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Boats moored at a wooden jetty on a tree-lined loch
Loch Lomond

Loch Katrine and the SS Sir Walter Scott

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Linked with such notable figures as Sir Walter Scott, Rob Roy and Queen Victoria, the stunning scenery of Loch Katrine draws visitors from all over the world.

A freshwater loch in the Trossachs, the loch was the setting for the Scott poem ‘The Lady of the Lake’ (and the subsequent Rossini opera) and can be toured via steamship. Its clear water is home to plenty of wildlife, and a 21 km walking and cycle path runs from Trossachs Pier to Stronachlachar.

Bikes can be hired from next to the pier where there is also a bar and restaurant. The loch is also home to the steamship “Sir Walter Scott”, built by Denny’s in Dumbarton and launched in 1899. The vessel was transported in sections by barge and horse drawn cart and re-assembled at Loch Katrine. The steamship sails from Trossachs Pier at the eastern end of the loch to Stronachlachar. You can also book a place for your bicycle if you wish to enjoy the magnificent views from the vessel on the outward leg and cycle back to Trossachs Pier.

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The Daily for 3 November, from Scotland with love. Black cattle graze a fort mound above a river valley, a farmhouse and white cottages scattered among green fields and autumn woodland.
Round the cornerLoch KatrineThe loch of Scott's Lady of the Lake, the birthplace of Scottish tourism and Glasgow's water supply, with a steamer of 1899.1 min by roadSee itLoch Katrine

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  1. The café's white building by the pier, Loch Katrine and the hills beyond through the trees.The Pier CafeThe family café at Stronachlachar at the far end of Loch Katrine, with one of the finest views of any café in Scotland.2 miles 8 min by road
  2. Loch Arklet with the Arrochar Alps rising beyond.Loch ArkletA remote reservoir between Loch Katrine and Loch Lomond, dammed in 1914 to water Glasgow, with the Arrochar Alps beyond.3 miles 9 min by road
  3. Loch Chon among autumn woods, a white house on the far shore.Loch ChonA quiet wooded loch on the Inversnaid road, with a campsite, a seven-mile circuit and a kelpie of legend.6 miles 12 min by road
  4. The Inversnaid falls pouring through green woods into Loch Lomond.Inversnaid WaterfallThe falls of the Arklet Water tumbling into Loch Lomond at Inversnaid, which moved Wordsworth and Hopkins.6 miles 13 min by road
  5. Beinn TulaicheanA Munro of 946 metres above the farm at Inverlochlarig, at the head of Balquhidder Glen, climbed from the road end there.6 miles as the crow flies
Directions
Small boat crossing a loch, framed by autumn branches and hillside treesAttractionsLoch KatrineA step away
AttractionsBeinn a' Chroin6.6 miles
AttractionsAn Caisteal7.3 miles
AttractionsCruach Ardrain7.6 miles
Loch Ard still as glass, reflecting trees and hills.AttractionsLoch Ard9.2 miles
AttractionsBen Vorlich9.4 miles
A wooden footbridge over a burn in the green forest.AttractionsQueen Elizabeth Forest Park11 miles
A white cottage reflected in still water among dark trees near Aberfoyle.AttractionsAberfoyle13 miles
Old gravestones in the kirkyard with the hills beyond.AttractionsAberfoyle Old Parish Church13 miles

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Stay nearby

Places to stay near Loch Katrine and the SS Sir Walter Scott, and when each is next free.

A Highland calf walks across a lawn before a pink harled house, a stone wall and outbuilding visible behind.Monachyle Mhor
  • To stay
  • In Balquhidder
  • 7 miles from Loch Katrine and the SS Sir Walter Scott
Check datesSuie Hunting Lodge, Loch LomondSuie Hunting Lodge
  • To stay
  • In Luib
  • 12 miles from Loch Katrine and the SS Sir Walter Scott
Check datesA stone cottage with a slated roof sits nestled among dense woodland, two paddleboards resting on the lawn in front.Red Squirrel Cottage
  • Sleeps 6
  • In Lochgoilhead
  • 17 miles from Loch Katrine and the SS Sir Walter Scott
Check datesSeal Cabin, Argyll and ButeSeal Cabin
  • Sleeps 2
  • In Lochgoilhead
  • 17 miles from Loch Katrine and the SS Sir Walter Scott
Check datesPlaces 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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The collections it is in and more in Loch Lomond.

CollectionOutlander Filming Locations You Can Visit
More in Loch Lomond