Things to do

 

Arrochar is perfectly situated on the western side of the Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park, in the Southern Highlands and the Arrochar Alps. The reason we came to live in Arrochar is because the village is located in some of the most spectacular scenery in the UK. Fairly unknown and therefore not too busy, we are only 45 minutes from Glasgow airport, an hour from the centre of vibrant Glasgow and close to the delights of Argyll and the Cowal Peninsular.

 

Arrochar makes a great base to explore the national park, the Arrochar Alps, and the stunning lochs and the wonderful spaces, villages and towns in Argyll and Cowal.

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Mountains and hills, walks and hikes

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Arrochar is situated right in the middle of the Arrochar Alps. There is fine walking and trekking to be had directly from Ashfield House, up the Munros and Corbetts in the area. In addition to the mountains and hills there are 2 long distance walks that pass through Arrochar, the Three Lochs Way and the Cowal Way, and we are close to the West Highland Way.

 

Popular walks from the house include:

• The Cobbler (Ben Arthur) (2900ft, 884m) is the most popular peak in the area, with amazing views across Loch Long to Loch Lomond (4-6 hrs, 7 miles).

• Beinn Narnain (3038ft, 926m) and Beinn Ime (3316ft, 1011m) can be climbed together and this can be quite a strenuous but beautiful day (6-7 hrs, 8.5 miles)

• Ben Vane (3001ft, 915m) a Munroe (by 1 metre!), is often climbed with Beinn Narnain and Beinn Ime when climbed from Arrochar (9hrs, 12.5 miles)

• Glen Loin Loop is a lovely low level, long (4-5 hrs, 11 miles) circular walk from the house.

• The Succoth Loop is a short walk from the house (1hr, 2.25 miles), and has some nice views of the loch.

 

Other good walks nearby include:

• The Brack (2582ft, 787m) gives a good rugged walk and some lovely views over Loch Long. (4-6hrs, 7.25 miles)

• Bienn an Lochain (2956ft, 901m) is a lovely mountain just north of the Rest and Be Thankful pass, and a more challenging trek (3-5 hrs, 3.5miles)

• Ben Lomond (3195 ft, 974 m) is one of the most popular Munros. We can drop you at the Tarbet pier in the morning where you can take the ferry to Rowardennan, climb Ben Lomond (perhaps ascending via the Ptarmigan ridge), take the ferry back, and we will transport you back from Tarbet to Ashfield House. (5.5 hrs for the climb, but an all day trip including the ferry, 7.5 miles)

• Puck’s Glen is a pretty short walk if you are travelling toward Dunoon and the Cowal peninsular

 

There are numerous other walks and treks in the area and we have maps and guidebooks, walking poles and flasks at the house for you to borrow. There is also good cycling in the area around Arrochar and we have a couple of bicycles you may borrow - please ask when you book. We can also arrange wildlife tours with experts from the area.

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Food and restaurants

 

Scotland is getting an excellent reputation for its food, and not only for the local salmon and seafood. We are very fortunate

here in Argyll and Bute to have some wonderful restaurants and here are a few of our favourites.

• In Arrochar

  • The Village Inn is close to Ashfield House and is a popular choice and within walking distance (about 1 mile)

  • Slanj is in Tarbet, about 2 miles away. They have live music most weekends and a courtesy shuttle service between the restaurant and Ashfield House (if booked in advance)

• The original Loch Fyne Oyster Bar and Restaurant roughly 12 miles away was again awarded the title of Best Scottish Seafood Restaurant this year and is well worth the trip

• Inver, also on Loch Fyne, is our favourite restaurant for special occasions. Wonderful, locally sourced food and a beautiful location, if a little remote! The owners are truly passionate about excellent food.

• Inveraray is a pretty little town on Loch Fyne and two of our favourite restaurants are:

  • Samphire, an excellent seafood restaurant

  • The George, a historic coaching inn with excellent food and wine

• Helensburgh is the nearest town to us and has a good selection of shops and some excellent restaurants.

  • The Sugar Boat is a new bistro in the centre of Helensburgh

  • La Barca is an award winning Spanish restaurant with great tapas

  • The Riverhill Cafe has almost a city bistro feel with good food and drinks

 

We have copies of the menus from all the above restaurants, as well as others, in the guest sitting room.

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Day trips from Arrochar

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Arrochar is an ideal base to explore the National Park and around Argyll and Bute. Here are a few of the day trips we generally take visiting family and friends on (and we have more detailed guides for these at the house). We would be we more than happy to help you plan any other trips from Arrochar.

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• Oban Loop Daytrip  This is quite a long scenic drive (c. 140 miles) but you’ll pass through a variety of landscapes, including Rannoch Moor and Glen Coe which contain some of the most spectacular scenery in the UK, and drive along the shores of 3 sea lochs and 2 fresh water lochs. There a number of places to stop for refreshments and lunch, including the excellent seafood hut in Oban. Plus 3 castles to see, a brewery and distillery to try out if you wish. There are shorter variations of this route too, and Oban and Inveraray are worth visiting for a day on their own.

 

• Argyll’s Secret Coast   A beautiful drive down to the Kyles of Bute and back up along the southern shore of Loch Fyne along what has been called Argyll’s secret coast. The scenery is wonderful, less mountains but more sea lochs and remote, unspoilt Argyll countryside, plus there are a couple of art galleries and excellent restaurants en-route. There is a quite a bit of driving on single track roads on this route.

 

• The Trossachs and East of Loch Lomond   The east side of the National Park is well worth a trip, visiting Killin and its waterfall, and heading down through the Trossachs and the Queen Elisabeth National Park. Loch Lubnaig is stunning, and perhaps take the streamer on Loch Katrine. Callander is a lovely little town for wandering around with some good places for lunch. Sterling, and Stirling Castle are nearby, as is the Glengoyne distillery, one of the few remaining independent distilleries in Scotland.

 

• Benmore and Ardkinglas Gardens   Both Benmore Gardens and Ardkinglas Gardens are lovely and very tranquil. The journey to Benmore takes you past Loch Eck, one of the most attractive fresh water lochs in Argyll. Perhaps combine the garden visits with a visit to the Fyne Ales Brewery and/or the Oyster Bar?

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• Looking for a little adventure out of doors? We can arrange guided tours of the area if you prefer 1st hand knowledge of the surrounding area. 

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• Or take a luxury speedboat tour, rent a kayak for the day, go wake-boarding or just hire a boat on Loch Long or Loch Lomond, all accessable form the B&B. Just ask us for details.

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• Hire a chauffeur driven motorcycle trike for an unforgettable journey! There are several options to choose from.  Contact Peninsula Trikes Scotland directly to book your tour or let me know you are interested when booking.

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• For ideas of other things to do around Loch Lomond, check out the See Loch Lomond site

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This is just a brief list of things to do in  the area. There are lots more and we would be happy to talk about these with you before you arrive or during your stay.

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