Stand up Paddleboaring on Loch Lomond has long been a dream of mine. I first discovered the Ardlui area as a potential Stand Up Paddleboarding location when I walked part of the West Highland way along Loch Lomond. As we had yet to purchase any Stand Up Paddleboards in Scotland we found that the Loch Lomond Wakeboard hire was a really handy location to explore this quieter part of the loch.
The Main Points
- Location – Ardlui – Northern end of Loch Lomond
- SUP – Hired Inflatables from Loch Lomond Wakeboard
- Cost – £15 per hour including wetsuits and life jackets
- Conditions – Freshwater Loch and the River Falloch
- Other users – Entry point is the marina so there is some boat traffic and other water sport hiring activities – SUP and Kayak.
- Entry Point – Concrete boat ramp
- Surrounding amenities/Bathrooms- There are locked bathrooms within the marina and others in the Ardlui hotel.
Getting There – Ardlui is 70km North West of Glasgow along the A82
Map
Current Weather Conditions
A Wee Blether
Loch Lomond is one of my favourite places in Scotland, it’s a beautiful loch and surrounded by stunning forest with intriguing islands dotted across it. Ardlui is where the River Falloch meets the northern end of Loch Lomond which gives it more variety for Stand Up Paddleboarding. If the Loch is too busy or choppy you can paddle up stream to quieter and calmer conditions. This is one of the more distant areas of Loch Lomond and therefore has less traffic which can be good for novices or those looking for calmer water.
Hiring a Stand Up Paddleboard in Ardlui
I’d recommend hiring a Stand Up Paddleboard for 2 hours if you are going up the river as you don’t get too far for 1 hour. I like that the entry point has a boat ramp which is probably the best type in my opinion because it’s solid and no unidentifiable squigginess hidden under the water. (Urgh!)
The entry point is behind the Ardlui Hotel with camping, cabin and hotel accommodation along with the restaurant. Our second adventure from here was with our own boards so we had a chat to the team at Loch Lomond Wakeboard as to whether it was ok to use the marina ramp. They didn’t have a problem with it but as the whole area is private land I think it’s just polite to ask first. We also found a nice quieter entry point behind the camp ground that puts you directly into the water which was great for the 26km/hr winds as the loch was pretty choppy. Again we asked the guy in the camping reception if it was ok to use the camping boat ramp and he was fine with it.
The Surrounding Area
Nearby is also the historic Drovers Inn with accommodation and food behind which the upper reaches of the River Falloch run but on closer inspection it is probably a little shallow at this point.
The Beinglas Farm along the West Highland Way also has access to the River Falloch but again probably a little shallow and appeared to have logs/debris. Beinglas has camping and chalet accommodation also along with food and a bar.
We also discovered the quaint Slanj restaurant and bar just out of nearby Tarbet which serve good honest home cooked fare served up by friendly kilted men! I just had to try the Vegetarian Haggis Pizza but couldn’t quite go the deep fried Mars Bar. And if you are travelling in a motor home the Slanj allows free overnight parking.
For more information on where else you can Stand Up Paddleboard on Loch Lomond see my post Top 5 Paddle Launch Spots for Loch Lomond.
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