About Loch Katrine

Loch Katrine, in the Trossachs, is part of Loch Lomond & The Trossachs, Scotland's first National Park and the Great Trossachs Forest National Nature Reserve. 

The loch is 11 miles long, one mile wide at its widest point, and 540 feet deep. The name comes from the Gaelic ceathairne, meaning cattle thief which may be due to strong links with famous cattle dealer and Clan Chief Rob Roy MacGregor. Loch Katrine is one of Scotland's natural wonders with a rich history and stunning scenery, attracting visitors for over 200 years.

Sir Walter Scott

In 1809 Scottish writer Sir Walter Scott holidayed in the Trossachs and spent many hours writing his poem 'The Lady of the Lake'. When released in 1810, it was the blockbuster of its day; 25,000 editions were sold in the first 8 months after release. Sightseers flocked to Loch Katrine to see for themselves the scenes inspired by Scott's vivid descriptions. He followed this with his adventure novel Rob Roy in 1817, which romanticised the rogue-hero and reinforced the appeal of the loch.

Birthplace of Scottish Tourism

The published works of those Victorian writers such as Scott, Samuel Taylor Coleridge and the Woodsworth's put Loch Katrine and The Trossachs on the map. This was the birthplace of Scottish tourism.

New forms of transport were introduced with the horse and cart replaced by char-a-banc, an early form of bus. The boom of railways arrived in the Trossachs with the opening of new stations in nearby Callander and Aberfoyle. 

Loch Katrine Waterworks

In 1859 23.5 miles of new aqueducts and tunnels opened linking Loch Katrine and Glasgow. Opened by Queen Victoria, this feat of Victorian engineering provided clean water to the city of Glasgow for the first time. Its arrival transformed the health of a vast population and is still in operation today. 

Up to 120 million gallons per day can be extracted from the loch via the gravity operated network of tunnels and aqueducts. The famous Tennant's lager is brewed with water from the loch. 

A Natural Wonderland and Playground

Loch Katrine is now part of the Great Trossachs Forest, the second largest National Nature Reserve in Britain, with a new forest of 2.5 million native trees.

A series of popular walking and cycling trails have been developed and include the Great Trossachs Path, one of Scotland’s Great Trails, that connects Callander with Inversnaid on Loch Lomond. The path winds along the north shoreline of Loch Katrine.

Trossachs Trail

Loch Katrine is a key attraction on the newly revitalised 40-mile Trossachs Trail, which connects Callander, Doune, Aberfoyle and Blair Drummond.

The Trossachs Trail was inspired by the original Trossachs Tour, popular in the 1800s when visitors arrived by horse-drawn coach and later by rail. Today’s trail follows a road loop but, through detours and off-road tracks, covers a much wider area to explore by foot and bike.

Loch Katrine Experience

Loch Katrine has boat cruises on The Lady of the Lake, Rob Roy III, and Osprey charter boat. The main attraction, of course, is the 123-year-old steamship, which thanks to the incredible support of this SOS appeal was able to resume sailing in the Summer of 2023.

Also on-site at Trossachs Pier is bike hire, a cafe, a gift shop, and a collection of ten eco-lodges. At Stronachlachar Pier, there is a cafe.

Click below to book a Loch Katrine cruise or stay at one of the eco-lodges.