Arklet Trail, Inversnaid

This short but steep trail climbs from Inversnaid pier and hotel on the banks of Loch Lomond up through woodland alongside a small gorge to reveal great views across the water to the mountains beyond.

Terrain

Waymarked woodland path, steep and rocky in places.

Public Transport

No public transport.

Start

Inversnaid car park. Open start point in Google Maps for directions.

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Walk Description

Stage 1

Start the walk from Inversnaid car park and walk to the right (as you face the hotel) to climb the steps at the side of the hotel. As well as being popular with day trippers, the first part of the route is on a tough section of the West Highland Way so this area can sometimes be busy. Cross the bridge with a good view of the waterfall and the next smaller bridge and after the information board take the smaller path forking up to the left signed Rob Roy car park. Take the next signed (Rob Roy car park) path on the left, the route ahead signed Ruins is the return route.

Stage 2

The path climbs steeply uphill keeping the gorge of the Arklet Water to the left. There are stone steps in places. Later the path runs alongside a fence before emerging into more open ground where there are good views across the Loch.

Stage 3

Back in the trees a bench provides a rest spot on the steep ground and a good view of a waterfall. Continue uphill to great views of the peaks of the Arrochar Alps across the water. Go through the kissing gate and past another seat before a second wooden kissing gate leads into dense pine trees where it can be wet underfoot as the ground levels off.

Stage 4

At the next junction and wooden sign it is possible to detour ahead to the Rob Roy car park where, from the far end, you can take a small path up on the right, which passes an information board on a stone to reach Rob Roy's viewpoint, a great outlook over Loch Lomond. Otherwise to continue the walk turn right where the path forks (at the wooden sign) to head diagonally back downhill towards the water. Go through a gate and follow the path which can get a bit overgrown with bracken in the summer. At a wooden sign the path bends back right to continue downhill.

Stage 5

The ruined settlement of Clach Buidhe is just to the left of the path, where a small farming community lived until the late 18th century. The path goes through a gate in a fence into the woodland and soon reaches the first of the two bridges that are crossed to return to the hotel and the start.

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