Three Lochs Forest Drive
Loch Drunkie, Three Lochs Forest Drive
Where is Three Lochs Forest Drive?
The Three Lochs Forest Drive is a 7-mile forest drive, located two miles north of Aberfoyle, on the A821, better known as the Duke's Pass. The Dukes Pass itself is a road famous for its twists, turns and views. Look out for the entrance on the right-hand side when driving from Aberfoyle.
If you're on two wheels, you can access the drive by cycling on NCN7 Lochs & Glens Way through the Lodge Forest Visitor Centre at Aberfoyle, following NCN7 markers.
Opening Times and Access
The road is passable for most vehicles, it is a reasonably wide and smooth but very dusty road, so you may need to wash your car afterwards! The road is open daily from 9 am from March to October; the entrance barrier locks at 4 pm and the exit barrier closed at 5 pm. There is a £2 cost to use the road; this is payable from a machine just after you enter. Regardless of the opening hours, though, you can walk or cycle through at any time. Forestry & Land Scotland operate Three Lochs Forest Drive.
The Drive and Cycle
For me, the road feels reminiscent of similar experiences in North American Parks. The drive is spectacular, with plenty of places to park and take photographs or go for a walk. It is also enjoyable to cycle through; however, on my last ride along the road, a new road surface of stones had just been put down, making cycling a little challenging until they smooth out over time. Like all of the forest tracks in the National Park, do take care when cycling, especially on the hills.
Camping
There are many designated places to camp along the Three Lochs Drive. Permits must be arranged in advance; these are available from Loch Lomond & Trossachs National Park.
Plan Your Visit
If you plan to visit Loch Lomond & The Trossachs, consider ordering our book ‘101 things to do in Loch Lomond & The Trossachs’, a photo guidebook of things to do and places to explore including activities close to Three Lochs Forest Drive. Click here to purchase.
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Loch Drunkie
You get your first view of Loch Drunkie at the first camping spot. Then you can drive or cycle along the banks of the loch, with plenty of places to stop and admire the view.
Driving, cycling or walking a little further, you will find toilet facilities at the Loch Drunkie Car Park. The trails from the car park include a wheelchair friendly one. Look out for red squirrels and also the wooden xylophone and sound station on your walk!
Loch Achray Camp Site
Back into the car, as you come towards the end of the drive, you can see Loch Achray. Here there are new camping facilities, which can be booked at the National Park website.
Reads our guide to Loch Achray.
NCN 7 Cycling
As mentioned, NCN7 (National Number 7) cycle route goes through the forest, so look out for cyclists if driving. While cars can only go around one way (counter-clockwise), cyclists can go in the opposite direction.
There is a junction (see below) to look out for when heading by bike that gives you the option of crossing over to Loch Venachar and cycling onto Callander (7miles), or heading to Loch Katrine (4miles). Read our guide to cycling through this forest.
The Trossachs Trail
In 2021 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 was set up in the 1990s and you can read more about it in our guide, as well as 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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