Loch Lomond is one of Scotland’s most iconic landscapes — and one of its most accessible. From our base in Dalmuir, Clydebank, you can be parked up on the banks of the loch in under 45 minutes. That makes it the perfect first night of a longer Highland adventure, a destination in its own right for a long weekend, or the ideal gentle introduction to campervan life for first-timers who want spectacular scenery without a full day’s drive on day one.

Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park covers nearly 720 square miles of mountains, lochs, forest and coastline. You could spend a full week here and not see it all. Most people have two or three days before they want to press north — and that’s exactly the right amount of time to do it justice without rushing.

Why Loch Lomond Works Perfectly for a Campervan Trip

The loch is 24 miles long and the scenery changes completely depending on which side you’re on and how far north you go. The southern end around Balloch is busier and more developed — good for supplies, a cooked breakfast, and getting your bearings. The further north you drive along the western shore on the A82, the wilder and quieter it gets, until you’re in proper Highland country at Crianlarich and Tyndrum.

There are excellent campsites at multiple points along both shores, wild camping is permitted under Scotland’s Land Reform Act on most of the loch’s banks (with responsible practices — see below), and the roads are largely straightforward for a campervan even with no single-track experience. It’s genuinely one of the easiest and most rewarding places to take one of our vans.

What to See and Do

Luss

The prettiest village on the loch sits on the western shore about 8 miles north of Balloch. Luss is genuinely beautiful — rows of estate cottages, a medieval church, and a pier with views across to the islands and the mountains beyond. It gets very busy in summer (it was used as a filming location for Take the High Road and still draws fans), so park in the village car park and walk. Don’t try to drive through with a campervan — the streets are narrow and there’s nowhere to go.

Loch Lomond by Boat

Sweeney’s Cruises run regular boat trips from Balloch (G83 8LQ) out to the islands — Inchmurrin, Inchcailloch and Inchtavannach among them. Inchcailloch is the most accessible for walking and has the ruins of a 14th-century church. The boat is one of the best ways to understand the scale of the loch — it doesn’t feel that big from the road, but from the water it’s enormous.

Ben Lomond

At 974 metres, Ben Lomond is the most southerly Munro in Scotland — and one of the most climbed. The tourist path from Rowardennan (G63 0AW) on the eastern shore is well-marked and takes around 4–5 hours return for a reasonably fit walker. The car park at Rowardennan is managed by the National Trust for Scotland. Don’t attempt it without waterproofs and proper footwear regardless of what the weather looks like when you set off.

The Trossachs

The eastern edge of the national park is The Trossachs — a landscape of wooded glens, smaller lochs and dramatic hills that’s slightly less visited than the Loch Lomond shore and all the better for it. Key stops include:

• Loch Katrine — a 9-mile-long reservoir with no road traffic allowed on its northern shore, making it one of the most peaceful spots in the national park. The SS Sir Walter Scott steamship runs cruises from the Trossachs Pier (FK17 8HZ). You can also hire bikes and cycle the lochside path.
• Aberfoyle — a small town at the southern edge of the Trossachs with a good coffee shop, a bookshop, and the start of several forest walks. The Queen Elizabeth Forest Park visitor centre just north of town has good trail maps.
• The Duke’s Pass — the B829 over the hill between Aberfoyle and Loch Katrine is a beautiful drive and perfectly fine for a campervan on a clear day. The views from the top over the forest are impressive.
• Doune Castle — a 14th-century fortress about 15 miles east of Callander, famous as a filming location for Monty Python and the Holy Grail and more recently Outlander. Worth the short detour if you’re based in the eastern part of the park.

Balloch and Loch Lomond Shores

Balloch at the southern tip is the main town and the most practical base for supplies. Loch Lomond Shores is a retail and leisure complex on the waterfront with a supermarket, restaurants and the Gateway Centre. It’s busy and commercial compared to the rest of the loch, but very useful as an arrival point. The De Vere resort nearby has a bar and restaurant open to non-guests if you want a proper dinner on your first night.

Best Campsites for Campervans at Loch Lomond

The following sites are well-suited to campervans and regularly used by our customers:

• Cashel Campsite, Rowardennan (G63 0AW) — run by the Camping and Caravanning Club (your van hire includes Privilege membership). Directly on the eastern shore of the loch with stunning views. Hook-up pitches available. Book in advance from May onwards. This is one of the best-situated campsites in Scotland and regularly cited by our customers as a highlight of their trip.
• Loch Lomond Holiday Park, Tullichewan (G83 8QP) — larger, more facilities, western shore. Good for an arrival night. Electric hook-up, showers, a small shop on site.
• Milarrochy Bay Campsite (G63 0AL) — another Camping and Caravanning Club site on the eastern shore, south of Rowardennan. Quieter than Cashel, very pretty. Suitable for campervans up to a certain length — check before booking.
• Camping in the Forest, Loch Ard (FK8 3SX) — in the Queen Elizabeth Forest Park near Aberfoyle. Managed woodland setting rather than lochside but very good facilities and a great base for Trossachs exploration.

All of the above are affiliates of the Camping and Caravanning Club and accept the Privilege membership that comes with your Staycation Scotland hire — you’ll pay the member rate on arrival.

Wild Camping at Loch Lomond

Scotland’s Land Reform Act gives everyone the right to wild camp on most unenclosed land, including the banks of Loch Lomond. However, the southern section of the loch — roughly from Balloch to Rowardennan and Loch Arklet — has a seasonal byelaw in operation from March to September requiring campers to use designated sites or obtain a permit. This was introduced after years of serious littering and fire damage.

North of the byelaw zone, responsible wild camping is perfectly legal and wonderful. Look for flat, grassy ground well back from the road, park up considerately, use a stove rather than a fire, take all waste with you, and leave the spot exactly as you found it. The Park4Night app is excellent for finding vetted overnight spots. Our vans are designed for off-grid use — the VW models particularly — so wild camping is completely viable if you want to do it.

Using Loch Lomond as Your Starting Point

For most people hiring with us, Loch Lomond isn’t the whole trip — it’s the launch pad. Pick up your van from us in the afternoon, drive 45 minutes to the loch, settle in for the night, and then on day two you’re already positioned to push north. From Loch Lomond the options open up:

• North to Glencoe and Fort William — follow the A82 up the western shore and through Crianlarich, crossing Rannoch Moor and arriving at Glencoe. One of the great drives in Scotland. About 1.5 hours from the northern end of the loch.
• East through The Trossachs towards Stirling and Perthshire — the A81 and A84 take you through Aberfoyle, Callander and into the central Highlands. A gentler direction if you want to take the scenic route north.
• West to Loch Fyne and Argyll — the A83 from Tarbet takes you over Rest and Be Thankful pass and down to Inveraray on Loch Fyne, one of Scotland’s prettiest small towns. Good for a detour if you’re heading towards Kintyre or the ferries to the islands.

Practical Information

Getting There

We’re based at 8 Park Road, Dalmuir, Clydebank, G81 3LD — approximately 20 minutes from Glasgow city centre and 15 minutes from Glasgow Airport. Loch Lomond is under 45 minutes from us via the A82 north. There’s no need to go into Glasgow city centre at all — you can be on the loch road within minutes of leaving our car park.

Minimum Hire

Our minimum hire is 3 nights for most vans (5 nights for Lulu, our VW Crafter). Loch Lomond comfortably fills a 3-night short break on its own, or 1–2 nights as the opening leg of a longer trip. If you’re doing a 7-night hire and heading north, one or two nights here is the perfect pacing.

Fuel

All our vans run on diesel. Fill up in Balloch or Dumbarton before heading north — petrol stations become less frequent as you push further up the western shore. There’s a large Tesco in Balloch for stocking up on food and supplies before you head to your campsite.

Driving

The A82 along the western shore is a main road and straightforward for a campervan — no single-track concerns. The eastern shore roads (to Rowardennan and Inversnaid) are narrower with some single-track sections and passing places, but perfectly manageable if you take your time. The Trossachs roads are similarly fine. If you’re new to campervans, Loch Lomond is genuinely one of the best places to build your confidence before heading to the tighter roads of the north-west Highlands.

Book Your Loch Lomond Campervan

Our campervans are available to collect from Dalmuir, Clydebank from 3pm (or from 9am with an early pick-up add-on). Loch Lomond is the most popular first-night destination for our customers — it’s close, it’s beautiful, and it gets your trip off to exactly the right start.

Check van availability and book here, or take a look at our seasonal rates. If you’d like advice on which van suits your group or trip length, get in touch — we know this area well and we’re happy to help you plan.

You might also find our 7-day Scotland itinerary useful if Loch Lomond is just the beginning of your adventure.