The Central Highlands - The Rough Guide to Scottish Highlands and Islands - page 132

of the loch, but most travellers continue a couple of miles further north to INVERARNAN ,
where the Drovers Inn is arguably the most idiosyncratic hotel in Scotland.
ARRIVAL, INFORMATION AND TOURS THE WESTERN SHORE

daily; T 01301 702260).
Boat tours At the pier over the road from the prominent
Tarbet Hotel you can hop on an hour-long loch cruise run
by Cruise Loch Lomond ( T 01301 702356, W cruiseloch
lomond.co.uk). The same operator also offers trips to
Inversnaid and Rowardennan on the eastern side.

LUSS
By bus Buses run from Tarbet to Luss (hourly; 10min).
Tourist o ce Pick up local information at the Luss Visitor
Centre (daily 9am-5pm; T 01436 860229).

2

TARBERT
Tourist o ce Tarbet has a small tourist o ce (April-Oct

ACCOMMODATION AND EATING
LUSS
Coach House Loch Lomond Trading Company Limited
T 01436 860341. A spruce and lively little tearoom
serving a range of teas, cakes, ciabattas, Orkney ice cream
and its own take on haggis. Daily 10am-5pm.
Lodge on Loch Lomond T 01436 860201, W loch
-lomond.co.uk. This modern lodge, just north of town, has
a string of rooms with balconies and views over the loch,
and serves decent meals in its restaurant, C olquhoun's . £179

INVERARNAN
Drover's Inn By Ardlui, North Loch Lomond T 01301
704234, W thedroversinn.co.uk. The bar features a
roaring fire, barmen dressed in kilts, weary hillwalkers
sipping pints and bearded musicians banging out folk
songs. Down the creaking corridors, past moth-eaten
stuffed animals, are a number of f su pposedly haunted and
resolutely old-fashioned rooms. £65

Crianlarich and Tyndrum
CRIANLARICH , some eight miles north of the head of Loch Lomond, is an important
staging post on various transport routes, including the West Highland Railway which
divides here, one branch heading due west towards Oban, the other continuing north
over Rannoch Moor to Fort William. The West Highland Way long-distance footpath
(see box, p.133) also trogs past. Otherwise, there's little reason to stop here, unless
you're keen on tackling some of the steep-sided hills that rise up from the glen.
Five miles further north from here on the A82/A85, the village of TYNDRUM owes its
existence to a minor (and very short-lived) nineteenth-century gold rush, but today
supports little more than a busy service station and several characterless hotels.
ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE CRIANLARICH AND TYNDRUM

By train Crianlarich is well served by regular trains.
Destinations Fort William (3-4 daily Mon-Sat, 1-3 on
Sun; 1hr 50min); Glasgow Queen Street (6-8 daily Mon-
Sat, 1-3 on Sun; 1hr 50min); Oban (3-4 daily Mon-Sat,

1-3 on Sun; 1hr 15min).
By car At Tyndrum the road divides, with the A85 heading
west to Oban, and the A82 heading for Fort William via
Glen Coe.

ACCOMMODATION AND EATING
By The Way Hostel and Campsite Lower Station
Road T 01838 400333, W tyndrumbytheway.com. Right
beside Tyndrum Lower railway station is a good campsite and
small purpose-built bunkhouse; the cute wooden “hobbit
houses” i n the groun ds slee p four and are self -cat ering.
Camping £8pp ; hostel £16pp ; hobbit house from £40

Real Food Café Tyndrum T 01838 400235, W thereal
foodcafe.com. For a refreshingly different roadside dining
experience, it's well worth trying the airy café on the main
road serving fresh, fast food that's locally sourced and
cooked to order. Mon-Thurs & Sun 9am-10pm, Fri
11am-10pm, Sat 7.30am-9pm.

The Trossachs
Often described as the Highlands in miniature, the Trossachs area boasts a magnificent
diversity of scenery, with distinctive peaks, silvery lochs and mysterious, forest-covered