I'm working on a short DIY hiking trip for 3 couples in September. We'll be on an organized hiking trip in Perthshire (Aberfeldy, Pitlochry, Blair Atholl), but then want to explore a little more on our own for several nights, with a focus on hiking. We're all reasonably strong hikers with good hiking experience, but in the 60-70 age set, so not looking for killer trails or tough scramble. Our rough plan is heading from Perthshire to Glasgow, renting a car, and heading to Glencoe as a base for a couple of nights, for hiking in that area. We want the focus to be on hiking, not driving, so rather than heading immediately to Glencoe, we'd like to find a good base about halfway there for a couple night stay and hiking. We've been thinking of perhaps Arrochar or nearby, perhaps for hiking The Cobbler (although maybe the scramble is too hard?). We also have our eye on Ben Lomond, but wondering whether we'd need to think about staying somewhere else for that to be possible - seems like it's an hour+ drive from Arrochar? We're total newbies for Scotland travel, and looking for some advice. Where would you want to stay and hike, if looking for a great half-way point on the way to Glencoe? On the stay aspect, we won't be camping, so we're looking for hotel, inn or airbnb/house rental recommendations. Thanks in advance for any advice you have to share!
Posted by
Isle of Skye, Scotland
1371 posts
Have you discovered Walk Highlands website? It's one of the best resources for planning hikes in Scotland. The walks are graded by length, difficulty, bog factor and also have a star rating awarded by those who have done the hikes.
The description and grading for The Cobbler is here. If you wanted to hike The Cobbler and Ben Lomond you could base yourself in somewhere like Tarbet or Arrochar, although you are still some distance from the start of the Ben Lomond path. When we hiked Ben Lomond we stayed on a campsite near Rowardennan, where there is also a hotel (although I can't vouch for it as I've not stayed there).
If you search the Walk Highlands site on the Glencoe area you will see many possibilities, so you might decide you want to base yourself in that area and choose from the many hikes available. I have stayed several times at the Kingshouse hotel. It would make a very good based for any of the hikes in the Glencoe area and is situated on the long distance West Highland Way. They have both a hotel and a bunk house (cheaper and much more basic).
Hope that helps!
Posted by
Lake District, England
8684 posts
For Ben Lomond Cruise Loch Lomond run a ferry from Tarbet to Rowardennan at weekends only May to end September.
From memory one run in the morning, and one back in the afternoon. Again from memory the boat in between times does Rowardennan to Luss trips.