Where to Kayak, Canoe or SUP

Kayak on Loch Eck

Kayaks, Canoes, SUP’s

Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National Park is a haven for water sports enthusiasts, boasting 22 lochs and numerous rivers perfect for paddling adventures. Whether you prefer the stability of a kayak, the teamwork of a canoe, or the thrill of stand-up paddleboarding (SUP), the National Park offers incredible opportunities to explore Scotland’s stunning landscapes from the water.

Here, we’ll guide you to some of the best locations to launch your kayak, canoe, or SUP and provide tips on where to rent equipment if you don’t have your own. Plus, you’ll find links to detailed guides and stories about unforgettable adventures across the lochs and rivers of Loch Lomond & The Trossachs.

Business Support

Marketing, Video, Websites & Photography

Find out More

Milarrochy Bay, Loch Lomond

Launch a Kayak, Canoe, or SUP in Loch Lomond 

Milarrochy Bay, just up from Balmaha, is a great place to launch. There are toilets in the car park. In Balloch at Loch Lomond Shores, you can hire kayaks or go on guided tours. 

The layby, opposite the pretty cottages in Aldochlay, just south of Luss, is an ideal place to park and launch your SUP, kayak, or canoe, with several islands very close to the banks of the loch. You’ll be lucky, though, to get a parking space!

Loch Lomond Shores

Launch a Kayak, Canoe, or SUP in the Trossachs

Go Country by Loch Ard has Kayaks and Canoes for hire. It’s a beautiful loch to paddle on, with Eilean Gorm island accessible. Further along is Loch Chon. There is limited parking in the first car park (the one before the campsite), which allows easy access to the water on a loch that is just the right size to explore. 

Loch Ard

Launch a Kayak, Canoe, or SUP in Argyll

Loch Eck has several car parks, allowing easy access to the water. Jubilee Point has the biggest car park. Paddle over to the sandy beaches on the other side of the loch (read about that in our guide.)

Loch Eck

Launch a Kayak, Canoe or SUP in Breadalbane 

Launch your canoe or kayak from Loch Lubnaig’s South Car Park. Take care, as the water gets deep quickly. 

Loch Voil & Loch Doine is a long, narrow, and quiet loch by Balquhidder.

Lesser-known Loch Dochart is by Crianlarich. There is a layby off the A85 where you can park and get to the water. A ruined castle is on an island nearby; beware in the summer as the water levels can get relatively low, so they are not ideal. 

Loch Voil

Stay Safe on and in the Water 

Follow sensible advice from Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park, detailed on their website about staying safe when paddling or swimming in the rivers and lochs. 

Local photographer

Weddings & Family Photoshoots

Find Out More

Thanks for reading

Words and photography by Paul Saunders. Visit Paul’s Marketing and Photography websites for details of his services in Scotland.

Please let us know if you found the guide helpful in the comments section below.