Loch Lomond Tours
& Day Trips
Private Loch Lomond tours just for your party, from Glasgow or Edinburgh. Walk the cottage lanes of Luss, take a boat trip from Balloch or Tarbet, and pair the loch with Stirling Castle, the Trossachs or a whisky tasting at Glengoyne.
- Rated 5.0 on Google
- From £620 per vehicle, not per person
- Hotel pickup in Glasgow or Edinburgh
Where Is Loch Lomond?
Loch Lomond is a freshwater loch in west-central Scotland, about 14 miles north-west of Glasgow, lying across the Highland Boundary Fault where the Lowlands meet the Highlands. It is 22.6 miles long and the largest lake in Great Britain by surface area, and it sits inside Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National Park. You can see it on our map of Scotland.
The south of the loch is wide, shallow and dotted with wooded islands, with the town of Balloch at its tip. Further north it narrows into a deep trough, up to about 190 metres deep, beneath Ben Lomond. The A82 runs along the west shore through Luss and Tarbet, while the West Highland Way follows the quieter east shore through Balmaha.
The loch is about 40 minutes from Glasgow and an hour and a half from Edinburgh, so it is an easy day trip from either city. It also pairs well with Stirling Castle, the Trossachs or a whisky distillery in a single private day.
About 40 minutes by car to Balloch, or under an hour by train
About 1½ hours by car (around 70 miles)
22.6 miles long, Britain’s largest lake by area
May to September; October for autumn colour
£620 per vehicle for up to four guests
Places to Visit at Loch Lomond
These are the Loch Lomond attractions most visitors come to see. All of them fit into a day trip from Glasgow or Edinburgh, and your driver-guide knows which shore is quieter on the day.
Luss Village
A conservation village on the west shore, with sandstone cottages on Pier Road, a pebble beach and a pier for boat trips. It was the main filming location for the TV series Take the High Road for over 20 years.
Balloch & the Southern Shore
The town at the southern tip of the loch, with Loch Lomond Shores, the cruise boats and the restored Maid of the Loch paddle steamer at the pier. On a clear day Ben Lomond rises at the far end of the water.
The Islands & Conic Hill
A chain of wooded islands follows the Highland Boundary Fault across the loch. Climb Conic Hill above Balmaha for the best view of them, or take the short ferry over to Inchcailloch.
The Lochside Road to Tarbet
North of Luss the A82 hugs the shore beneath steep wooded hills, with Ben Lomond across the water. At Tarbet, Vikings once dragged their longships overland from Loch Long to raid the islands.
The Trossachs & Loch Katrine
East of the loch lie the Trossachs, with Loch Katrine, Ben A’an and the village of Aberfoyle. Sir Walter Scott set his poem The Lady of the Lake here, and it brought the first tourists in the 1800s.
Tell us what you would like to do and your driver-guide plans the day around it, including the quieter bays most visitors drive straight past.
Things to Do at Loch Lomond
Wondering what to do at Loch Lomond beyond the view? These are the stops our guests ask for most, and any of them can be added to a private day trip from Glasgow or Edinburgh.
Take a Boat Trip on the Loch
Boat trips and sightseeing cruises leave from Balloch, Luss and Tarbet and weave between the islands, with the main season from spring to autumn. An hour on the water fits easily into a private day.
Climb Conic Hill
From Balmaha a well-made path climbs Conic Hill in about an hour. The top looks straight along the line of islands that marks the Highland Boundary Fault. Wear proper walking shoes.
Wander Through Luss
Walk Pier Road between the cottages, look into the parish church and stand at the end of the pier for the view up the loch to Ben Lomond.
Visit Inchcailloch Island
A short passenger ferry from Balmaha lands you on Inchcailloch, a wooded nature reserve with trails, a sandy bay and the old Clan MacGregor burial ground, where some of Rob Roy’s ancestors lie.
Taste Whisky at Glengoyne
For a distillery tour near Loch Lomond, Glengoyne sits right on the Highland line, a short drive from the loch, and its tour ends with a tasting. On a private tour your driver keeps the keys.
Climb Ben Lomond
Scotland’s most southerly Munro, 974 metres high, is climbed from Rowardennan on the east shore. Allow five to six hours there and back, and bring proper walking boots.
What Is Loch Lomond Famous For?
Loch Lomond is famous for its bonnie banks, celebrated in the traditional song The Bonnie Banks o’ Loch Lomond, and for being the largest lake in Great Britain by surface area. It also holds Inchmurrin, the largest freshwater island in the British Isles, and lies at the heart of Scotland’s first national park, created in 2002.
People have lived on the loch for thousands of years, building crannogs, or artificial island homes, in its shallows. Vikings hauled their longships overland at Tarbet to raid the islands, and Rob Roy’s MacGregor ancestors are buried on Inchcailloch. By the time Samuel Johnson and James Boswell visited in 1773, the loch was already a favourite with travellers.
Your driver-guide shares these stories as you go, from the song’s legend to the fault line that splits Scotland in two.
On Screen Near the Loch
Luss and nearby Doune Castle have both starred on screen. Doune is a few minutes off the route of our Castles, Lochs and Whisky day.
Where to Stay Near Loch Lomond
Most visitors see Loch Lomond on a day trip from Glasgow or Edinburgh, but a night by the water lets you enjoy the quiet evenings. These are the four places most people choose.
Planning a Loch Lomond holiday rather than a day trip? Our multi-day tours can include a night by the loch, and we can book lochside rooms for you. Rooms fill early from June to August.
Balloch
The largest town on the loch, with hotels, the cruise boats, Loch Lomond Shores and a station with direct trains to Glasgow.
Luss
A small, pretty village with an inn, guest houses and lodges right by the beach and pier. Busy by day, peaceful once the day visitors leave.
Balmaha
A tiny village at the foot of Conic Hill on the West Highland Way, with a pub, a boatyard and the ferry to Inchcailloch.
Tarbet & Arrochar
Two villages a short drive apart between Loch Lomond and Loch Long, with hotels looking over the water and the Arrochar Alps behind.
Private Tours That Visit Loch Lomond
Four private ways to see Loch Lomond, from a day trip with Stirling Castle to a two-day Highland tour, or a day built around the loch itself. Unlike a bus or coach tour, every tour is just for your party, with hotel-door pickup in Edinburgh, or in Glasgow on request, and one price per vehicle for up to four guests.
Stirling Castle and the Wallace Monument, then lunch by the bonnie banks at Balmaha and a tour and tasting at Glengoyne Distillery.
- Stirling Castle & the Wallace Monument
- Loch Lomond & Glengoyne distillery
- Best for: the loch plus a castle
The full Highland day: north along Loch Lomond, over Rannoch Moor into Glencoe, then up the Great Glen to Loch Ness and Urquhart Castle.
Day one follows Loch Lomond north to Glencoe and Fort William beneath Ben Nevis. Day two: Loch Ness, the Cairngorms and Pitlochry.
A private day built around the water: Luss and a boat trip, Conic Hill or Inchcailloch, then on to Loch Katrine and the Trossachs.
Nothing to pay to ask for a quote, and no obligation to book.
Why Choose Tycoon Tours for Your Scotland Trip?
Your own Range Rover and a local driver-guide, all day
Many tour companies in Scotland sell seats on a shared coach — and that’s often what a travel agency in Edinburgh will book for you. Tycoon Tours is an Edinburgh-based tour operator in Scotland that runs every tour privately, in our own Range Rover with a driver-guide who actually lives here — so the day belongs to you, not to a timetable.
Private, never shared
Your own vehicle and your own guide for the whole day. No strangers on board, no coach park, no waiting on anyone else’s schedule.
A driver-guide, not a driver
Thirteen years of Scottish history, folklore and local stories, told properly along the road by someone who grew up with them.
Your day, changed on the day
Linger where you love it, skip what you don’t. The itinerary bends around you — not the other way round.
Comfort on Highland roads
A 4×4 Range Rover or executive vehicle, collected from your Edinburgh hotel door and returned there at the end of the day.
Loch Lomond: Your Questions Answered
Quick answers on where Loch Lomond is, how to get there from Glasgow or Edinburgh, boat trips, places to visit and what a private Loch Lomond tour costs.
Message us and we usually reply within a few hours, always within 24.
Where is Loch Lomond?
Loch Lomond is a freshwater loch in west-central Scotland, about 14 miles north-west of Glasgow. It lies across the Highland Boundary Fault, where the Lowlands meet the Highlands, and is part of Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National Park. See it on our map of Scotland.
How do you get from Glasgow to Loch Lomond?
Loch Lomond is about 20 miles north-west of Glasgow. The drive to Balloch takes around 40 minutes, trains from Glasgow Queen Street reach Balloch in under an hour, and buses run along the A82 to Balloch and Luss. On a private Loch Lomond tour from Glasgow, we collect you from your hotel and go straight to the loch.
How do you get from Edinburgh to Loch Lomond?
Loch Lomond is about 70 miles west of Edinburgh, around an hour and a half by car. By public transport you take the train to Glasgow and change for Balloch, which takes about two hours in all. On a private tour from Edinburgh, we collect you from your hotel and drive you there directly.
Can you do a Loch Lomond day trip from Glasgow or Edinburgh?
Yes. The loch is close enough to both cities for an easy day trip. Our 10-hour Castles, Lochs and Whisky tour combines Loch Lomond with Stirling Castle, the Wallace Monument and Glengoyne Distillery, or we can plan a whole day around the loch and the Trossachs. Compare all our day tours.
What is Loch Lomond famous for?
Loch Lomond is famous for its bonnie banks and the traditional song The Bonnie Banks o’ Loch Lomond. It is the largest lake in Great Britain by surface area, holds the largest freshwater island in the British Isles, Inchmurrin, and is the centrepiece of Scotland’s first national park.
What are the best places to visit at Loch Lomond?
Luss for its cottages and pier, Balloch for boat trips and Loch Lomond Shores, Balmaha for Conic Hill and the ferry to Inchcailloch, and Tarbet for the quieter northern loch. The Trossachs and Loch Katrine, just to the east, are worth adding. See our list of places to visit at Loch Lomond.
What is there to do at Loch Lomond?
Take a boat trip from Balloch, Luss or Tarbet, walk through the cottages of Luss, climb Conic Hill above Balmaha, take the ferry to Inchcailloch, climb Ben Lomond or tour a distillery at nearby Glengoyne. See our full list of things to do at Loch Lomond.
Can you take a boat trip on Loch Lomond?
Yes. Boat trips and sightseeing cruises leave from Balloch, Luss and Tarbet, mostly from spring to autumn, and many last about an hour. We can fit a boat trip into a private day and time the rest of the tour around it.
Is Loch Lomond in the Highlands?
Partly. The Highland Boundary Fault crosses the loch, so the narrow, mountainous north is in the Highlands and the wider south, around Balloch, is in the Lowlands. That is why Loch Lomond is often called the gateway to the Highlands.
Is Loch Lomond bigger than Loch Ness?
Loch Lomond has the larger surface area, about 71 square kilometres, making it the largest lake in Great Britain by area. Loch Ness is much deeper, so it holds more water.
How much time do you need at Loch Lomond?
Half a day is enough for Luss and a short boat trip. A full day lets you add Conic Hill, Inchcailloch or the Trossachs, or pair the loch with Stirling Castle and a distillery.
What is the best time to visit Loch Lomond?
May to September brings long days and the full cruise timetable. October is quieter, with autumn colour on the wooded shores. In winter the roads are quiet, but some boat trips run less often.
How is a private tour different from a Loch Lomond bus tour?
On a bus or coach tour you share the vehicle and follow a fixed timetable. A private tour is just for your party: we collect you from your hotel, stop where you want, and you can stay longer in Luss or add a boat trip. The price is for the whole vehicle, not per seat.
How much does a private Loch Lomond tour cost?
Our 10-hour Castles, Lochs and Whisky tour, which includes Loch Lomond, costs £620 per vehicle for up to four guests. A tailor-made Loch Lomond and Trossachs day is priced per vehicle too, with a written quote within 24 hours.
What is your cancellation policy?
Our cancellation and refund terms are set out in full in our terms and conditions, so you can read them before you book.
Ready to See Loch Lomond?
Tell us your dates and what you’d love to do, a boat trip, a hill walk or a whisky tasting. We’ll plan the day around you, with one clear price for the whole vehicle.
Online, by phone or WhatsApp. There is nothing to pay to ask.
A suggested Loch Lomond itinerary and a written per-vehicle price within 24 hours.
Your driver-guide meets you at your hotel in Glasgow or Edinburgh.
One price for the whole vehicle, confirmed in writing before you book.
© 2026 Tycoon Tours Scotland. All rights reserved.