Balloch to Rowardennan: A Loch Lomond Shore Walk

This is the walk to choose when you want a full day beside the water without any hill in it. It follows the eastern shore of Loch Lomond through beech and oak woodland, past the campsite at Sallochy Bay, and finishes at Rowardennan, with transport back to Balloch arranged before you set off.

Route summary

• Distance: about 12 km one way
• Ascent: minimal, a genuinely flat shoreline path
• Time: 3 to 4 hours at a walking pace, longer with stops
• Difficulty: easy, suitable for a first long walk
• Surface: woodland track and path, some roots and one or two short rocky sections

Getting there and back

Balloch sits at the foot of the loch on the West Highland Line, roughly 45 minutes from Glasgow by train. Start at Balloch Pier and follow the shore north. The tricky part is the return, because Rowardennan has no road out for cars, it is the end of the line for vehicles, and buses are limited.

Plan the return before you go. Options are the Rowardennan Hotel boat service when it is running, a taxi from Tarbet, or arranging a pickup. Do not assume a bus will turn up; check the timetable for your date and have a fallback.

Step by step

1. Balloch Pier to Luss. The path leaves the pier and runs north through woodland with the loch on your left. It is well used and easy to follow. Luss village is a good first stop, with a visitor centre and toilets.
2. Luss to Sallochy Bay. Continue north along the West Highland Way section. The path narrows in places and climbs briefly over small rocky shoulders. Sallochy Bay has a campsite, picnic tables and the best lunch stop on the route.
3. Sallochy Bay to Rowardennan. The final stretch stays in woodland and can be rooty underfoot. Rowardennan has a hotel, a car park and the start of the Ben Lomond path.

What to pack

Even on a flat walk, Scottish weather turns quickly. Carry a shell regardless of the forecast, more water than you think, and some food beyond lunch. If you are walking in summer, midge repellent is not optional, the western lochside is where they are worst.

• A waterproof jacket that has been washed and reproofed recently, see our reproofing guide if it is not beading.
• Trainers or light trail shoes are fine in dry weather; the path does not need a stiff boot.
• A flask beats buying bottled water, and there is nowhere to refill between villages.
• A small bag for litter, including anything you find on the way.

Leave no trace

Sallochy Bay gets busy at weekends through spring and summer. Stay on the path to protect the shoreline vegetation, take away everything you brought, and keep noise down near the campsite. Fires are not permitted.

Extending the day

If you have the legs for it, the walk continues north to Inversnaid and on towards Ardlui along the same shoreline path. For something with actual height instead, Ben Lomond starts directly from Rowardennan, which makes a natural pairing if you can arrange transport.

Nearby reading

• Choosing boots for wet Scottish paths
• Darning the socks this walk will eventually hole

Parking, facilities and timing

• Balloch parking: start at the pier or the main station car park; check charges and seasonal closure before you set off.
• Facilities: toilets at Balloch, Luss and Rowardennan. There is nowhere to refill water between villages.
• Best season: late spring through early autumn for the woodland and to avoid the worst of the midges. Winter walks here are quiet and genuinely beautiful, but daylight is short.
• Start early at weekends, Sallochy Bay fills up and the last boat or taxi home is the thing most people forget to plan.

Variations

• Shorter: take the bus or boat out to Luss and walk back to Balloch, cutting the distance to roughly 6 km.
• Longer: continue north to Inversnaid for a full-day shore walk, then arrange pickup, this section is rougher and quieter than the southern half.
• With a hill: finish at Rowardennan and walk Ben Lomond the following morning instead of heading home.

Walking it responsibly

The eastern shore is part of the West Highland Way and sees heavy footfall, which shows in the path. Stay on the worn line even where it is muddy, keep dogs under control around nesting birds and the campsite, and carry out everything including biodegradable waste, orange peel and cores take far longer to break down in cold woodland than people assume. Wild camping is permitted under the Scottish Outdoor Access Code, but pitch late, leave early, and never next to buildings or on cultivated ground.