Old Smiddy is private family accommodation on the shore of Loch Katrine — one self-catering cottage sleeping six, sitting right on the water within the Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park. The whole place is yours. Hot tub, sauna, loch views, log burner — all of it, with no other guests sharing the space and nobody else’s schedule to work around. For a family holiday, that changes the dynamic considerably.
Getting here from Glasgow takes around fifty minutes. Then eleven miles of single-track road through the national park — past Lochs Ard, Chon and Arklet — before the road ends at Stronachlachar on the western shore of Loch Katrine. It’s one of those drives where the switching off happens before you’ve even stopped the car. The loch stretches out in front of you and that’s more or less it for the outside world for the rest of your stay.
Three bedrooms sleeping six, open plan living areas, white oak flooring throughout. The sitting room log burner gets lit most evenings from September onward. Not because guests have to — because once you’re settled in at Loch Katrine with the fire going, there’s not much reason to do anything else. Carole leaves the kitchen basics — oil, salt, pepper, tea, coffee and sugar — so the first thing you do on arrival is make a drink rather than find a supermarket. Bedding, towels and robes come with the cottage.
If you’re travelling with young children, mention it when you get in touch. Carole will have a travel cot with bedding, a high chair and child-friendly crockery and cutlery ready before you arrive. Worth sorting at the enquiry stage rather than on the day.
The gravel area outside gives children space to move around. It isn’t gated, and the loch shore is close by, so young children need an adult nearby when they’re playing outside.
Most people coming to the Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park for a family holiday know to expect deer. Ospreys maybe, if they’re lucky. Pine martens they do not expect.
One of Scotland’s rarest mammals — recovering slowly in parts of the Highlands but still genuinely unusual to see — and they’ve been spotted near Old Smiddy. Badgers visit regularly. Otters on the loch. Geese flying over most mornings. Deer coming to the water at dusk, particularly on this quieter western shore where the cottage sits and far fewer people pass through than the busier parts of Loch Lomond.
It tends to arrive without much effort. From the cottage windows, from the hot tub, from the gravel area outside. Half the wildlife sightings happen before breakfast.
One thing Carole is straightforward about with all guests: Loch Katrine isn’t suitable for swimming or paddling. The loch is deep, with strong undercurrents, and there’s no lifeguard cover anywhere on it.
The loch shore path heading east from Stronachlachar is the natural starting point for families. Flat, quiet, with mountain views opening up as you go and the water beside you for the full length of it. Go as far as suits you and turn back when you’re ready — no circuit to commit to, no minimum distance.
The Rob Roy Way runs through Stronachlachar, joining up with the wider network of hiking trails and scenic trails that cross the Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park. Most families find they have more to keep them busy nearby than they expected — the problem tends to be fitting everything in rather than running out of things to do.
The Sir Walter Scott Steamship departs from Stronachlachar pier, which is a short walk from the cottage. A working paddle steamer making a circuit of Loch Katrine — children tend to enjoy it rather more than a standard boat trip. Check sailing times before you arrive as these vary through the season.
For older children and teenagers, Ben A’an is around thirty minutes by road. One of the finest short hill days in the Trossachs — steep and direct, with mountain views from the summit back over the full length of Loch Katrine that justify every step of the climb. Ben Lomond is also reachable for families wanting a longer day out in the national park.
Water sports and paddle boarding are available through local operators in the Trossachs — worth researching before your stay if that’s of interest, particularly for older children.
The Pier Cafe at Stronachlachar is right on the water and a natural stop for lunch. Our guide to cafes and pubs near Loch Katrine covers the wider area if you want to explore further afield during your stay.
Both sit outside the cottage, covered, looking out over Loch Katrine. In the Trossachs the weather changes quickly — being covered means they actually get used whatever the evening brings, not just on the clear nights.
Some families use the hot tub with the whole group. Others save it for after the children are settled — a couple of hours on the loch in the dark with no particular reason to move. Either works. Worth knowing that it takes a few hours to heat from cold, so light the fire mid-afternoon rather than at seven in the evening if you want it ready by nine. A starter pack of logs and firelighters is there for the hot tub, the sauna and the log burner, along with instructions for lighting and looking after the fire. Both the hot tub and sauna come with every stay — nothing to add, nothing to book separately. Children under 18 need an adult with them in the hot tub.
More detail on the wood-fired hot tub and sauna.
Old Smiddy sits eleven miles from Aberfoyle on single-track road through the Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park. Aberfoyle has a supermarket and it’s the sensible place to stock up before you get in — once you’re at Stronachlachar the nearest shops are a drive away, so it’s worth doing a proper shop rather than going back for things you’ve forgotten.
Grocery delivery to the cottage is also available. Carole sends all the details as part of the pre-arrival information she puts together for every guest.
Dogs are welcome. The dog-friendly cottage page has everything on walks, the loch shore path and what to expect if you’re bringing one.
All bookings go directly with Carole — no platform fees, no commission, just a conversation about dates and what the family needs. The cottage suits families travelling with dogs too, which is a combination that often proves harder to find than it should be in this part of Scotland.
Most people coming to the Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park for a family holiday know to expect deer. Ospreys maybe, if they’re lucky. Pine martens they do not expect.
One of Scotland’s rarest mammals — recovering slowly in parts of the Highlands but still genuinely unusual to see — and they’ve been spotted near Old Smiddy. Badgers visit regularly. Otters on the loch. Geese flying over most mornings. Deer coming to the water at dusk, particularly on this quieter western shore where the cottage sits and far fewer people pass through than the busier parts of Loch Lomond.
It tends to arrive without much effort. From the cottage windows, from the hot tub, from the gravel area outside. Half the wildlife sightings happen before breakfast.
One thing Carole is straightforward about with all guests: Loch Katrine isn’t suitable for swimming or paddling. The loch is deep, with strong undercurrents, and there’s no lifeguard cover anywhere on it.
If a private cottage on Loch Katrine with space for the whole family sounds like the right kind of break, the best next step is to get in touch. Head to the bookings and enquiries page — happy to answer questions about what the family needs or check availability for your dates.
