Where did we go?
Loch Katrine Eco Lodges
Trossachs Pier, Loch Katrine, Callander, FK17 8HZ
Tel: 01877 376315
Email: enquiries@lochkatrine.com
Prices: From £40.00 per night, per lodge
Our stay
We set off mid-morning on the Thursday before Good Friday, car packed full with camping and walking gear and headed up to Scotland for our annual Easter road trip.
Amazingly the traffic remains on our side and in a couple of hours we’re pulling up at Tebay, by far the best services in the UK. We eat an early lunch before heading back to the car to continue the drive north to Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park.
We cross the border and arrive at Loch Katrine around 4. We park up and receive a warm welcome when we go to collect our keys. We’re are shown over to our Lodge by a friendly member of staff who explains how things work and fills us in on the local area.
All 8 eco lodges overlook Loch Katrine and have been named after either local peaks or lochs. We discover that we’re staying in Ben Venue and waste no time settling in.
Inside the lodges
There are 2 different styles of lodges at Loch Katrine, including the ‘Ben’ lodges that we stayed in that sleep up to 4, and the larger ‘Loch’ lodges which sleep 2 – 4 and include a toilet and shower room.
All of the lodges are set within an attractive landscaped area over-looking the loch and have their own wooden deck, outdoor seating and picnic benches. Ben Venue Eco Lodge that we stayed in, is located right next to the toilet block, which meant night time trips to the bathroom were thankfully not too arduous.
The kitchen area includes a sink and running water, as well as a small fridge, microwave, toaster and a kettle. The Ben lodges can sleeo up to 4 (2 adults and 2 children), on a double bed and single bunk beds and I particularly liked the bright colourful Joules bedding that was provided (bedding packs are an extra you’ll need to arrange).
On arrival we found a little welcome hamper including some basics like breakfast cereal and a loaf of bread. The lodge itself was very cosy indeed and we used the bunk beds as a storage area and followed the simple instructions in our welcome booklet to convert the seating area into a large double bed.
The immediate area looked so beautiful that we didn’t want to delay exploring, so as soon as we’d unpacked the car and had a cuppa, we headed out for a walk and about 2 miles later found a beautiful pebble beach where we sat and watched the sun set. The perfect way to end the first of our 4 nights at Loch Katrine.
Out on Loch Katrine sailing on the Steamship Sir Walter Scott
Guests staying at Loch Katrine Eco Lodges get a 20% discount on sailings on the 118 year old Steamship Sir Walter Scott and we couldn’t resist a cruise down Loch Katrine on her.
Whilst on board we had coffee with a wee dram of Whisky, perfect for warming us up as we steadfastedly refused to move from the deck for the duration of the sailing, despite it being bitterly cold.
Back on dry land, the on-site cafe we’d hope to grab lunch at was closed and under refurbishment, but it will be opening up again soon. Snacks are also available in the main gift shop (I opted for shortbread, naturally) along with a great selection of books, and I couldn’t resist buying one on Scottish folklore.
Out and about
Ben A’an
A stomp up and down Ben A’an won’t take more than 2.5 hours, and whilst it’s a diminutive hill of 454 m, and in typical Scottish fashion is dismissed as an ‘easy walk’, it’s pretty steep in places.
From the summit you gain a whole new persepctive as you look out over Loch Katrine and Ben Venue.
Despite that, it’s easy to find your way as the path is clear all the way to the top, and whilst it’s not a long or demanding walk, it’s enough to blow away the cobwebs and from the summit you gain a whole new persepctive as you look out over Loch Katrine and Ben Venue.
Although we had made plans to start with Ben A’an and then tackle Ben Lomond the following day. Overnight snow convinced us that Ben Lomond probably wasn’t the best idea given the conditions, so we opted for more forest and loch-side walks instead.
Queen Elizabeth Forest Park
A 10 minute drive away from Loch Katrine Eco Lodges you’ll find the brilliant Queen Elizabeth Forest Park, with it’s lovely visitor centre and family-friendly cafe with great views out across the park. If you fancy swinging through the trees, it’s here that you’ll also find Go Ape Aberfoyle which makes for a brilliant day out.
We stopped for lunch at the cafe and picked up a map plotting the Three Lochs Forest Drive that we wanted to do.
Three Lochs Forest Drive
Although we generally prefer to explore on foot, the Three Lochs Forest Drive proved irresistible. The drive takes you past Lochan Reòidhte, Loch Drunkie and Loch Achray and includes countless opportunities to park up and explore on foot. Depending on where you choose to park, you’ll find several clearly marked short walking routes to choose from.
Aberfoyle
Aberfoyle is the closest town to Loch Katrine, which we visited a couple of times. If you need supplies, it’s here that you’ll find a decent sized Co-Op for any essentials. We ate a decent meal at the The Faerie Tree Inn there, and If you’re a Gin lover, I can highly recommend Gin Bothy Amertto!
Whilst in Aberfoyle we also visited The Scottish Wool Centre where you can shop for Harris Tweed, tartan and souvenirs, as well as an extensive food and Whisky hall, a cafe and free daily animals shows.
Loch Lomond
After visiting Aberfoyle we took a long meandering and utterly beautiful drive to Inversnaid on the shores of Loch Lomond. A boat happened to arrive just as we parked up, so we hopped on for a short cruise across the loch to Inveruglas and back.
The verdict
The location is picture-perfect and very peaceful, though visitors to the loch seemed strangely curious about the lodges, frequently wandering over to have a look and ask questions. The Eco Lodges themselves are beautiful and contain all you’ll need for a glamping break.
The landscape is an ever changing delight, with breathtaking beauty at every turn.
This is our third year running returning to Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National Park and we loved Loch Katrine. With the snow-covered peaks of Ben Venue and Ben Lomond visible depending on where along the loch you are, the landscape is an ever changing delight, with breathtaking beauty at every turn.
Although we didn’t hire bikes, the road that runs beside Loch Katrine is perfect for a chilled out bike ride, and a sail on the loch is also a must. There are so many amazing places to walk, so many hills and mountains to climb, that this is an area you can easily spend a week or more in, and the fact we keep returning to the region is testament to just how beautiful and how much there is to do and see here.
The location is breatktaking, the staff were all helpful and friendly and the standard of accommodation is high, making Loch Katrine Eco Lodges the perfect choice for a family holiday or romantic couples glamping break.
Need to know
- Altough there is free WiFi it’s not great, so don’t rely on it and bear in mind too that there’s no phone signal
- The kitchen includes mugs, cutlery and crockery, but I’d recommend taking extras with you, for example a sharp knife, scissors, spatula etc
- I’d also recommend taking a camp stove with you if you want to do any proper cooking whilst you’re there, but make sure you use it outside
- The area is very peaceful and fairly remote, it’s a 15 minute drive to the nearest shop in Aberfoyle
- Kayaking on Loch Katrine is only allowed with express permission from the land owners
- Both Ben A’an and Ben Venue are very close, you can even walk to the start of the trails from the site
- If you fancy a longer cruise on the Steamship Sir Walter Scott, the 2 hour cruise leaves at 10:30am only
- Don’t forget to order your bedding pack in advance
- If you stay in a Ben lodge you’ll need to use the shared bathroom facilities (which were spotless), so just like you would at a campsite, I’d recommend taking flip flops, towel and bathrobe and for night time trips to the loo, a head torch will come in handy
Find out more
- Loch Katrine Eco Lodges
- Queen Elizabeth Forest Park
- Three Lochs Forest Drive
- Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National Park
- Go Ape Aberfoyle
- The Faerie Tree Inn
- Katrine Wheelz bike hire
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