Parking
Start at the Stronachlachar Pier car park. For the simplest one-way day, leave your car at Trossachs Pier, take the seasonal boat to Stronachlachar, then walk back; both piers have parking.
Overview
About Loch Katrine Shore Walk
Why go
- Waterfalls and the MacGregor burial ground break up the long road walk.
- The seasonal boat link makes a point-to-point day practical.
- Factor’s Isle and Brenachoile Point give the route memorable stops.
Heads up
- At 13.4 miles, it takes most of a day.
- Most of the route follows a private road shared with occasional vehicles and cyclists.
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Loch Lomond & The Trossachs map
Full mapElevation115–185 m
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
Safety
4 active Loch Lomond & The Trossachs alerts
- CautionA82 restriction near Kings House HotelThe A82 is restricted in both directions near Kings House Hotel, Glencoe, because of planned roadworks. - Temporary traffic lights are in place; follow the traffic management.Official details
- ClosureDaytime A827 closure at KillinThe A827 at Killin is closed during the day for roadworks from 28 September through 9 October 2026. - Closure hours: 9:30am to 3:30pm; avoid the route during those hours.Official details
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Loch Lomond & The Trossachs Tour Guide
Your drive to Loch Katrine Shore Walk, narrated.
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National Park. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.
Recorded for this trailhead
Stronachlachar Pier on Loch Katrine0:00 / 0:26
“Up ahead is Stronachlachar Pier at the western end of Loch Katrine, a quiet waterside stop with The Pier Cafe right beside it.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Loch Lomond & The Trossachs Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- The Loch Feeding Loch Katrine
- Glasgow’s Gentle Downhill
- The Voles That Came Back
- Roe in the Woods, Red on the Hill
- 196 audio storiesacross Loch Lomond & The Trossachs’s roads, triggered by GPS as you drive
- Wildlife heatmapsfor Golden Eagle, Red Deer, Mute Swan, and 13 more
- Works offlinemaps, 93 trails, 73 places, and audio download before you lose signal
- CarPlay readysimple controls built for the drive
“Fantastic app with many points of information… It’s great to just turn on while you’re driving and it gives you an audio tour of the national Park. We love it!!!!”
Trail guide
Hiking Loch Katrine Shore Walk
The crossingLoch Katrine Shore Walk is a 13.
Loch Katrine Shore Walk is a 13.4-mile point-to-point route from Stronachlachar Pier to Trossachs Pier, following the private north-shore road around the loch. It is a full half-day of walking, not a short lakeside stroll: allow about five to five and a half hours for repeated short climbs and roughly 180 m of ascent. The payoff is the changing loch view, waterfalls from the bridge crossings and small historic stops along the way. The simplest plan is to take a pre-booked boat west to Stronachlachar, then walk back to Trossachs Pier.
Out of StronachlacharFrom Stronachlachar Pier, follow the road past Hillview Cottage and turn right after it at a…
From Stronachlachar Pier, follow the road past Hillview Cottage and turn right after it at a white gate. The route bends away from the water as it curls around the west end, then rejoins the north shore. Most of the crossing is on a hard-surfaced, private single-track road, so the footing is straightforward, but the distance and short steep rises add up. Expect occasional vehicles and cyclists, especially toward the eastern end.
Small stops along the lochFactor’s Isle appears across a slipway, with its ornamental wall at the water’s edge.
Factor’s Isle appears across a slipway, with its ornamental wall at the water’s edge. The route passes Glengyle House, traditionally identified as Rob Roy MacGregor’s birthplace, and a green boathouse. White-railed bridges look down on several waterfalls; a short path reaches the MacGregor burial ground, whose gravestones date from 1699 to 1800. Farther on, a short spur leads to grassy Brenachoile Point. It’s a good place to stop and look back over the loch. At the Factor’s Isle slipway, include the island and its wall in a photo rather than framing only open water. Loch Katrine also inspired Sir Walter Scott’s The Lady of the Lake; Ellen’s Isle appears near the Trossachs end.
Making the one-way day workThe boat-and-walk connection is seasonal, so check sailings and book before you commit.
The boat-and-walk connection is seasonal, so check sailings and book before you commit. Leaving your car at Trossachs Pier, sailing to Stronachlachar, then walking back avoids a second transfer. Both ends have cafés and picnic areas for before or after the crossing. The road is controlled by Scottish Water and can be restricted during heavy-rain warnings because of landslip risk; check the access notice and obey closed gates. Dogs may accompany walkers under Scotland’s access rules when kept under proper control.
Wildlife
Wildlife in Loch Lomond & The Trossachs
14 sightingsGolden EagleMost seen around 6 PMSighting map
37 sightingsRed DeerMost seen around 7 PMSighting map
100 sightingsMute SwanMost seen around 11 AMSighting map
48 sightingsOspreyMost seen around 6 PMSighting map
24 sightingsEurasian BeaverMost seen around 8 PMSighting map
37 sightingsEurasian Pine MartenMost seen around 7 PMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Loch Lomond & The Trossachs. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
