower. Keep it on your list if you want to make Loch Katrine a proper half-day or full-day outing, rather than just stopping for a look at the water.

The star of the place is the restored steamship Sir Walter Scott, commissioned in 1899 and carrying passengers on Loch Katrine since 1900. Cruises have live commentary and give you the best sense of the loch's scale, with Ben Venue, Ben A'an, Ben Lomond and the wooded islands appearing from the deck when the weather is clear. You can take a circular sailing, travel across the loch to Stronachlachar, or combine the boat with a walk or cycle.

The bigger adventure is the north-shore route between the two piers: about 14 miles on smooth tarmac that is mostly traffic-free, with scenic stops and a few proper climbs. It is a great boat-and-bike day for confident cyclists, but it is not flat. The section at Graveyard Brae is particularly steep, so do not treat the distance as an easy family spin. Book ahead if you are bringing a bike.

Loch Katrine became one of Scotland's great tourist landscapes after Sir Walter Scott set The Lady of the Lake here in 1810. The poem drew visitors into the Trossachs, and the loch later became part of Glasgow's water supply after the Victorian waterworks opened in 1859. The history is still visible in the boats, the islands and the old stories attached to the shoreline.

From the pier, follow the reinstated 188-metre path and boardwalks to Roderick Dhu Scenic Tower. The three-storey lookout opened in 2024 and has two panoramic platforms above the loch, with views towards the surrounding peaks and islands. Roderick Dhu was a historic lookout associated with Rob Roy MacGregor and later became part of the landscape that inspired Scott. For the best photo, climb to the tower and use the loch and hills as your background; from pier level, include the covered landing and a steamer to show what this place is about.

The approach is from Callander via Kilmahog and the A821 through Brig o' Turk, or from Aberfoyle over Duke's Pass. The roads are winding, and the two piers are not interchangeable by car, so choose your arrival point carefully. Cruises run year-round, but sailing times change with the season.

There are public toilets, an accessible toilet, blue-badge bays close to the loch, cafe and toilets, free visitor Wi-Fi, EV charging and a cafe terrace overlooking the boats. The cafe does durable, useful stop food such as pizza, homemade soup, fresh cakes and afternoon tea. The lochside road is smooth for wheelchairs but has gradients; the steamship has upper-deck wheelchair access subject to advance capacity arrangements. Dogs can travel on the boats on a lead and sit on the cafe veranda or patio, but not inside.