Best hotels in Loch Lomond 2023: From spa chic to farm retreats

On the banks of Loch Lomond, north of Glasgow, where rugged hills, heather-strewn slopes and pine-topped islands compete for the attention of day-trippers, it’s easy to overlook the stunning hotels tucked away behind the bands of trees and wildlife-rich woodlands. They are a quiet presence, yet also the most memorable gateways to the loch’s activities and wider experiences on offer throughout the surrounding Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park, which is the fourth-largest national park in Britain.

As in the rest of Scotland, the swankiest hotels are those with views of all the natural splendour. But it is the hotels’ ability to embrace both tartan tradition and here-and-now sophistication that appeals most to locals from Scotland’s Central Belt as well as visitors from farther afield. From grande dame boltholes to renovated farmsteads that offer fashionable escapes, here are our favourites places to stay during a visit to Loch Lomond.

Neighbourhood: Balloch

Even though Leonardo DiCaprio and Barack Obama have stayed here, the best-known hotel on the banks of Loch Lomond never succumbs to stuffiness. This is a muddy boots sort of place, with activities such as forest walks, wild swims, and kayaking on offer, while the hotel champions hush-hush luxury experiences (cue a seaplane and speedboat docked by the private pier for cash-splashing impromptu trips).

A surplus of rainy days on the loch also underlines the appeal of the on-site swimming pool and nearby Cameron Spa, accessible via a free shuttle service and with rooftop infinity pool and thermal saunas. Deep down, though, this is a place for indulgence and escape, so, after spa time, eat at the glamorous Tamburrini & Wishart (for the uninitiated, Martin Wishart is one of Scotland’s super chefs), or sit back with a single malt whisky and watch a sunset or storm pass over Ben Lomond across the loch.

Neighbourhood: Balquhidder

Located at the end of a twisty-turny, single-track road in Balquhidder Glen, this delightful family-run farm hotel has everything you’d want from a Highlands break. There is a gorgeous restaurant with Michelin-worthy cuisine, a pub-style snug with crackling fire, a beach, loch, and hillsides to explore, along with a cast of lovely locals, sheep, and donkeys. Rooms-wise, there are fabulous choices, from an airstream trailer to sophisticated doubles in the old farmhouse. Though it may feel like a world apart from Glasgow or Edinburgh, it is in fact only about 60 miles away. Definitely one for your own little black book.

Neighbourhood: Inverarnan

Set at the squiggly top end of Loch Lomond, this stonewall pub, built in 1705, is one of the lochside’s oldest buildings, with a claim that Scots folk-hero Rob Roy once stayed here in the early 18th century. Besides all that history, rooms are as authentic as they come, with antiquated wooden furniture, oil paintings, and enough tartan to show up a suited Clan Chieftain, while the ground-level pub is one of Scotland’s most lively – at the door, you’re greeted by taxidermy and a carousel of day-tripping visitors poking their noses in to see what all the fuss is about. Handily, The Drover’s is located at a prime junction of the West Highland Way, making it perfect for walkers needing a night away from the tent.

Price: Doubles from £65

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Neighbourhood: Luss

In good weather, the sea-meets-sky view of Loch Lomond and Ben Lomond from this mini resort glows. Which is to say this is a property grounded in landscape, but also one in prime short-break territory; for peace and solitude, you’ll want to travel outside the summer high season. There are 48 rooms, from classic doubles to tartan-spruced suites and two-bed lodges, and it’s also home to a conference centre and bumper-sized restaurant that pleases all-comers. To keep yourself busy, there’s a full timetable of activities and a spa. Throw yourself off the jetty into the Baltic water, if you dare, or sit with a drink and blanket on the shingle beach. Arguably the best rooms are the suites with glass balconies. Note, it’s a popular wedding venue from April to October, meaning you’re always in earshot of a piper.

Neighbourhood: Lochearnhead

Hospitality entrepreneur Tom Lewis and his family – who also run Monachlye Mhor (see above) and Mhor Bread in nearby Callander – are behind this so-called roadside motel-cum-cafe on the A84 road north. There’s an easy-going, distinctive sense of place – mounted stag heads and old signage adorn the walls – and the food is of the local variety, from homemade bread and jam to Scottish steaks and loch-scavenged oysters. Rooms come with a dash of vibrant colour, perhaps to contrast the slate-grey skies so often seen outdoors, and you can pick from doubles, twins, a family suite, or a cottage tucked out the back.

Neighbourhood: Inverbeg

More than 200 years in the making, this boutique hotel is a traditional coaching inn that was amped-up with modern Scottish flair when taken over by the same outfit behind the nearby Lodge on Loch Lomond. For your money, you’ll be treated to lochside rooms with Porcelanosa bathrooms or beach houses slap bang on the bonnie banks themselves – our pick is Beach Ben Vane, a cottage with floor-to-ceiling windows and freestanding tub overlooking the loch (an exhibitionist’s dream). Come supper time, don’t miss the fish and chips or monkfish scampi at the inn’s restaurant.

Neighbourhood: Balmaha

On the lesser-visited eastern banks of Loch Lomond, this collection of timber-framed, self-catering chalets and shepherd’s huts is for those seeking a bit of room to roam. The dog-friendly wooded grounds are bounded by nature reserves; there’s an exclusive stretch of the loch for fishing, watersports and boating, and each lodge comes with its own private hot tub, steam cabin and BBQ area – there’s no mixing with the hoi polloi here. All of that should work for most family and group combinations, as should Perch, the on-site restaurant, which comes up trumps when you can’t be bothered to cook. Note, in high season, there’s a two- to three-night minimum stay.

Neighbourhood: Balloch

On the next bend along the road from Cameron House (see above) heading north, this longstanding Loch Lomond institution is a wallet-friendly favourite. As well as having a ringside seat on Loch Lomond, it’s a sanctuary of doubles, cottages and loch-facing rooms and suites, most of which have a maritime feel and bright blue colour scheme. Bobby’s, the restaurant and bar, works hard from breakfast right through to last orders, and there’s as much (or as little) as you’d want to do right outside. The most popular pastime, though, is a tipsy evening stroll right from the property and along the lochside. Take an umbrella, just in case.

Price: Doubles from £109

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