JASPER AND TOMMY'S ADVENTURES IN SCOTLAND: Loch Katrine and Primrose Hill, Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National Park, Stirling

Loch Katrine (pronounced katrin not katreen) sits within the Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park in the Stirling council area and has provided water to the city of Glasgow since Victorian times. It's a large and beautiful loch that stretches for 8 miles and is 1 mile wide. There is a sizeable pay and display car park at the Trossachs Pier / Visitor Centre. The centre has cycle hire, refreshments and toilet facilities. We've not used the cafe ourselves but I've read reports that it is dog friendly.

Loch Katrine is also the location of the historic Sir Walter Scott steamship that until 2020 sailed on the lake. The loch is the setting for Scott's famous poem "The Lady of the Lake", published in 1810. The ship currently requires repairs and is the subject of a fund raising appeal. Other vessels are however still in operation and run tours of the loch up to Stronachlachar and back. We took Jasper on the boat when he was a puppy but there now appears to be a £2 surcharge, with dogs restricted to outdoor areas and allowed on board subject to availability. More information can be obtained from the Loch Katrine website here.

Our walk takes us along the loch and up the less walked route over Primrose Hill. Primrose Hill affords beautiful panoramic views of the loch, without the crowds often encountered on the steep trail up to the summit of the nearby Ben A'an. The route then takes us back along the loch, via a short detour to Brenachoile Point (featured in the popular TV series "Outlander"), before returning to the car park. The loch side route is via a restricted tarmacked road which provides vehicle access to properties, so do be aware of the occasional cars. The path over Primrose Hill can be a bit muddy, so I'd recommend walking boots. The walking route is 7 miles long in total.

We last walked this route during the recent heatwave but did so when it was nice and cool in the evening; we even had a little rain. Something to be aware of though is that ticks seem to be a particular problem at the moment and climate change is making them ever more prevalent. For Tommy it's less of an issue as he tends to stick to the paths and avoids the undergrowth but Jasper is more of an explorer and picks them up quite easily. We also had some on our clothes along the Primrose Hill section as there are some ferns encroaching on the path at times. So do check yourselves / dogs thoroughly before you go back indoors. You can find more information on ticks at NHS Scotland's website here. Remember to bring some midge repellent along with you too, as there's also a risk of running into plenty of those at this time of year!

As always, route maps, link to car park on Google Maps and a GPX file, can all be found at the end of the article. All images can be clicked / tapped to enlarge them.

The walk starts out along the North Shore road, following the waymarked red Brenachoile Trail and green Primrose Hill trail.

View from North Shore near the start of the walk (click / tap to enlarge)

A little further along the road, you will pass the Glen Finglas Reservoir outlet

Ever the attention seeker, Jasper stops for another photo opportunity!

Plenty of great views of the loch along the North Shore road

Tommy approaches the loch to consider whether he wants to dip a paw in!

Just over a mile into our walk, take the green route up the hill, off to the right

The turn off for the green route is waymarked and the boys have already found the way!

The hill path is narrow at times and whilst it's not too overgrown, you do need to watch out for ticks from those encroaching ferns.

Approximately half a mile along the hill path, the path forks. Take the right hand, green waymarked fork.

As the path gradually climbs up and across the hill, the views become ever more impressive.

Follow the green waymarked posts, across the hill and back down to the North Shore road. Turn left at the road to head back to the car park.

A short distance back along the road, you can take a detour down to this scenic boathouse, with Ben Venue looming above it on the other side of the loch.

Half a mile along the road, you will see Brenachoile Point jutting out into the water. There are more views to be had from here and it's also a popular picnic spot.

Here are a few more pictures taken from a previous visit to Loch Katrine in November 2019: