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There's so much to find around Old Smiddy!
Things to do near Loch Katrine
There’s a reason guests often say they didn’t quite expect so much to do. People sometimes expect somewhere this remote to be limiting. It isn’t. Within half an hour of the cottage you’ve got a steamship pier, proper hill walking, Go Ape!, Stirling Castle, and Glengoyne Distillery. The area rewards guests who want to pack every day just as well as the ones who drive out on day two, look at the loch, and quietly decide that’s quite enough for them.
The attractions below are the ones guests come back to most. We’ve noted practical tips where they’re useful — distances from the cottage, booking advice, what’s worth knowing in advance.
You’re already inside a national park the moment you arrive — Loch Lomond and The Trossachs covers 720 square miles, from the busy shores of Loch Lomond all the way north past Callander. Most people who visit the park head for Loch Lomond, which is exactly why the western end of Loch Katrine stays so quiet. Stronachlachar in August gets a fraction of the footfall that Balloch or Luss does on any given Tuesday. Same national park, completely different experience.
If you want ideas for the less obvious spots, our guide to hidden gems around Loch Katrine covers the places most visitors walk straight past.
The SS Sir Walter Scott launched in 1900 and is still sailing — coal-fired for most of her life, now running on biofuel, and still the best way to see the full length of the loch properly.
Trossachs Pier is the main departure point — about 15 minutes from the cottage — and sailings range from a one-hour round trip to a full afternoon crossing to Stronachlachar and back.
Worth knowing if you’re staying at Old Smiddy: Stronachlachar Pier is right next to the cottage. The cruise drops passengers here, which means you can watch it arrive from the water’s edge. Some guests walk the loch road to Trossachs Pier and sail back — a very pleasant half-day with almost no car involved.
Katrinewheelz also hire bikes from Trossachs Pier, including e-bikes. The south shore road is traffic-free and flat enough to be genuinely accessible, with views across the water most of the way. The Loch Katrine website has timetables and booking. Loch Katrine’s history — its role supplying Glasgow’s water, its connection to Sir Walter Scott, the story of the steamship itself — is worth a read before you go, so we’ve put together a brief history of Loch Katrine if you’d like a bit of context.
About 20 minutes from the cottage, set in the forest above Aberfoyle. Go Ape! is a rope-and-zip-line obstacle course designed to be done as a group — with the longest zip line in the UK as the main event. It works well for families because different routes cater to different ages and nerve levels, and adults tend to enjoy it just as much as the children.
Booking ahead is strongly recommended. Slots go quickly in school holidays and many summer weekends sell out early in the morning.
Aberfoyle itself is worth a wander after. There’s a good deli and a couple of decent cafés — our guide to cafés and pubs near Loch Katrine includes the ones worth stopping at in and around the village. For a fuller list of family days out in the area, the Trossachs family activities guide covers Go Ape! alongside a dozen other ideas.
The unicorn tapestries in the Royal Palace are worth the visit on their own — seven panels, restored over 25 years, and genuinely unlike anything else you’ll see in Scotland. The views from the ramparts are worth about ten minutes of just standing there. Budget a full day if you can; Stirling’s Old Town is directly below the castle and has good spots for lunch. Book tickets in advance on the Historic Environment Scotland website.
Glengoyne sits just outside the national park boundary near Killearn — about 40 minutes from the cottage, and one of the more quietly impressive distilleries in this part of Scotland. Glengoyne is known for two things: the waterfall that falls directly behind the distillery, and a fermentation process that runs significantly longer than most — which gives the whisky a softer, fruitier character than you’d expect from a Highland malt.
Their Classic Tour covers the whole process and includes a tasting. More in-depth sessions are available for anyone who wants to go further. As a guest of Old Smiddy Cottage, you get 10% off tour tickets — worth mentioning when you book. Full details on the Glengoyne website.
The South Shore Road
The south shore road is the classic starting point. It runs the full length of the loch — around 12 miles one way from Trossachs Pier to Stronachlachar — and it’s completely traffic-free. Flat enough for younger children and pushchairs on bikes, with views across the water most of the way. Most people do a section rather than the full distance; cycling out and back from Trossachs Pier takes two to three hours at a relaxed pace.
Ben A'an
For more serious walking, Ben A’an is the best half-day option from this part of the park. It’s a steep but short ascent — two to three hours return — with a summit view that takes in the full length of Loch Katrine. Ben Venue is longer and more demanding, but the views from the top are extraordinary: Loch Katrine, Ben Lomond, and on a clear day, far beyond.
Ben Venue and Forest Paths
There are forest paths closer to the cottage too, ranging from flat waterside tracks to routes with a bit of proper climb. We’ve detailed five walks in our spring walking guide for Loch Katrine, and if you’re here in autumn, the Trossachs autumn foliage guide covers the best timing and viewpoints for colour.
Dogs are welcome on almost all these routes. Our guide to exploring Scotland with your dog has a few tips on making the most of the area with four-legged company.
If you’d like to talk through what to do during your stay, get in touch. We’re happy to suggest walks, check availability, and point you in the right direction.
Red squirrels, ospreys, red kites, and red deer are all regular sightings around Loch Katrine — the Great Trossachs Forest National Nature Reserve stretches across much of the area. Autumn is the best time for red deer rut, and the ospreys are usually present from April through to September. We’ve put together a full wildlife watching guide for the Trossachs if you want to know what to look for and where.
