Lake of Menteith, The Trossachs
Our series of guides to the lochs of Loch Lomond & the Trossachs continues with a loch that is a lake. The only lake in Scotland, The Lake of Menteith.
For some of the published works 1800s Lake was substituted for Loch to make it read easier and it became known as Lake of Menteith, so when mapped in 1838 that made it officially ‘Lake of Menteith’, therefore creating Scotland’s only lake. Here it is on the map.
Inchmahome Priory
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Lake of Menteith is on the Trossachs Trail and easily reached from Aberfoyle and Callander. Most famous for Inchmahome Priory, on one of the islands in the loch. Historic Scotland usually opens the island seasonally, operating an on-demand ferry service to get you to the island so you can explore the ruins of the priory. Sadly, this service isn’t running due to essential repairs required to buildings on the island.
Inchmahome was a hiding place for Mary Queen of Scots, with Robert the Bruce, another famous visitor to the island. On your ferry ride, look out for nesting Ospreys. If you’re lucky, you may see them fishing on the lake.
Lake of Menteith at Sunset
Lake of Menteith Fisheries
15,000 anglers visit annually, with all 36 fishery boats in action most weekends, no fishing is allowed from the banks, which are protected by SSI rules. 30,000 trout are grown in ponds and are stocked evenly each week across the 700-acre lake. Fly-fishing lessons are provided, with incentives to attract younger anglers. Kayaks and canoes can be launched but must be disinfected first to prevent introduction of unwanted pests and diseases such as freshwater louse.
Lake of Menteith Fisheries
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Long-established tourism business Lochend Chalets is on the banks of the loch. I produced a film several years ago for the Friends of Loch Lomond & The Trossachs, profiling owner Victoria Carroll which you can view below.
Victoria, with her brother Topher and husband Chris, run the successful holiday accommodation business, a collection of 18 lodges in a peaceful location at the lake's south-eastern corner. The connection to nature draws customers to them from far afield to enjoy the tranquillity of the lake but stay within easy reach of the cities of Glasgow, Stirling, and Edinburgh.
Port of Menteith
Next to the Karma Hotel on the loch shores is the Port of Menteith Church, serving the small local community. Another claim to fame of the lake is when it has frozen over. The Great Bonspiel of 1979 is unlikely to be repeated on that scale again. Organised by the Royal Caledonian Curling Club, it saw around 2,500 curlers playing on 8.5-inch-thick ice, with so many enjoying some drams whilst doing so that cars were left around the banks for days on end waiting for their drivers to sober up!
2010 was the last time the lake froze over to that level; however, the modern-day issues of parking, traffic management, etc., prevented a repeat of the 1979 event.
The Trossachs Trail
Recently, there has been a major revamp of the Trossachs Trail with a new website, information boards and renewal of the brown road signs that guide the route. The trail began in the 1990s, and you can read more about it in our guide and the official website that we created for it.
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Thanks for reading
Words and photography by Paul Saunders. Visit Paul’s Marketing and Photography websites for details of his services in Scotland.
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Buy our guidebook, 101 Things to Do in Loch Lomond and the Trossachs, packed with attractions, views, and activities to enjoy.