Get to know the lovely Loch Lomond with the very best self-catering holiday cottages near Loch Lomond.
Heading to the lovely Loch Lomond in the Highlands?
Surrounded by rolling hills, footpaths, ancient villages, oak woodlands and charming towns, Loch Lomond is an ideal place for an outdoorsy break. The 36-kilometre loch is based in the centre of the Loch Lomond & Trossachs National Park, which has peaks such as Ben Lomond and Conic Hill, wildlife such as red deer and distilleries, to name but a few attractions.
There’s plenty to keep holidayers of all ages active around the Loch Lomond National Park, whether it’s horse riding, wildlife watching, bird watching, hiking, mountain biking, boating or water sports. Loch Long is only a 25 minutes’ drive away from Loch Lomond, and other gorgeous central Scotland locations are a short drive away too, including the Queen Elizabeth Forest Park, Glasgow and Stirling. Out of all of the gorgeous cottages in Scotland, the following Loch Lomond cottages are some of the most spectacular when it comes to stunning scenery, outdoor sports and exploring Scotland’s big backyard.
The Top 8 Self-Catering Lodges and Cottages Near Loch Lomond
1. The Old Farmhouse (Gartochan, Speyside)
2. Ellanderroch (Drymen, Argyll & The Isles)
3. Gaidrew Cottage (Drymen, Loch Lomond & Trossachs)
4. Sir Walter Scott (Taynuilt, Scotland)
5. Tigh Beag (Balloch, Argyll & The Isles)
6. Strone House (Garelochhead, Loch Lomond & Trossachs)
7. Dunaivon Cottage (Rhu, Argyll & The Isles)
8. Auchentroig House (Buchlyvie, Perthshire)
The Old Farmhouse
Location: Gartocharn, Speyside
Best for: A six-person cottage on the shore of Loch Lomond
Stroll out of the front door of The Old Farmhouse, and you will be greeted by a view of the glittering Loch Lomond. The loch views can be soaked in from the property’s patio, which has a dining table covered by a parasol. However, you might not stay long at the front of the farmhouse-style cottage, instead choosing to rent a kayak from the local farm and experience the water hands-on. Strolls along the water’s edge will grant you yet more breathtaking views. Walk or drive south to Balloch, or continue north along the shore towards Balmaha, where watersports activities and boat trips take place.
The Old Farmhouse sleeps six people, and there’s the added convenience of having no immediate neighbours. The rural lochfront location in Loch Lomond the Trossachs means that the only visitors are a few water birds or passing hikers. Inside the property, there’s a traditional woodburning stove in the living room and a jacuzzi bath in the bathroom, which all add to the cosy atmosphere. If you fancy a drink to celebrate your Loch Lomond and the Trossachs getaway, why not visit one of the whisky distilleries nearby? The closest is based in Deanston. The local farm also runs homebaking activities or tours, making it easy to get the full rural experience.
Facilities: The Old Farmhouse is homely through and through. This atmosphere extends from the woodburning stove, bookcase and smart TV in the living room to the roomy, well-equipped kitchen and dining table. If you don’t fancy sitting outside under the parasol, there are a couple of chairs placed by the window where you can take in the loch views in the main bedroom – over afternoon tea, perhaps. However, the outdoor area is equally as appetising, and kitted out with a barbecue for alfresco evenings. With off-road parking for two cars, a highchair and a selection of books, wifi and a DVD player, the property is nicely set up for families to entertain themselves in between their extensive Argyll and Bute adventures.
Ellanderroch
Location: Drymen, Argyll & The Isles
Best for: A two-bedroom cottage in Drymen village
Just east of Loch Lomond, Ellanderroch is situated in the dreamy village of Drymen. The peaceful countryside destination is only a short drive from the loch, and from there, it’s only a little further to reach other gorgeous destinations such as the Argyll Forest Park or even lively Glasgow. The two-bedroom cottage is a mid terrace home based on the owners’ land, and it’s a very convenient base for tackling footpaths such as the Balmaha West Highland Way and the Rob Roy Way, good news for keen ramblers.
You may choose to relax in the cottage for most of the day, only sojourning for a light stroll or a meal out at one of the local restaurants, or you may choose to climb Ben Lomond and begin some typical munro bagging. Fort William is a couple of hour’s drive away should you want to get stuck into more outdoor adventures. Otherwise, Glasgow has attractions such as the Scottish Opera and National Theatre of Scotland.
Facilities: With beams stretching across the ceilings and a set of cosy furniture, the living room in Ellanderroch is just what you need for a family games night. Prepare any snacks in the kitchen, where there’s already a stash of books, games and DVDs provided. The kitchen equipment at your disposal includes an electric oven and hob, a microwave, a fridge, washing machine and smart TV. The cottage is just as prepared for outdoor adventures as it is for game nights and snacks, as secure bike storage is provided and there’s a shared garden with outdoor furniture where you can pull on your helmet or hiking boots and pour over a local map.
Gaidrew Cottage
Location: Drymen, Loch Lomond & Trossachs
Best for: A four-bedroom Drymen cottage with an enclosed garden surrounded by the countryside
Surrounded by a picket fence and gentle green slopes, Gaidrew Cottage is a dreamy introduction to the Loch Lomond & Trossachs National Park. As a two-bedroom bungalow in Drymen, a village just a short drive from Loch Lomond, the cottage is conveniently located for watersports, hiking, cycling and a multitude of other outdoor escapades. Take a picnic-style breakfast on the lawn in the morning, then make your break into the national park, where Ben Lomond, Loch Long, Balamaha and Balloch all make exciting day trip destinations.
There are a few places where you might take your afternoon tea. There’s a round table set up in the garden, which overlooks sheep pens, trees and patchwork fields. Otherwise, make your way to a local coffee shop in Drymen, Balloch or Balamaha.
Facilities: Choose who goes in which of the two bedrooms. There’s a super kingsize bedroom where the bed can be transformed into twin beds for two children, along with a standard kingsized bedroom. A shower room is shared between the two bedrooms. It has a convenient walk-in shower and heated towel rail, along with a bath for those who prefer to soak rather than shower. Snug is one word to describe the property, especially with regards to the woodburning stove in the living room, which comes with a welcome pack consisting of fuel, power and a starter pack of logs.
Sir Walter Scott
Location: Taynuilt, Scotland
Best for: A pet friendly chalet with mountain views
Named after the author of the first-ever historical novel, Sir Walter Scott, you should be set to invent a story worth telling from this Taynuilt holiday cottage. Situated an hour and 20 minutes’ drive away from Loch Lomond, the cottage is based slightly outside of the Loch Lomond & Trossachs National Park. However, that only means that there are more options for you to explore locally, such as the lovely Loch Linhe and Glencoe. Oban, an Argyll and Bute resort town and the so-called ‘gateway to the Isles’, is surrounded by magnificent mountains and only a 20-minute drive away.
You won’t need to spend long sketching out various holiday ideas on the picnic bench outside the chalet. There are gorgeous mountain views from the chalet, which might inspire you to go and climb local peak Ben Cruachan. The Glen Nant National Forest is a short drive away, and Kilchurn Castle or St Conan’s Kirk on Loch Awe are within striking distance too. As an ideal base for hiking, it’s also handy that the property permits up to two house-trained dogs.
Facilities: Based on a green plain surrounded by mountain views, Sir Walter Scott is a pretty picture. The picnic bench, tucked beside a tree, is poised for guests to take in the lovely views over an alfresco spread. However, the inside is just as peaceful. There’s an open-plan living space with ample seating, which includes benches by the window and a dining table with a smart TV. The bedrooms and kitchen are all compact and cosy, with bedding and towels provided and wifi in case you’re in need of some extra leisure activities, particularly when the sun goes down.
Tigh Beag
Location: Balloch, Argyll & The Isles
Best for: A couples retreat by Loch Lomond
Tucked snugly underneath Loch Lomond, a handful of miles from busy Balloch, Tigh Beag is a top spot for a romantic getaway in the Loch Lomond and the Trossachs. As a small two-person cottage in a picturesque village setting, it’s incredibly relaxed and peaceful. There are views over meadows and green fields, framed by the distant Munros, and the RSPB Scotland Loch Lomond is within strolling distance too. With a couple of chairs set side-by-side in the well-kept enclosed garden, the self-catering accommodation has plenty of space for you to take in the fresh morning or evening air.
Tigh Beag is well-based for watersports on Loch Lomond or even Loch Long, which is just a little further along in Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park. First, however, you might want to take a detour to Balloch, where there are attractions such as the Balloch Castle and Country Park, the Loch Lomond Bird of Prey Centre and the SEA LIFE Loch Lomond Aquarium. If you’re looking for a more challenging activity, you could climb Conic Hill too.
Facilities: With one bedroom and one bathroom, couples should have a very cosy time at High Beag. Wake up and splash your face with cold water in the ground-floor bathroom, which has a bath with a shower-over for a choice of a quick rinse or a longer soak. The kitchen might call you next for morning eggs on toast or oats and a brew, perhaps. Hopefully, you’ve already stocked the fridge-freezer with fresh local produce. Other equipment in the kitchen is made up of an electric oven and hob, a microwave, two TVs and wifi, as well as a washing machine. There’s a pub within four miles of the property, but if you’d rather relax with drinks in the garden for a while, the small patio has furniture.
Strone House
Location: Garelochhead, Loch Lomond & Trossachs
Best for: A luxurious pet-friendly 16th-century home near Garelochhead
Authentic luxury sums up the five-bedroom Strone House. Sleeping 14 people in total, the Loch Lomond & Trossachs National Park cottage is really something special for gatherings of extended family and friends. Originally a 16th-century home, the property’s living room looks like something out of a history book with dappled stone walls, exposed black wood beams, traditional upholstery and a woodburning stove. Still, the old-world aura is balanced out with luxurious mod cons, and there seems to be no end to the little luxuries. In the enclosed garden, there’s an open-air hot tub, a sauna room and a hut with a barbecue grill.
Piano room, games room and spa facilities aside, Strone House has another huge asset: its location. The pet-friendly Argyll and Bute holiday home is situated a short drive from Garelochhead, a small town on Gare Loch. With Loch Long to the west and Loch Lomond to the east, there’s a wide choice of lochs with spectacular views too. A memorable experience might be rambling in the hills around Loch Lomond or visiting local historic castles. On that note, Strone House is built on the 1603 battle site of the Battle of Glen Fruin, where the MacGregors fought against the Colquhouns, adding another historical element to your stay.
Facilities: Realistically, it might be tricky to tear yourself away from Strone House, no matter how enticing the lochs across the Loch Lomond & Trossachs National Park may be. The stream in the enclosed garden trickles all the way to Loch Lomond, but the real water attraction in the garden is the hot tub, which is kept under a wooden shelter. There’s a huge choice of places to relax, whether it’s around a picnic bench, in the conservatory, under the parasol-covered tables or inside the blue-painted wooden hut, which houses benches and a central barbecue grill for barbecued eats whatever the weather. The games room inside provides plenty of entertainment too, including books, games, a piano, table football and table tennis. Peacocks, geese, ducks, chickens and a rooster have made the backyard their home.
Dunaivon Cottage
Location: Rhu, Argyll & The Isles
Best for: A four-person cottage in a woodland above Rhu
Slotted into a peaceful woodland above the lochside village of Rhu and just outside of livelier Helensburgh, Dunaivon Cottage is a destination for four. The raised patio door opens up to green foliage, making the place feel almost like a forest treehouse. All of the greenery is enough to make you forget that you’re based so close to the shore of Gare Loch and just 15 minutes’ drive away from Loch Long.
You may be tempted by the idea of a simple glass of wine in the wooded garden, or you may feel drawn to go paddleboarding on Loch Long. If neither of those activities tickles your fancy, there’s also easy access to a multitude of trails, whether it’s the Argyll Kayak Trail, the John Muir Way or the Three Lochs Way past Loch Lomond, The Gare Loch and Loch Long. Helensburgh has plenty of attractions for urban days out too, including independent shops, eateries and the beautiful Hermitage Park.
Facilities: Dunaivon Cottage is a spacious accommodation where you can really get to the important things, like breaking out a board game for a night in, having a picnic in the garden or getting a sound night’s sleep in one of the two bedrooms. Both bedrooms are en-suites with walk-in showers, which will come in very handy in the mornings. Those who are travelling with babies or toddlers can request a highchair or a travel cot too. With an off-road parking space for one car, two TVs and wifi to round things off, there’s plenty to keep all ages entertained when you’re not out exploring Loch Lomond and the Trossachs.
Auchentroig House
Location: Buchlyvie, Perthshire
Best for: A castle-based apartment high in luxury with room for 12
There’s always one property that goes above and beyond when it comes to luxurious, big-family breaks. Auchentroig House is exactly that. As a ground- and first-floor apartment based in a huge castle with views of Loch Lomond, this is the grandest of getaways in the lineup. There are six bedrooms across the apartment, so there’s plenty of space for the extended family. Spread a picnic over the large, shared lawn and gaze up at the turrets of the country house, or gather around the grand piano or woodburning stove indoors.
The house looks like something out of a Downtown Abbey episode, with fine detailing and old-world décor. There’s a grand staircase leading upstairs, chandeliers strung from the ceilings and royal red curtains to match the grand atmosphere. Based in the 17th-century village of Buchlyvie, it’s an easy drive to either Loch Lomond to the west or Stirling to the east. A stroll into the village and you will stumble upon the village inn, supermarket, post office, coffee shop and art gallery.
Facilities: Incredibly spacious all the way from the entrance hall through to the bedrooms, Auchentroig House is well-suited to relaxation and rejuvenation. A travel cot and a highchair are provided for those with smaller family members accompanying them. However, since there is a first-floor family bathroom and two double bedrooms with a Jack-and-Jill spa bath and walk-in shower, there shouldn’t be any pushing or shoving to use the bathroom first either. The only point of debate might be what to do first. Should you descend from your castle-style country house and onto the lush, green lawn? Take off down the winding lane towards Loch Lomond? Gather in the grand living room for a natter or an afternoon tea?
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Some of the images in this blog post have been provided by Sykes Cottages.