Total distance – 6.5 kilometres

Ascent – 120 metres

Walking conditions – Mainly tarmac paths. Gravel/soil footpath adjacent to Loch Lomond can be muddy or even submerged during particularly wet weather. Otherwise accessible by buggy.

Time required – Around 2 to 3.5 hours

Balloch is one of our favourite places. It’s a small yet bustling town sitting in one of Scotland’s most picturesque landscapes. There’s loads for the children to do so it’s always a popular choice of destination.

Park at Loch Lomond Shores Shopping Centre. The only down-side about parking here is that you might end up abandoning your walk and instead go shopping, visit Sea Life (watch out for two-for-one offers otherwise it’s quite expensive), or go for a coffee and soft play at the Tourist Information Centre. You can even visit the Maid Of The Loch paddle steamer.

The route really starts just beyond Sea Life. Take the path going North East. After about 200 metres you cross a road and  the path bends off to the right and follows the River Leven for a few hundred metres. You then cross the road bridge and turn left to take the path at the river’s edge. From then on in it’s basically a big loop around Balloch Country Park. We usually do it in an anti-clockwise direction. This involves an easy ascent along tarmac paths past Balloch Castle (great spot for a picnic). The path then leads you down along the edge of Loch Lomond. Keep walking until you get to the road bridge you previously crossed. Return via the same route.

Route