Loch Lomond, GB

A contemporary waterfront restaurant on Balloch Road by the River Leven, plating seasonal Scottish seafood and grills. Big windows, a sharp wine and cocktail list, and a menu that leans on west-coast fish, mussels and oysters. The most ambitious sit-down dinner in Balloch proper.

A neighbourhood Italian in The Galleries on Balloch Road doing wood-fired pizzas, fresh pasta, Scotch-beef steaks and a deep antipasti list. Lively, family-friendly and reliable rather than highbrow, with good gluten-free and vegetarian choices. The default casual dinner in Balloch.

A cosy daytime cafe and bistro on Pier Road in Luss, a few steps from the lochside, doing soups, sandwiches, full Scottish breakfasts and home baking. Family-run, dog-friendly and a useful refuge when a Luss coach crowd lands. The natural lunch stop in the village.

An 18th-century coaching inn in the heart of Luss with a panelled bar, a fireside lounge and a restaurant turning out Scottish staples built on Highland beef, lamb and west-coast fish. Smarter than a pub and more relaxed than fine dining, with a courtyard garden for warm afternoons. The Luss option for a proper sit-down dinner.

Reputedly Scotland's oldest licensed pub, on the square in Drymen since 1734, with a cosy front bar, an open fire and a restaurant doing pub-classic Scottish plates with generous portions. Long a fuelling stop for West Highland Way walkers heading out from Drymen. Atmospheric and proudly local.

A village pub-with-rooms on Stirling Road in Drymen with a wood-and-stone bar, regular weekend live music and a kitchen leaning on local meat and fish for homemade pub classics. Lively and unpretentious, especially when a band is on. Pair it with the Clachan as the village's other dinner option.

A long-running inn on Aberfoyle's main street, owner-run for decades, plating Scottish pub classics built on meat from the village butcher and fish delivered daily. Coal fire, friendly bar and a separate dining room. The village's most reliable sit-down dinner.

A long-standing daytime coffee shop in Aberfoyle doing soups, paninis, baked potatoes and the kind of huge home-baked cakes regulars come back for. Dog-friendly, easy on the wallet and the natural lunch stop before or after Queen Elizabeth Forest. Casual rather than ambitious.

A slate-roofed inn in the centre of Balmaha, the East-shore walkers' base, with a bar, restaurant, an ice-cream parlour and rooms above. The kitchen does generous Scottish pub plates built on local produce, and live folk music runs many weekends. The default stop before or after Conic Hill.

A modern Scottish restaurant in a converted historic church on the A83 between Tarbet and Arrochar, with high stone walls, a sunny beer garden and a kitchen plating local beef, lamb and west-coast fish. Atmospheric and dog-friendly. A good lunch or dinner stop on the west loch.

A traditional whitewashed inn on the shore at Arrochar, looking across Loch Long to The Cobbler, with a flagstone bar, log fire, beer garden and a kitchen turning out Scottish pub classics and a long cask-ale list. The locals' watering hole on the west side and a good Arrochar Alps post-hike stop.

The classic Loch Lomond first hike, a 4 to 5 km round trip from Balmaha climbing a heather ridge to a 361-metre summit that lines up perfectly with the Highland Boundary Fault running through the loch's islands. Steep in places but achievable for most fit walkers in two to three hours. The view from the top is the picture you came for.

Scotland's most southerly Munro at 974 metres, climbed by a steady tourist path from Rowardennan on the east shore. Roughly 11 km return with about 970 metres of ascent, taking most walkers five or six hours. Real mountain weather and a serious effort, but the summit view across the loch and Trossachs is hard to beat.

A waymarked 2.5 km loop on the wooded island of Inchcailloch, reached by the on-demand passenger ferry from Balmaha. The path climbs gently through oak woodland to a summit viewpoint over the southern islands, then drops back past the old MacGregor burial ground. An hour and a half well spent.

An easy network of flat paths through the parkland around Balloch Castle, with the walled garden, the fairy glen and a stretch of lochside lawn at the loch's south tip. All on good track suitable for buggies and most mobility levels. The right shake-out walk on a tired or rainy day.

A short, flat self-guided walk around Luss village, taking in the pier, the parish church with its Viking hogback stone, the conservation cottages and the lochside beach. About 30 to 45 minutes if you stop to look properly. The right short stretch of legs when you do not want a real hike.

A network of waymarked forest paths on the east shore north of Balmaha, run by the Royal Scottish Forestry Society on the slopes above the loch. Choose a flat lochside trail, a moderate woodland circuit, or push on uphill to the Tom nan Clag summit for a panoramic view. Quieter than Balmaha's hill paths.

A pretty 4-mile out-and-back along the West Highland Way through oak woodland on the east shore, between the Sallochy picnic spot and the Rowardennan ferry pier. Easy underfoot for the most part, with regular lochside viewpoints and a quiet, dappled feel. A good half-day walk that doesn't need hill kit.

A 12 km classic stage of the WHW from Drymen across Garadhban Forest and over Conic Hill to Balmaha. The Conic ascent in the middle is the day's work, with the long-distance reveal of the loch and islands as the reward. Roughly four to five hours at a relaxed pace.

A quick, well-made path from a free A82 layby down to the viewing platform above the Falls of Falloch, about ten minutes each way. Short and flat enough to suit anyone with a few minutes between drives. Best after rain when the falls are in full voice.

A small but striking rocky peak in the Trossachs, climbed in 4 km return from a forestry car park on the A821 near Loch Achray. The path is steep and rebuilt, getting you to a 454-metre summit with a big out-of-proportion view over Loch Katrine and the Trossachs in about two hours. A favourite first hill walk for visitors.

A small, well-regarded raptor centre tucked in the lochside woods at Loch Lomond Shores, with around 40 birds across 26 species and twice-daily flying displays. Knowledgeable staff lead the demos and run hands-on experiences where you can fly an owl or hawk to the glove. A solid 90-minute outing for any age.

A picturesque single-malt distillery at Dumgoyne on the Highland Line south of Loch Lomond, in operation since 1833 and known for slow distillation and air-dried unpeated malt. Pre-booked tours walk the stills and warehouses with tastings, and there is a longer Malt Master blending session for enthusiasts. The standout distillery visit close to the loch.

The main boat operator on the upper loch, running from Tarbet pier with scenic cruises to Inversnaid and Rob Roy's Cave, hop-on ferries to Rowardennan and Inversnaid, and Luss circulars. Smaller, more personal boats than the Balloch fleet, with skipper commentary on board. The best way to see the loch's wilder north end without driving round.

The long-established cruise operator at the south end of the loch, sailing from Balloch and Loch Lomond Shores piers. One-hour scenic loops and longer two-hour cruises with commentary cover the lower islands and the Endrick mouth, and combo tickets pair with SEA LIFE. The easy boat option if you are based in Balloch.

A magical short woodland trail above Luss, threaded with hidden fairy doors, carvings and puzzle stops, designed for young families. Roughly 30 to 60 minutes at a child's pace, with a small ticket price that goes back into the woodland upkeep. A pleasant change of register if you have small kids in the group.

The waterfront retail and attractions complex at the south end of the loch in Balloch, with shops, food halls, Drumkinnon Tower viewpoint, bike and pedalo hire, and the launching pier for boat trips. Easy and rain-friendly for an afternoon when the weather closes in. A natural family hub.

A conservation village of slate-roofed sandstone cottages on the west shore of Loch Lomond, with a short pier, a pebble beach and a 19th-century parish church beside an ancient burial ground. It is the postcard stop on the bonnie banks and gets busy with coaches by late morning. Park, wander the lanes, and walk out onto the pier for the cross-loch view to Ben Lomond.

A 200-acre country park at the south end of Loch Lomond on the grounds of an 1808 castellated mansion, with lawns to the lochside, walled gardens and the wooded fairy glen. It is the only registered historic designed landscape inside the national park. Free to wander, dog-friendly and a quick five-minute walk from Balloch village.

The last paddle steamer built in Britain, launched at Balloch in 1953 and now a static visitor ship at the steam slipway between Balloch Castle Park and Loch Lomond Shores. Volunteers are slowly restoring her to steam, and in the meantime you can walk the decks and take tea in the saloon. A short, low-key, slightly nostalgic stop.

A small wooded island in the loch a short open boat hop from Balmaha, part of the national nature reserve and the start of the Highland Boundary Fault line. A waymarked summit loop climbs through oak woodland to a viewpoint over the southern islands, and there is an old burial ground of the Clan MacGregor near the jetty. Take the on-demand ferry across.

A 30-foot waterfall on the River Falloch at the northern tip of the loch, off the A82 north of Ardlui and right on the West Highland Way. The plunge pool below is known locally as Rob Roy's bathtub, and there is a short marked path from a free roadside car park. A five-minute detour for anyone driving the A82 north.

The waterfront visitor complex at the south end of the loch in Balloch, built around the prow-shaped Drumkinnon Tower, with shops, cafes, the aquarium, the bird-of-prey centre and the main launching point for boat trips. It is the easiest single-stop family base in the area, and works well as a rainy-afternoon fallback. Park here and walk into the country park or onto the pier.

A loud cascade of the Arklet Water tumbling into Loch Lomond beside the Inversnaid Hotel on the east shore, made famous by Gerard Manley Hopkins's poem. You can drive in on the single-track road from Aberfoyle or arrive by ferry from Tarbet. The viewing bridge is right by the pier, an easy five-minute visit.

A small Victorian parish church on the lochside at Luss, built in 1875 in memory of the local laird's wife, with stained glass, an ancient hogback stone in the porch and a graveyard with markers from the 7th century. Free to step inside between services, and a peaceful counterpoint to the busy village lanes. A ten-minute look rather than a long visit.