Loch Lomond

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Address
RSPB Loch Lomond, High Wards Farm, Gartocharn, West Dunbartonshire, G83 8SB
Grid ref
NS437871

This reserve is set in a stunning mix of woodlands and wetlands on the bonnie banks of Loch Lomond. Breathtaking views and a diverse mix of habitats provide an excellent opportunity to view a variety of wildlife including ospreys in the summer and skeins of geese in the winter.

Plan your visit

Opening times

In spring and summer:

  • Nature Hub open 10am – 4pm and staffed at weekends and school holidays.
  • Airey Woodland trail and Viewpoint path open daily 10am - 4pm.

In autumn and winter:

  • Nature Hub and trails are open 11am - 3pm in winter but opening times may vary at this time of year. For Christmas opening times, please contact us directly.

The Shore Wood path is open at all times and accessed via the Aber right of way with parking at the Millenium Hall in Gartocharn.

Entrance charges

Free entrance to RSPB members
Yes
Adults
Free
Children
Free

Facilities

  • No visitor centre
  • Car park
  • Toilets
  • Accessible toilets
  • Baby changing
  • Pushchair friendly
  • No Refreshments
  • Picnic area
  • Guided walks
  • Viewing point
  • Nature trails
  • Shop off-site
  • Educational facilities

Accessibility

How to get here

By train

The nearest station is Balloch, you will need to take a bus or taxi to the site.

By bus

Nature hub: The nearest bus stop is in Gartocharn. There is no pavement from the bus stop to the site entrance and the road is busy.  

Shore Wood path: The nearest bus stop is in Gartocharn. To reach the Millennium Hall turn off the A811 onto Church Road opposite the House of Darrach. Walk along Church Road until the Kilmaronock Millennium Hall. Follow the Aber Right of Way signpost on the right of the hall. This will take you through fields that can be extremely muddy at times. Follow the signs for Aber Right of Way and Loch Lomond NNR for 20min and you will reach the entrance.

By road

Nature hub: Please note, unfortunately our postcode doesn’t work for sat nav. If you are coming from Drymen along the A811, heading for Balloch and Gartocharn, you will pass the Old Schoolhouse B&B on the right. The entrance to RSPB Scotland Loch Lomond is the next right hand turn. If you pass a property called Drummakill, then you have gone too far. The visitor carpark, with one blue badge space, is on the left.  

If you are coming from Balloch heading along the A811 to Drymen, you will need to drive through Gartocharn. As you leave the village there will be several bends after which you need to look out for the War Memorial and a property called Drummakill, which will be on your left hand side. The entrance to RSPB Loch Lomond is the next turning on the left. The visitor car park, with one blue badge space, is on the left.  

Shore Wood path: The site is accessible at all times via the Aber Right of Way, which starts from the Kilmaronock Millennium Hall in Gartocharn. To reach the Millennium Hall turn off the A811 onto Church Road opposite the House of Darrach. The postcode for the Millennium Hall is G83 8NF. Park at the Millennium Hall car park and follow the Aber Right of Way signpost on the right of the hall. This will take you through fields than can be extremely muddy at times.

Follow the signs for Aber Right of Way and Loch Lomond NNR for 20min and you will reach the entrance   

Sat nav POI file: If you have a satellite navigation system that can accept POI files, please see our POI page for a download link and instructions.

Get directions from Google Maps
RSPB reserves on Google Earth

Group booking information

Groups are welcome to visit. Please contact us directly for more information. 

Schools booking information

Schools are welcome to visit. Please contact us directly for more information

What will the weather be like?

13 degrees, Partly cloudy (day)

Contact Loch Lomond

What will you see?

Our star species

Nature spectacles

Each season brings with it its own nature spectacle and the opportunity to experience something new. In spring, the air is filled with birdsong as they compete to establish territories and attract a mate. In summer, look out for young birds making their first venture into the outside world. Autumn brings large movements of migrating birds - some heading south to a warmer climate, others seeking refuge in the UK from the cold Arctic winter. In winter, look out for large flocks of birds gathering to feed, or flying at dusk to form large roosts to keep warm.

Why not take part in one of our goose walks? Check out the events page for more information. 

Seasonal highlights

  • Stroll through the woodlands in spring to witness carpets of sweet smelling bluebells.
  • Listen out for the distinctive calls of tree pipits and wood warblers.
  • Get up extra early to witness the wonderful symphony of the dawn chorus. Autumn and winter brings their own natural spectacles, not to be missed. 
  • Wander through a wild flower meadow and look out for fluttering butterflies and buzzing bees. 
  • Watch out for dragonflies and damselflies darting around the water edge. 
  • Keep a close eye on the sky for soaring ospreys in search of fish in the water below.
  • Wander through the ancient woodland and experience the beautiful colours of autumn 
  • Look out for flocks of fieldfares and redwings on the hunt for berries and autumn fruits.
  • Take a closer look at the woodland floor and discover the wonderful world of fungi.
  • Watch the sun rise over the stunning hills and see thousands of geese fly off in the early morning. A spectacle worth the early start.
  • Take a winter walk on a frosty day and enjoy the view of snow-capped Ben Lomond.
  • Watch flocks of long-tailed tits calling from tree to tree in the woodland. 

About Loch Lomond

Habitat

The mix of habitats found here are what make it such a diverse place for wildlife. The woodlands, wetlands, and grasslands provide food and shelter for a range of creatures. Look out for treecreepers, goldcrests and great spotted woodpeckers in the woodlands and in if you're lucky in the spring/summer you might catch a glimpse of a brightly coloured redstart. 

In winter watch for visiting fieldfares and redwings making the most of the berries and listen out for thousands of geese moving between their feeding and roosting grounds. If you're really lucky you might catch a glimpse of an otter close to one of the waterways or a red squirrel high up in the trees.

Conservation

One example of our work is the restoration of the grassland and meadow as low-intensity grazing pasture. This will provide ideal conditions for plants, insects, breeding birds and wintering wildfowl, such as geese.

Much of the site has been under-grazed in the recent past, and these habitats had fallen into poor condition. Work by the team on site and our local farmers over the past five years has already had a huge positive impact and this work will continue in the coming years. Keeping the vegetation under control will improve the conditions for ground-nesting birds, such as redshanks, snipe and lapwings, as well as maintaining the diversity of plant and insect species. 

This grassland management has been improving the feeding and roosting grounds for the internationally important population of Greenland white-fronted geese who spend the winter in this area.

Our partners, SNH, have been controlling invasive non-native plant species, such as Himalayan balsam, for many years across the NNR and we continue to work with them to eradicate these species along the course of the River Endrick. 

We have been working on improving the Aber bog too. This habitat is currently in an unfavourable condition due to the abundance of reed canary grass and thick, rank vegetation. In the past this area would have been cropped for bog hay but after this practice was abandoned a thick layer of litter has built up. In 2016 we cut a section of the fen and burnt the vegetation in situ. We will continue this practice of cutting and burning in the autumn months and will carry out surveys to analyse the results.

Partners

Working in partnership with Scottish Natural Heritage, Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park.

Site information

The site forms part of the Loch Lomond National Nature Reserve (NNR) and includes a number of other designations including SSSI, SPA, SAC and NSA. These special designations are there to protect the species that are found here including the Greenland white-fronted geese which feed and roost around the site in the winter. 

Latest blog posts

Read the blog

Activities and events

Activities for children and families

RSPB Scotland Loch Lomond is the ideal place for families to go on an adventure. Peer into the Mini-beast Mansion, go hunting for butterflies and frogs or even build a den in the woods.
Entry in to the Nature Hub and trails are free, but there are charges for equipment, activities and events. Families are more than welcome on our guided walks. For intrepid explorers we would recommend wellies.

  • Exciting family events that run throughout the year.
  • Fun, self-guided activities like bug hunting, birdwatching, or explorer backpacks to hire (available when Nature Hub is staffed).
  • Pushchair-friendly trails.
  • Baby changing facilities at Nature Hub.

Leisure activities

Nature enthusiasts: Nature enthusiasts of all ages will be rewarded with the array of sights and sounds of some of Scotland's most loved wildlife. Loch Lomond is a remarkable place and home to a range of wildlife from the tiniest insects to majestic birds of prey.

Photographers: With stunning views and a variety of wildlife, photographers won't be disappointed. 

Nature trails: Airey Woodland Trail (950m loop) – A woodland trail winding through coppiced alder woodland, leading into a wildflower meadow and past a small pond. The woodland is a great place to look for tree pipits (summer), bullfinches, treecreepers and goldcrests. The meadow in summer is buzzing with bees, butterflies and watch out for frogs by the pond too!

Viewpoint Path (200m): Fully accessible path leading out to stunning views of Ben Lomond and Conic Hill, overlooking the woodlands and fen of RSPB Scotland Loch Lomond. In summer watch for soaring ospreys and listen to the birdsong from the woodlands close by.  In winter watch skeins of geese making their way from their overnight roost to their daytime feeding grounds.

Shore Wood Path (accessed via the Aber right of way): Ancient oak woodlands along the loch shore. Look out for long-tailed tits, great spotted woodpeckers and if you’re lucky, redstarts in the summer. Out on the water watch out for great crested grebes and ospreys fishing and in the winter this is the favourite roosting place for 1000s of geese including pink-footed and Greenland white-fronted.

Events

Sunday 23 September
Weekend Nature Walk
West Dunbartonshire
Saturday 29 September
Weekend Nature Walk
West Dunbartonshire
Red Squirrel Walk
West Dunbartonshire
Sunday 30 September
Autumn Wild Food Foraging
West Dunbartonshire
Weekend Nature Walk
West Dunbartonshire
Friday 19 October
Nature Fun Weekend
West Dunbartonshire
Saturday 20 October
Nature Fun Weekend
West Dunbartonshire
Sunday 21 October
Nature Fun Weekend
West Dunbartonshire
More events

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