Hotels in Loch Lomond

Deciding where to stay at Loch Lomond really means deciding which shore you want, because there is no road around the loch and crossing from one side to the other involves a long detour through Balloch or Drymen. Get that choice right and everything else falls into place.

The southern tip, centred on Balloch, is the practical option. It has the railway station, the largest concentration of guest houses and small hotels, supermarkets, restaurants and the Loch Lomond Shores complex with its aquarium and boat trips. If you are arriving by train, travelling with children, or want to use the loch as a base for day trips into Glasgow and Stirling as well, Balloch makes sense. The trade-off is that it feels suburban rather than Highland.

The western shore along the A82 is where most of the well-known hotels sit, from the five-star resort at the mouth of the River Leven to the smaller hotels clustered in Luss. This side gives you water views, easy driving, and the classic outlook across to Ben Lomond. It is also the busiest road in the national park, so ask for a room facing the loch rather than the highway.

The eastern shore, reached separately through Drymen and Balmaha, is quieter and more atmospheric. Accommodation here is limited to a handful of inns and small guest houses, and it fills a long way ahead because the West Highland Way passes through. If you are here to walk Ben Lomond or Conic Hill, book early and stay on this side; the alternative is a forty-minute drive each morning.

Inland villages such as Drymen offer better value and a more settled local atmosphere, at the cost of a loch view. And at the northern end, around Tarbet, Ardlui and Inverarnan, you trade convenience for genuine Highland scenery and a sleeper station on the doorstep. Whichever you choose, book well ahead for May, July and August, and expect a two-night minimum at weekends through the summer.