Best Dog Friendly Munros – Are we friends on Instagram? This is where I share some of my best tips, videos and daily life in Scotland!
I love how dog friendly Loch Lomond is – it’s the perfect place to take your dog for a weekend adventure!
Best Dog Friendly Munros
Over a weekend in April, Haggis, Angus and I explored the east side of Loch Lomond. While many people choose to stick to the busy west side of the lake, we decided to head to the east side, which is home to a variety of hikes, nature and wildlife.
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We were greeted with excellent weather for hiking – cloudy skies and calm water on the lake. Angus loves to travel – and we love to take him on our adventures, so for us Loch Lomond was the perfect base for a fun weekend away.
Although Loch Lomond is dog friendly, it’s still important to be organized when traveling with your dog. Read on for the parent’s fact guide to traveling to Loch Lomond with your dog!
The best way to explore Loch Lomond is a combination of driving and walking. We found that driving on the east side of Loch Lomond gave us more freedom, but the road towards Roarwarden is quite difficult – which definitely made us want to drive less!
Loch Lomond has a big emphasis on sustainability, so we tried to travel to as many places as possible. After all, the best part of spending time at Loch Lomond is being immersed in nature. You can walk almost anywhere as the West Highland Way runs along the lake on the east side.
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Another fun way to explore Loch Lomond is by e-bike; An electric charging point for e-bikes is installed in Dryman Square and some cafes (including St Mocha Cafe in Balmaha) have chargers you can borrow.
The best way to get to the east side of Loch Lomond is to catch a train from Glasgow to Balloch and then a McGill’s bus to Balmaha. Public transport will only take you to Balmaha, so to get to Rowardennan Lodge you have to walk (about 2.5 hours) or drive.
We stayed at Rowardennan Lodge Youth Hostel, one of Hostelling Scotland’s dog friendly properties. This inn was once a hunting lodge and lay on the bony shore of Loch Lomond; It has the most amazing views and you can enjoy the lake views from many of the bedrooms and lounges.
Our private room overlooked Loch Lomond which was great to wake up to. The bathrooms are shared, and the showers are some of the best I’ve experienced in a hostel. The wifi is a bit spotty, but I hear it will improve soon – plus, this is a place where you want to relax, not scroll through your social media!
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This blog post was written in paid partnership with Hostelling Scotland to write a dog friendly guide to Loch Lomond. All opinions are my own.
There is also a large kitchen and several dining rooms where you can prepare your own meals, or enjoy hot meals cooked in the hostel.
You can choose between a continental breakfast or a cooked breakfast; You can also order a three-course meal for dinner, which is what we ate one night. We had soup and bread to start, tikka masala for mains, and chocolate brownies for dessert – it was delicious!
Angus also managed to eat with us – we brought him his own bowl and he happily ate while we enjoyed the meal.
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After dinner we went to the lounge where we relaxed overlooking Loch Lomond and enjoyed a cold beer (yes, this hostel is licensed and you can buy craft beer!).
I have been on many trips to Scotland and have used these hostels as a base – they are a great choice if you are looking for comfortable accommodation at a reasonable price.
Hostelling Scotland One of the best things about hostels is that they are thorough and family friendly. We met people from all walks of life – young students, pensioners walking the West Highland Way and people in their thirties (like us) using the hostel as a base for the walk.
If you want to bring your dog, there is a small charge of £5 for each night your dog stays.
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The Clachan Inn is one of my favorite pubs in Scotland; The pub was licensed in 1734, making it the oldest registered pub in Scotland and one of the oldest pubs in Scotland.
The bar area is dog friendly (and in my opinion, it’s the best place to sit for a meal). The owner and bar staff are amazing – they were so happy to see Angus, gave him lots of treats and a bowl of water.
I ordered the Aberdeen Angus burger which was delicious and Craig had the steak pie. He swore it was one of the best cakes he had ever eaten!
This pub has a local feel and definitely holds a special place in my heart. In my opinion it is a must see.
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Perch were another highlight when we visited Loch Lomond. Located on the water, The Perch is stylish but offers relaxed dining. They specialize in delicious brunch, lunches and homemade cakes.
When we arrived Angus was greeted with treats and eggs and given a bowl of water while Haggis and I studied the menu. I chose the pulled pork sandwich which was amazing! Hagis ate a Caesar salad which he says is also delicious.
This pub/restaurant is more casual, and dogs are also welcome. Angus made a lot of friends when we went here for dinner!
You are welcome to sit outside with your dog on St. Mocha cafe and ice cream parlor in Belmaha. They make their own ice cream and coffee and are committed to sustainability by using the byproduct of roasting their own coffee. When we went there they even made Angus Pappacino!
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Nearby is the Oak Tree Inn, where you are welcome to sit outside with your dog. The Oak Tree Inn has twice been named Scotland’s top pub, and they source their ingredients as locally as possible. They serve a variety of dishes including pizza, burgers, fish and chips and steak pies.
If you like the taste of homemade soup and bread, Dragon Soup Cafe in Dryman is a vegan/vegetarian cafe that has a lovely outside area with seating where you can sit with your dog. There is also a nice walk in the forest.
If you’re looking for a challenging hike, Ben Lomond is a popular choice. As Scotland’s most southerly Munro (a mountain over 3,000 feet high in Scotland), Ben Lomond is popular for day trips from Glasgow and even Edinburgh.
I recommend spending more than one day in this area, especially as climbing Ben Lomond takes an average of 4.5 – 5.5 hours.
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The great thing is that if you are staying at Rowardennan Lodge, the Ben Lomond walk starts from the lodge!
If you want to take a short hike with great views, Connick Hill is a popular choice. Connick Hill is a popular hill walk with locals; Many Glaswegians come to this hill at the weekend, climb it and return home in time for dinner.
The walk takes you through a forest and you climb gradually until you reach the Kissing Gate, from there the trail is steep but manageable. The kissing gate can be a bit tricky for bigger dogs, but Angus eventually got the hang of it so we didn’t have to lift him over the gate!
The views from the first small hill are amazing – you can see over Loch Lomond and its islands, and of course the mighty Munro, Ben Lomond.
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Angus loved this short but intense walk – and along the way we saw many dogs of all breeds and colors.
Be sure to keep your dog on a leash at all times, as there are often animals nearby.
Did you know there is an island in Loch Lomond where you can take your dog? Meet the island of Inchcloch!
The island is part of the Loch Lomond National Nature Reserve and is undoubtedly one of the most popular options for exploring Loch Lomond. It is known for its wild and natural beauty; The view from the top of Tom na Nighnan is said to be one of the best seen in Scotland!
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A ferry departs from Balmaha Boat Yard and Luss from April to October (this is a rough guide – also depends on water levels when the ferry runs). It runs on demand from 9am to 5.30pm, and costs £7.50 for a return ticket – and yes, your dog is welcome!
Saint Cantigerna, an Irish missionary, settled on the island at the beginning of the 8th century. She lived on the island until her death in 734, and legend has it that she
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