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 28 November 2024

The fallen trees between Balloch and Helensburgh remain in place so the signed diversion still needs to be followed for now. We have amended the original map slightly to show where the diversion maps are located. Please look out for them and be alert to when you need to change direction to stay with the diversion. It could be useful to photograph one of the maps. If you think any maps have been removed from these locations please let us know.

WARNING! Updated 28 November 2024 At the north end of Glen Loin, I kilometre SSE of the Coiregrograin Bridge, a pond has developed across the path and unless you are wearing wellies you will need to detour slightly into the nearby conifer forest to get past this obstruction. Walking poles proved extremely useful when we visited the site today, 6 August 2024. We think there has been an alteration to the drainage in the location perhaps due to forest works on the slope above the site. We do not expect to remedy this anytime soon.

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, Site of Special Scientific Interest and 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 these days. 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