Kinlochard and the Crannog

Kinlochard and the Crannog is a 7.5-mile loop on forest tracks west and south of Loch Àrd. It reaches Couligarten Bay for a view of a small crannog, then returns through the woods with the loch and Ben Lomond below. Allow 3–4 hours. The tracks are mostly well graded and the climbs are gentle, so this is a long but easy-going walk.

From Kinlochard forest car park, return to the road and follow the private track past the sailing-club turn and Blairhullichan. At Strathard, turn left after the white corrugated-iron house and vehicle barrier, then continue through rhododendron and native woodland. The route opens at Couligarten Bay; take the short descent to the shore for a clearer view of the crannog, left of the larger Eilean Gorm. The track stays above the water after that, with a seat at a corner for another look.

At the T-junction, turn left for the full loop; right gives a shorter return to the outward track. The full route climbs through several forest-track forks to the Statue Labour Road cycle route, crosses Bad Dearg, and reaches a bench looking down Loch Àrd toward Ben Lomond. Turn right at the crossroads signed for Kinlochard and keep right at the downhill fork to rejoin your outward track. The route isn’t waymarked, and the smaller shortcut path has become overgrown. Dogs may accompany you under the Scottish Outdoor Access Code; keep them close around wildlife and livestock.