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Road B829 (Trossachs, Scotland) – Lochs Arklet, Chon and Ard

Last updated on February 1, 2022 By Claire, the Travel Planning Geek

The Trossachs National Park is a very popular region North of Glasgow.
To avoid the crowds of Loch Lomond and Loch Katrine, consider driving along Road B829 to Loch Arklet, Loch Chon and Loch Ard Scotland.
 It will offer you beautiful and off the beaten track landscapes.
Let me show you around!

Trossachs Drive B829 to Loch Arklet, Loch Chon and Loch Ard Scotland

Table of Contents
PLANNING TIPS - Driving Road B829 in the Trossachs
The Narrows
Loch Ard, Scotland
Loch Chon, Scotland
Loch Arklet, Scotland
Stronachlachar Pier on Loch Katrine

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PLANNING TIPS - Driving Road B829 in the Trossachs

How to Get to Loch Ard, Loch Chon and Loch Arklet

  • From Loch Lomond, Take A811 and then A81 to Aberfoyle. At this town turn west on B829 towards Kinlochard and Stronachlachar
  • Aberfoyle is 50min drive from Glasgow
  • Edinburgh to Aberfoyle = 1H25 drive
  • Aberfoyle is 30min drive from Balloch near Loch Lomond
  • Aberfoyle is 20min drive from the Loch Katrine Cruises Visitor Center

Driving B829 Scotland

  • You first drive past small bodies of water, then Loch Ard followed by Loch Chon and Loch Arklet. At the end of the road, you reach the Stronachlachar pier on Loch Katrine
  • The drive from Aberfoyle, along the lochs and all the way to the Stronachlachar pier on Loch Katrine takes 30 min
  • The Road is in good condition. At the beginning, it is one lane each way, and then it is a single-track road
  • Cafe and toilets at the Stronachlachar pier

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The Narrows

A lot of the drive has no views. Like many roads in Scotland, it is taken over by trees.

But before Loch Ard Scotland, you can already spot bodies of water. My map does not indicate them. Google maps indicates part of them as 'The Narrows'.

B829 Trossachs - The narrows 1
B829 Trossachs - The narrows 2
B829 Trossachs - The narrows 3

Need to rent a car in Scotland?
My tips:

  • Compare prices on my favorite platform: Discovercars.com - one of the best rated comparison sites!
  • Choose the car and company you prefer (prefer a compact car for the single-lane roads)
  • Consider their full coverage option - I always take it for peace of mind! 
  • Book early to have a large choice of vehicles!

See my 36 tips about renting a car in Scotland


Loch Ard, Scotland

Loch Ard is a freshwater loch. I think it is the less scenic of the 3 lochs. However, it is a great place to walk with many trails including the Loch Ard Sculpture trail. You can also enjoy water sports.

Loch Ard Scotland is 4km (2.5mi) long and 2km (1.25mi) wide.

If you are looking for accommodation in Loch Ard, 2 villages lie on its shore: Milton and Kinlochard.

Loch Ard Scotland 1

Loch Ard Scotland

Loch Ard Scotland 2
Loch Ard Scotland 3
Loch Ard Scotland 4
Loch Ard Scotland 5

Loch Chon, Scotland

First parking area on Loch Chon

B829 runs parallel to Loch Chon, so you get several opportunities to see the loch.
Loch Chon, which is up to 11m deep, is a popular spot for fishing, especially trouts.

Not far from Loch Chon, just before is the small Loch Chu. A track allows you to climb Ben Lomond (to avoid the crowds on the other track starting at Rowardennan car park). However, the climb is more strenuous, and the path not well marked.

At this first stop, there was a parking area. It is at the South end of the Loch. 

Loch Chon Scotland 1

Loch Chon, Scotland

Loch Chon Scotland 3
Loch Chon Scotland 2

Second stop at Loch Chon 

Old tales talk about a water-monster in Loch Chon. I did not spot any but was rewarded by stunning reflections.

The second stop to see Loch Chon was easy to spot. There is a parking area and a sign indicating Loch Chon.

Loch Chon Scotland 4
Loch Chon Scotland 5
Loch Chon Scotland 6

Not many other spots allow you to admire the shores of Loch Chon.

Loch Chon Scotland 7

After that the trees block the views and the loch narrows away from the road. You get a last glimpse towards the North of Loch Chon:

Loch Chon Scotland 8

Loch Arklet, Scotland

The 3rd Loch you can see from B829 is Loch Arklet. Is it perpendicular to the road, so you see only the East end. If you have time, there is a road going along the Northern shore towards Inversnaid on Loch Lomond. If I had time, I would have explored Loch Arklet more. I liked the bare summits and the colors.

The level of this Loch was raised because of a dam erected at the West end to supplement the supply from Loch Katrine.

You can walk between Loch Arklet and Loch Lomond.

Loch Arklet Scotland 1

Loch Arklet Scotland

Loch Arklet Scotland 2
Loch Arklet Scotland 3
Loch Arklet Scotland 4

Stronachlachar Pier on Loch Katrine

If you don't turn along Loch Arklet towards Inversnaid, not far on your right is Stronachlachar. The small village is the second pier on Loch Katrine. Some of the boats navigate from one pier to the other. 

The Loch Katrine Cruise I enjoyed, did not go all the way to this end of the loch so I was happy to see it from the ground.

Loch Katrine Stronachlachar Pier 1
Loch Katrine Stronachlachar Pier 2
Loch Katrine Stronachlachar Pier 3
Loch Katrine Stronachlachar Pier 4
Loch Katrine Stronachlachar Pier 5

And keep track of your own trip!

Scotland road trip Journal

Want to see more of SCOTLAND?

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VIEWS OF LOCH LOMOND

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LOCH KATRINE CRUISES

Travel Scotland Destination Guide

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