Where and what outdoor activities should you choose to do in Argyll & The Isles, Loch Lomond, Stirling and The Trossachs?
An active region at the heart of Scotland
Hills, mountains, moorlands, lochs, rivers, coast and islands combine to provide an outdoors arena for a mesmerising menu of activities.
An easily accessible place to begin your adventure is Loch Lomond, at the centre of Loch Lomond & the Trossachs National Park. The UK’s largest area of freshwater is the location for both easy-going and high-energy watersports.
You could take a speedboat tour, or give water-skiing, wakeboarding, wake surfing and a jet ski safari a try.
Stand-up paddleboarding, kayaking or canoeing are perfect for more peaceful outings with good opportunities for spotting wildlife and enjoying the scenery.
Luss Estate, on Loch Lomond’s western shore, is the ideal environment for gorge scrambling with In Your Element. All ages will enjoy swimming, jumping and sliding over waterfalls and into pools.
Wild swimmers also rave about the loch, especially at Balmaha and Milarrochy Bay. Many of the other 20 or so lochs in the national park are popular for swimming, too, such as at Lubnaig, Ard and Venachar.
It’s not far to Loch Katrine, where many visitors take trip on board the steamship, SS Sir Walter Scott, with Loch Katrine Cruises, to relax and appreciate views of surrounding hills, mountains and forests. You can take bikes on board, then ride back from Stronachlachar on a 12-mile traffic-free road. Bike hire nearby includes e-bikes, making the route achievable for more people.
Another famous Scottish waterway, the Forth & Clyde Canal journeys through part of this region in the east. At the Falkirk Wheel – an iconic boat lift on the canal – you can “walk on water” in inflatable balls. On land, you can join a Segway tour along the towpath.
Not far away, a lagoon at Helix Park is a safe place to take canoeing and open water swimming lessons. Kids will love the splash play area and Adventure Zone, too.
A network of paths, which take you past a magnificent horses heads sculpture, the Kelpies, are ideal for walking, skating or cycling. Hire e-bikes nearby for easier travel. Or you could join a Segway tour to the Falkirk Wheel along the historic Forth & Clyde Canal.
Forests and trails for active fans
The region’s forests are ideal for mountain bikers, from family friendly routes at from Loch Ard Forest Sculpture Cycle Trail and Mugdock Country Park to more challenging trails at Carron Valley Mountain Bike Trails.
For a longer pedal, which could be assisted by an electric-powered mountain bike, there’s a multi-day West Island Trail in Argyll, which has been created by Bikepacking Scotland in partnership with Hostelling Scotland.
On Kintyre, a bikes and all-terrain buggies hire centre in Carradale Forest makes cross-country trails accessible for all, including the disabled.
Exploring is even easier by pony with four legs doing the work for you as you journey on forest tracks and across pristine sandy beaches.
If you enjoy a challenge, Queen Elizabeth Forest, near Aberfoyle, has a Go Ape! tree-high aerial course.
Treeline gorges are imaginatively transformed into outdoor playgrounds for canyoning, such as at Alva Canyon, where participants abseil, jump and a zipline into a cave.
Head for the coast
It’s Argyll’s scenic shoreline with fjord-like sea lochs, two long peninsulas of Kintyre and Cowal, and islands that draw adventure seekers away from inland attractions. By car, train or ferry the trip to the west coast is also scenically rewarding.
Staying on the mainland, there are plenty of beaches and bays with calm waters to try paddleboarding, sailing, kayaking and wild swimming. For something special, book a sunset paddleboarding experience from Oban or surfing at Machrihanish in Kintyre.
The Scottish Sea Kayak Trail is a focus for paddlers, with the opportunity to kayak shot sections, such as a “Lord of the Isles” trip from Oban to Mallaig with Arisaig Sea Kayaking, or complete the full route from the Isle of Gigha to the Summer Isles north of Ullapool over a fortnight.
The Isle of Bute offers many kayaking options, including majestic Loch Fad and St Ninian’s Bay on the east coast, with pretty Inchmarnock island. Scalpsie Beach is popular for wild swimming.
As you travel along the coast look out for a multitude of seabirds, as well as birds of prey and seals.
Wind and sea combine on the islands of Islay, Coll and Tiree to create popular destinations for surfers, kitesurfers and windsurfers. For a family friendly place to enjoy bodyboarding, visit Kiloran Bay on Colonsay.
Basking Shark Scotland on Coll create lifetime memories with the chance to swim alongside the 30-foot plankton-eating sharks, or go snorkelling in a lagoon with seals.
Another trip is to Staffa, off the Isle of Mull, to swim, snorkel or kayak into Fingal’s Cave – a stunning 60 m long chasm supported by remarkable basalt columns. Or join a puffin and wildlife tour to the Treshnish Isles from Oban or Tobermory on Mull.
More of Mull’s natural wonders, including marine wildlife and white-tailed sea eagles, can be spotted on foot, by boat and by Land Rover.
Cowal Peninsula has further activities to try, such as canyoning at picturesque Glen Massan near Dunoon, and a growing network of mountain bike trails close to the town such as at Bishop’s Glen, as well as Ardgartan in Argyll Forest Park.
You might well need another holiday to recover from all the fun and excitement in this region of great adventures.