Set over 50,000 acres and stretching from the east shore of Loch Lomond to Strathyre, this huge natural playground is home to mountains, moorland, rivers, lochs, forest and woodland and all the birds and animals that live there - all waiting to be discovered and explored.
Start your visit at The Lodge Forest Visitor Centre near Aberfoyle to get your bearings and from which you can walk the easier trails, take a peek in the wildlife hide (keep an eye out for osprey, buzzards, peregrines, red squirrel, deer and badgers) and get all the information you’ll need to explore further afield. The Lodge is also home to ‘Go Ape!’ high wire forest adventure, a great way to explore the canopy of the surrounding forest, and you can pick up a free orienteering map that has three courses to follow, ranging in skill. There is also a café and toilets.
The Park is also home to Britain’s largest off-road cycle network, so if you’re a keen cyclist or want a fun family day out, this is a wonderful way to experience the amazing surroundings. The Park also offers pony trekking.
If you like to keep things a little easier, pop in your car and enjoy the seven-mile-long Forest Drive which takes you past three gorgeous lochs – Lochan Reoidhte, Loch Drunkie and Loch Achray. There’s a picnic site by Loch Drinkie and toilets here too if you fancy a break to soak up the incredible scenery.
Loch Katrine also sits within the Park and is a spot that has inspired writers such as William Wordsworth and Sir Walter Scott (his famous poem, ‘The Lady of The Lake’, was set here). Much loved by Victorians who loved its romanticism, it was a popular spot for visitors and today you can follow in their footsteps aboard the century-old steamship from which you can truly experience the loch and landscape.
All in all, the Park encompasses so many beautiful spots, you’d need weeks to discover it all! However long you have, this gorgeous area offers so much whatever the season and is well worth a visit.
Feeling inspired? Take a look at our luxury cottages in Loch Lomond here.
The Visitor Centre is one mile north of Aberfoyle on the A821. Follow signs for ‘Forest Park Visitor Centre’.
