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Loch Lomond

Loch Earn

A seven-mile loch on the eastern edge of the national park, between Lochearnhead and St Fillans, known for watersports and trout.

Welcome

Loch Earn stretches for nearly seven miles along the eastern edge of the Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park, a long, narrow freshwater loch between steep wooded hills, with a village at each end.

Lochearnhead, at the western tip, is the busy one, a hub for people who come to be out on the water; St Fillans, at the eastern end, is quieter.

The calm, open water makes it one of the best lochs in Scotland for watersports, and there is wakeboarding, kayaking and paddleboarding from the shore. It is also one of the country's best-known trout lochs, with brown and rainbow trout and Arctic char fished under permit from mid-March to early October. Roads run along both shores, and lochside paths make for gentle walking, while Dundurn Hill and the long climb of Ben Vorlich above the south shore give bigger days and bigger views. In autumn, when the woods turn gold and the mist lies on the water, it is at its loveliest.

Before you go

Loch Earn lies between Lochearnhead, on the A84 north of Callander, and St Fillans on the A85 west of Comrie.

Fishing permits are needed from mid-March to early October.

Length
Nearly seven miles.
Villages
Lochearnhead and St Fillans.
Fishing
Permits, mid-March to early October.

Did you know

A wooden jetty with benches extends into a calm loch near Wildwoodz, a mist-covered hill rising above autumn trees on the far shore.
Did you know

Two villages, two moods.

Lochearnhead at the west end is a hub for active visitors; St Fillans at the east end is quieter.

A wooden jetty extends into a still loch near Wildwoodz, autumn-coloured trees fading into mist on the far shore.
Did you know

Water for sport.

Its calm, open water makes Loch Earn a favourite for wakeboarding, kayaking and paddleboarding.

A wooden jetty with mooring pontoons extends into a still loch near Wildwoodz, autumn-coloured woodland reflected in the water.
Did you know

A famous trout loch.

It is one of Scotland's best-known trout lochs, with brown and rainbow trout and Arctic char.

A wooden jetty stretches into a still loch near Wildwoodz, autumn trees fading into mist beneath a cloud-covered hillside.
Did you know

Arctic char.

Arctic char, a fish left behind by the ice age, live in the loch alongside the trout.

A wooden jetty extends into a calm loch near Wildwoodz, a mist-covered hill rising above autumn-coloured trees on the far shore.
Did you know

Big views above.

Dundurn Hill and Ben Vorlich rise above the loch for longer climbs with wide views.

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Where it is

Between Lochearnhead and St Fillans, Perthshire.

Close byOn Loch Earn.
  1. A long loch among the hills from the slopes of Ben Vorlich.Ben VorlichThe shapely Munro above Loch Earn, climbed from Ardvorlich on a clear path, with rougher Stuc a' Chroin beside it.Under a mile 2 min by road
  2. Balquhidder parish church and the ruined old kirk among trees, from the air.Balquhidder Parish ChurchThe kirk at the foot of Balquhidder Glen, where Rob Roy MacGregor lies beside the ruin of the old church of 1631.6 miles 10 min by road
  3. The Broch Café's carved wooden sign above spring daffodils.The Broch CafeA family café on Strathyre's Main Street and the cycle route, with Italian coffee and fresh food, closed on Wednesdays.7 miles 12 min by road
  4. Loch Voil among trees and hills in the Braes of Balquhidder.Loch Voil and Loch DoineTwo lochs in the Braes of Balquhidder, Rob Roy's country, with his grave at the kirk at the foot of Loch Voil.9 miles 13 min by road
  5. Loch LubnaigLoch LubnaigA long, quiet loch below Ben Ledi between Callander and Strathyre, with the Rob Roy Way along its shore.9 miles 14 min by road
  6. The Falls of Dochart tumbling over rocks through Killin.Falls of DochartRapids pouring under the old bridge at Killin, with the MacNab chiefs' burial island in the river.10 miles 17 min by road
Directions
Village nestled among green fields and hills under a cloudy skyAttractionsBreadalbane10 miles
Small stone hexagonal hut with slate roof on a grassy knollAttractionsThe Earthquake House10 miles
A Highland calf walks across a lawn before a pink harled house, a stone wall and outbuilding visible behind.BalquhidderMonachyle MhorPlace to stay · 10 miles
Red-fronted shopfront with "Hansen's Kitchen" sign above an open doorwayRestaurantsHansen's Kitchen11 miles
Straight road through misty fields with grazing cattle in the distanceAttractionsKillen11 miles
The ivy-covered ruin of Finlarig Castle among trees.AttractionsFinlarig Castle11 miles
Suie Hunting Lodge, Loch LomondLuibSuie Hunting LodgePlace to stay · 12 miles
Rusted Nissen huts with white gables stand in a grass field under grey skyAttractionsCultybraggan Camp12 miles
White water pouring over rocks at the Falls of Leny.AttractionsFalls of Leny13 miles
The Daily for 18 October, from Scotland with love. Golden-hour light catches a shadowed mountain above a loch, rust-coloured moorland in the foreground

The Daily

Arrives at 5am every day.

A free morning email to see what’s on this week, catch up on what’s happening in Scotland and find somewhere new to go.

Stay nearby

Places to stay near the loch, and when each is next free.

Suie Hunting Lodge, Loch LomondSuie Hunting Lodge
  • To stay
  • In Luib
  • 9 miles from Loch Earn
Check datesA Highland calf walks across a lawn before a pink harled house, a stone wall and outbuilding visible behind.Monachyle Mhor
  • To stay
  • In Balquhidder
  • 9 miles from Loch Earn
Check datesA grand stone mansion with multiple gables and chimneys stands behind a lawn set with wicker chairs, seen through overhanging leaves.Cromlix
  • To stay
  • In Kinbuck
  • 15 miles from Loch Earn
Check datesA landscape view of Whitehill on its hill: the steadings, the farmhouse and its red-roofed wing in low sun across a field of young crop.Whitehill Farm House
  • Sleeps 8
  • In Auchterarder
  • 19 miles from Loch Earn
Free 19–23 OctPlaces to stayEvery stay in Loch LomondAll our places to stay nearby, to search by date and by who is coming.See them all
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