The Walking Gateway to Argyll

The Three Lochs Way is one of Scotland's Great Trails

The Three Lochs Way fully illustrated guidebook has now been updated and reprinted and is available online for £10 + post and packing. It can also be purchased from Helensburgh Cycles, Destination Helensbugh and Loch Lomond Gift House in Balloch.

Help maintain and develop the route by visiting our Donate Page

IMPORTANT NOTICE! Update 13 April 2025

Hurray! To the best of our knowledge the fallen trees on the Three Lochs Way and the John Muir Way between Balloch and Helensburgh have now been cleared so the route is open again. Please ignore any remaining diversion signs. Enjoy the path.

Gentle landscapes are gradually replaced by the scenic drama of mountain, crag and loch as the Three Lochs Way crosses the Highland Boundary Fault and heads towards the mountains of the Southern Highlands. With Loch Lomond, The Gareloch and Loch Long as recurrent scenic backdrops, the Three Lochs Way takes you on a fascinating journey through place and time as it links a necklace of communities strung along the Clyde Sea Lochs fringe of Scotland's first national park.

Rarely rising above 250 metres, the route's 55 kilometres (34 miles) can easily be walked in 3 to 4 days and with the West Highland railway line never far away, it also offers plenty of options for shorter day walks. Total ascent is approximately 1,500 metres.

Top Ten Highlights

Stoneymollan Road, a delightful ancient route linking Balloch and Cardross.
The stunning view over Loch Lomond when you cross the Highland Boundary Fault at Goukhill Muir.
Helensburgh’s beautiful tree lined streets, especially colourful in Spring and Autumn.
Charles Rennie Macintosh’s elegant domestic architectural masterpiece, "The Hill House".
Peaceful Glen Fruin (but not in 1603 when 300 Macgregors routed a much larger force of Colquhouns in a major clan battle at the head of the glen).
Great views north of Garelochhead over Loch Long to the knobbly skyline of ‘Argyll’s Bowling Green’ and the ‘Arrochar Alps’.
The craggy ‘Cobbler’, the area’s finest mountain and a must climb ‘Corbet’.
Delightful Glen Loin Woodlands, home to red squirrels.
The impressive Sloy hydro electricity installations, built at the end of WWII with help from German POWs.
A traverse of the fine Munro, Ben Vorlich, from Loch Sloy over to Ardlui makes a great way to top off your Three Lochs Way experience.

Geocaching

The Three Lochs Way is popular with geocachers. For more info check out www.geocaching.com

Three Lochs Way Multi-use Notes

The Three Lochs Way is a 34.5 mile long distance route Although developed and promoted primarily with walkers in mind, much of the route follows broad tracks and paths which are also accessible on a bike or horse.

Download The Three Lochs Way Multi-use Notes