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Note please that this drive commences at Balloch,
not Callander. It is an especially lovely and scenic drive over historic Glen fruin to Helensburgh before going on to Garelochhead and over to Loch Long and Arrochar before returning to Balloch via Luss The Route is shown in Blue Full afternoon drive |
Starting from Balloch, a scenic lochside drive with views of Loch Long, The Arrochar Alps and Loch Lomond. A roads 35m. B roads 7m.
From Callander area, make your way to Balloch by the A81 / A811.
The Drive now commences from Balloch. (Arrowed on the map).
At Balloch the river Leven exits the loch and here you will find the largest of many marinas on the loch as well as watersports, trips on motor launches, Balloch Castle and the inevitable 'Chippies'. Just five minutes from Balloch is Alexandria, the home of Loch Lomond Factory Outlets and of Antartex clothing and crafts. You can make a short detour here specially for the ladies before you start!
Having got that out of the way, head west from Balloch on the A811 for about a mile
until you meet the A82 where you turn right towards Crianlarich (pron. Cree-an larich).
After about 2½ miles you come to Arden where you turn left on the B832 (sp. Helensburgh.
This is Glen Fruin 
where the MacGregor Clan fell foul of the king by winning a battle
with the Colquhoun clan.
At the top end of Glen Fruin, just beside the roadand before decending toward Helensburgh,
there is a cylindrical shaped boulder with the following words: Near this spot the
Battle of Glen Fruin was fought between Clan Colquhoun and Clan Gregor on 7th February
1603."
This road affords some pleasant views over the Clyde estuary before decending to
Helensburgh.
Helensburgh was a favourite holiday resort for the better off Glaswegian families in
the mid 
1900s when (nearly) the whole of Glasgow's population went 'doon the watter'
during the Glasgow fair. At that time the whole of the Clyde coast was plied by a large
number of steamers including the famous Waverley (paddle steamer).
Charles Rennie Mackintosh's architectural masterpiece 'Hill House' is also to be found
here.
Also at Helensburgh, visit the pier before turning north on the A814 towards Rhu.
Rhu, a conservation villiag is a popular resort with the sailing 
fraternity. Rhu Marina is apparently unique, being the only
Marina on the North Clyde Coast.
Five miles north from Rhu we reach The descent down to Garelochhead, the home of the naval base on the Gareloch which has attractet the anti-nuclear protestors for years. The brightly colored caravans by the roadside have housed the protestors for as long as the base has been here. Garelochhead village is of no great interest, but the road now rises for a mile or so to a summit where a car park on the right affords magnificent views south to Gareloch and north over Loch Long. (Toilets here).
Continuing north on this road we cross the West Highland railway line which climbs away
up the hillside and we pass Portincaple on Loch Long where you will probably see an
enormous naval ship tied up - it's been
there as long as I can remember!. The road now undulates all
the way up Loch Long and some wonderful views may be seen over the loch. Unfortunately
parking can be difficult on many parts of this road.
The photograph on the left is donated by website visitor Peter A Hunter. The original is large at 145K but may be seen by clicking on the photograph.
ArrocharApproaching Arrochar along Loch Long from the south you meet the (A83) road coming over the hill to Loch Long from Tarbet on Loch Lomond. Turn left here and note on the left the remains of the old Arrochar pier where the steamers used to call laden with holidaymakers in the heyday of the Clyde steamers. |
Over the waters of Loch Long you have an excellent view of Ben Arthur - usually known
as The Cobbler - a reference to its unusual silhouette.
There is a good chip shop on the left in the village of Arrochar where the food is freshly
fried for each customer! You can sit and eat your chips in a nicely located car park
looking down Loch Long just beyond the village.
The next part of this trip may be skipped
if time is a problem, (we pass here on the way back).
Continue westward round the loch passing the old admiralty buildings by loch Long where torpedoes were tested during Worls War ii. The road now sweeps right and begins the long climb up 'The Rest and Be Thankful' road. The name is well earned and you may imagine the condition of the horses in days gone by as they laboured up the old road which can be seen well below the modern road on the left. At the top you will find a car park at the viewpoint where you can admire the fine panorama before returning to Arrochar the way you came.
Drive back through Arrochar village but keep to the main road this time. This leads you over the pass to Tarbet. The name 'Tarbet' Tarbert is a Gaeilg/Gaelic word meaning literally to carry over or 'portage'.
The Vikings sailed up Loch Long to raid Arrochar then
dragged their galleys over this pass to continue their raids on Loch Lomond.
At Tarbet you may detour a couple of miles north on the lochside to Inveruglas which boasts some marvellous views down Loch Lomond.
Continue your trip now southwards on the A82 for 5 m to Inverbeg where a foot ferry can
take you over the Loch to Rowardennan. A further 3 miles and you can take the turn on the
left to Luss (location for 'Take the High Road').
At Luss there is a car park beyond the 'Glendarroch tea room', from whence you can wander
through the lovely old village with its old church, have a cup of tea, and take a sail
from Luss pier. To the south of the pier a path leads to the Church of St MacKessog
which was built to commemorate the drowning of Sir James Colquhoun of Luss and four others
who drowned in the loch in 1873. Some interesting grave slabs can be found here, two
'cross slabs' probably dating from the 8th or 9th c.
Back to the main road now and as we leave Luss and head south for the last 7m we see a
change in the scenery as we cross the highland boundary fault to the gentler scenery of
the lowlands and return to Balloch and whence we came.