Run 5 lochs from Kinlochard
Length
26.9 Kms
Elevation gain
467 m
Max elevation
230 m
Difficulty
***
Rating
**
Type
Loop
Route id
567
Main road
0 Kms
Country road
0 Kms
Dirt road
19.5 Kms
Dirt path
0 Kms
Trail
7.4 Kms
0
Route summary
The Run 5 lochs from Kinlochard route is a forest road and trail run within Loch Lomond and the Trossachs. The loop covers a distance of 26.88 Kms ( 16.7 miles )
and has an elevation gain of 467 m ( 1532 feet )
.
Description
This 5 loch route from Kinlochard has been something of a challenge for us to actually complete. Several attempts have been twarted with closed access to foreset areas or the paths being under a landslide. However, here is the route in full and the best way.
The route in mainly good quality forest road with
7.4 Kms
of trail along the way. Part of that trail from the crossing of the B829 to the road along Loch Katrine is difficult to follow in parts, especially in summer when everything is overgrown. We do recommend you have some sort of navigation aid on that section.
The route heads out of the car park and you quickly find the small uphill path on the right. This is only about
500 m
and brings you onto the forest road where you turn left. In the first section of this Loch Ard can be seen behind you.
The forest road continues in and out of the trees and takes you past Loch Dhu, Inversnaid and Loch Chon. This part is nice enough, but very undulating. You join the Great Trossachs way just before the forest road meets the B829 where you take a left. This is about
8.8 Kms
into the run.
This is where things start to get interesting as the trail crosses the road and takes you uphill. For a short while on forest road again. At just after
9.8 Kms
you leave the forest road and take the faint path on the left. This is currently marked with an arrow made from stones, but if you are still on forest road and back in the trees you have gone too far. Check the picutres for this route to get an idea of what the path look likes. This section is real trail and difficult to see the actual path in places during the summer. In our last summeer visit the ferns were higher than we were which made for a lot of stops to check where we were going. This section rewards you with great views over Loch Katrine.
The trail section ends when you hit the small private road beside the Royal Cottage. You take a left and follow the road until you reach a tee junction where you take another left. You will see the path on the right after about
100 m
. The path takes you towards Loch Arklet where you take the path down to the towards the road and the top of the loch.
From here the trail takes alongside the B829 though slighly up the hill. You cross the B829 two times before rejoining the forest road alonside Loch Chon and back the way you came to the car park.
The route can be extended to include Loch Lomond by following the train along Loch Arklet, but would mean coming back the same way. As we mentioned at the start this route does seem to have more than its fair share of closures. However, keep in mind that the small roads here do not have a lot of traffic and make good road running routes.
Route directions
Kms
1
Head towards the small road from the car park
0
2
Turn right at the road
0.1
3
Follow the marked path on the right going uphill
0.2
4
Turn right at the forest road
0.8
5
Take the forest road to the right
3.5
6
Take road to left going uphill
3.9
7
Before the road, take the path on the left
8.9
8
Cross the road and keep to the path
9
9
At the forest road turn right up the hill
9.5
10
Easy path to miss heading uphill on left. Stones mark the start.
9.9
11
At the small tarred road turn left
11.4
12
At the tee junction turn left uphill
13.9
13
Take the signposted path on the right
14
14
Turn left taking the path towards the road
14.7
15
Cross the road and follow the path
14.9
16
Cross the road and follow the path
15.3
17
Cross the forest road and keep on the path, slighlty up the forest road
17.4
18
Turn right at the forest path, going back the way you came out
18
19
Straight on and up the hill
23
20
Take forest road on the left
23.4
21
Take the small path on the left back to the car park
26.1
22
A left at the road
26.6
23
And a left back into the car park
26.8
24
And completion of the 5 lochs
26.9
Car park area
Small car park
Car park area
In the summer time - has the car moved ?
Path entrance
In winter time
Path entrance
In summer
Path from car park
Up through the trees
Forest road
Most common run surface on this route
Early in the route
Winter sunrise over Loch Ard
Early in the route
Loch Ard through the trees
Early in the route
Out of the tress for a while
Views opening up
Loch Ard in the distance
Views opening up
Open countryside
Close to Inversnaid
Scotland in green
Close to Inversnaid
To Inversnaid
Close to Inversnaid
Loch Dhu
Loch Dhu
Very small loch
Loch Chon
On a still winter morning
Loch Chon
Reflections
Halfway down Loch Chon
Loch view
Halfway down Loch Chon
Straight across the loch
Top of Loch Chon
Another winter morning
Top of Loch Chon
Down the loch
Top of Loch Chon
Back into the trees
In the forest
Trees, trees and more trees
Great Trossachs way path
Entrance to the path
Great Trossachs way path
Approaching the path
Great Trossachs way path
Information sign
Great Trossachs way path
Information sign
Great Trossachs way path
Route is now trail
Looking down the glen
Getting up the hill
Turn point
Easy to miss, look for the arrow
Path starts to fade
Heading up hill
Path starts to fade
Well over grown in summer
Single trail
Path is difficult to see in places
Loch Katrine
Looking down on the loch
Loch Katrine
View of the hills
Loch Katrine
Great view down the loch
Loch Katrine
Looking up the loch
Small tarred road
Leads from the Royal cottage
Small private road
Heading to Stronalchlachar
Loch Arklet
Information sign
Loch Arklet
View over Loch Arklet
Loch Arklet
Snow on the hills
Queen Victoria
Information sign
Queen Victoria
All about the queen
Loch Arklet
From the road
Loch Arklet
Another view from the road
Troassachs path
Looking back at Loch Arklet