Adventures in Scotland, Part 1: Loch Tay
A few years ago, I spent a few days in a quiet, peaceful part of the Scottish Highlands. It was genuinely the first time I came back to London and felt an immediate urge to escape to the quiet again. We spent a few nights in a lovely house and woke up to views of the beautiful Loch Tay, a freshwater loch surrounded by the hills.
It’s the kind of place that works very well if you want to properly slow down and don’t want to feel as though you need to tick off a long list of things to do.
As we head into autumn and winter, I can’t help but reminisce about my all of my Scottish adventures so I wanted to put together a series to inspire your next trip to Scotland. First up: a few days around Loch Tay.
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How do you get there?
This trip would be much better with a car. You could just about make it work via train but it will be quite restricted. You could get the train to Edinburgh or Perth and rent a car from these locations. Driving also means that you can stop by a supermarket on your way to stock up on all the essentials for your stay. It’s approximately 2 hours from Edinburgh or 1 hour from Perth.
Where to Stay near Loch Tay
We stayed in Kenmore, which is a very small village at the eastern end of Loch Tay. But there are plenty of cottages and cabins around Loch Tay. If you’d prefer somewhere with a view, I’d prioritise somewhere around the edge of the loch.
In my view, it’s worth spending a little more for somewhere you’d genuinely enjoy spending time in - especially because the weather in Scotland is never guaranteed.
I’ve trawled through the long list of properties and a few I’ve found are:
Osprey Boathouse (personal favourite with stunning views)
Also, a couple of more options that are a lot more expensive and slightly further away from the loch but look so beautiful for a special group stay so I had to include them:
Explore more accommodation options in Loch Tay below
Exploring Loch Tay and nearby
Loch Tay is a beautiful place to visit if you want a taste of the Scottish Highlands without feeling as though you need to plan every minute of your trip. We spent most of our time simply exploring at a very leisurely pace - there is something very lovely about having no particular rush to get to the next place.
A few ideas for your trip are:
Walking around Kenmore: There are lots of walks near the loch if you want to explore the landscape on foot. There is a huge variety of gentle woodland walks and more challenging hikes. Look out for the walk up to Black Rock viewpoint too, which gives you beautiful views across Loch Tay and the surrounding hills.
Taymouth Marina: If you’re lucky with the weather, you can head down to Taymouth Marina and get out on the water. You can hire kayaks or paddle boards and explore the loch from a different perspective. You can also stay overnight here so it’s another accommodation option!
Wild Ember Bothy: This is something I found as part of my recent research so haven’t tried it myself. For something a bit more indulgent, WildEmber Bothy has an outdoor wood-fired sauna immersed in nature. A perfect activity after a morning of walking. Perfect combination of adventure and comfort.
Taymouth Golf Club: I’m not a golfer (obviously…) but accompanying my husband around the golf course in a golf buggy was actually really good fun. The course is surrounded by beautiful Highland scenery, so even if you’re not interested in playing, it makes for a pretty lovely afternoon. Don’t knock it until you try it!!
Dunkeld: If you have time, Dunkeld is around 40 mins drive away and is a lovely little town to spend the day. It can also be a nice change of pace if you’ve spent a few days by the loch. You can find independent shops, cafes and galleries. Don’t miss Aran bakery while you’re there.
And don’t underestimate the appeal of doing very little at all. One of my favourite things about this trip was simply having time to sit by the loch, read my book and take some photos. You don’t need to fill the days when the surrounding environment is so calming and beautiful.
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Thanks for reading,
T.
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