The Loch Àrd walk is an easy walk along the shores of Loch Ard (near Aberfoyle) that is best done in autumn when the foliage is most colourful.
Loch Àrd | Scotland
An Instagram photo of brightly colored foliage motivated us to go on this walk. Since we don’t drive, we shared that glorious photo with our dearest friends who eagerly joined the leaf-peeping bandwagon and soon we were driving towards Perthshire to explore the banks of Loch Ard.
According to Visit Scotland, “One of the 22 lochs that make up Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National Park, Loch Ard is believed to be the source of the River Forth which flows from its eastern end. Famous Scottish author and poet, Sir Walter Scott, name-checked the loch in his 1817 novel Rob Roy describing it as ‘an enchanting sheet of water.’ On the loch’s southern shores lie the ruins of a castle built by nobleman Murdoch Stewart, Duke of Albany, executed by James I for treason in 1425.“
ETYMOLOGY: From the Scottish Gaelic Loch na h-Àirde. Àird, from the Scottish Gaelic word for a promontory, headland, or height, ultimately from àrd meaning high.
How to Reach Loch Ard
BY PUBLIC TRANSPORT // None to start. X10A (Midland Bluebird) connects Glasgow and Stirling and serves Aberfoyle. The starting point is 1.5 miles from the bus stop.
BY CAR // Loch Ard is about an hour and a half from Edinburgh and about an hour from Glasgow. Set Loch Ard Forest Car Park, Stirling FK8 3TG as the destination on your GPS.
Loch Ard Walk
There are quite a few trails, including a sculpture trail, around Loch Ard and all of them start at the Loch Àrd forestry car park. We chose the one that winds along the southern banks of the loch, then loops through woodlands and past lochan, Lochan a’Ghleannain or Loch of the Small Glen. There were few people on the trail and the foliage had just started to turn. It was the first week of October, and in hindsight, we should have visited a week or two later when the colours are at their most vibrant. The undulating trail (we chose the red route from the map in the car park) traverses part of the southern shore of the loch. Near the start, there’s a sculpture of an eagle.
Also read: In Edinburgh soon? Find out about the best walks in Edinburgh.
The ferns along the trail were burnished red and amber and streams of sunlight filtered through the boughs. It was a beautiful day and we stopped, so many times, to appreciate the moss and lichens, stopped to admire sun-dappled patches of vibrant green, to listen to the singing of birds… The undergrowth was verdant! On clear days, you can see Ben Lomond from this path. As we reached a fork, two walkers coming from the opposite direction asked if we had spotted Rob Roy’s cave. We hadn’t but we started looking for it but didn’t find it. Later, we learnt that the path is directly above a cave that is said to have been used as a hiding place by Rob Roy; however, it is not visible or accessible from the route as it is on a cliff at the lochside.
On the Loch Ard walk, we wanted to find the spot we had seen in that photo on Instagram and after one or two moments of high anticipation that turned out to be different spots, we finally found the one. The breeze-rippled surface of the loch was different from the mirror-like surface of the loch we had seen in the photos but as we stood there, late in the afternoon, chatting and taking photographs, something changed in the atmosphere. Suddenly the breeze disappeared and the water became perfectly still. As if by magic! And the reflection of trees, the foliage, and the house around the loch in the dark waters was sharp and still. Mirror-like. A photographer appeared out of nowhere and set this tripod in the shallow edge and set to take some shots, then was gone as swiftly as they had arrived. They must know when to take the perfect shot! We were mesmerised but it started getting colder and we eventually made a move to the car park. At the nearest bend, we spotted a tree, heart-shaped and bright red, shining like a beacon in the midst of the yellows and greens of the woodland.
Then we pressed on as daylight dimmed. Past Lochan a’Ghleannain all sheathed by tall trees, past gorgeous cottages with their abundant gardens, we pressed on until we were back to the car park and all set to drive back to Edinburgh.
Also read: Plan a trip to the bonny banks of Loch Lomond and visit the picturesque village of Luss. Find out about the best things to do in Luss and the best walks in Luss.
For the AllTrails route of this Loch Ard walk, click here.
DISTANCE: 6.75 km / 4.25 miles circular
TIME TAKEN: 2-2.5 hours
NEAREST PUBLIC TRANSPORT TO START/FINISH: None to start. X10A (Midland Bluebird) connects Glasgow and Stirling and serves Aberfoyle. The starting point is 1.5 miles from the bus stop.
Loch Ard Walk: Route and Elevation
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