Van Miles

If you’re looking for a scenic cycle route from Callander to Loch Katrine, this is a lovely way to explore the Trossachs in Scotland. During our stay at Callander Woods campsite, we decided to take our e-bikes out for the day, cycling through the forest towards Three Lochs Forest Drive and Loch Katrine before returning via Aberfoyle. With beautiful lochs, peaceful forest tracks and amazing mountain views, it was a lovely 50-mile circular ride, with a stop for coffee and cake at Loch Katrine Pier Café along the way.

Our Callander to Loch Katrine Cycle Route – Useful Information

Route details	Information
Starting point	Callander Woods campsite
Total distance	Approximately 50 miles
Type of route	Circular
Bike used	E-bike
Terrain	Forest tracks, tarmac cycle paths and roads
Route	Callander Woods → Loch Venachar → Three Lochs Forest Drive → Loch Katrine → Aberfoyle → Callander Woods
Difficulty	Moderate to challenging due to the distance and undulating terrain
Café stop	Trossachs Pier, Loch Katrine
Toilets	Three Lochs Forest Drive and Trossachs Pier
Bike hire	Available at Loch Katrine
Parking	Available at Trossachs Pier
Campervan overnight stays	Bookable pitches at Three Lochs Forest Drive and Trossachs Pier
Boat trips	Loch Katrine boat services to Stronachlachar Pier
Additional cycling	Approximately 14 miles one way along Loch Katrine to Stronachlachar Pier
Return journey	Via Aberfoyle to Callander Woods

Starting Our Cycle Ride at Callander Woods

We set off from Callander Woods campsite and made our way towards Invertrossachs Road, following the narrow forest cycle path alongside Loch Venachar.

With the loch on our right, we continued through the forest, enjoying the peaceful surroundings and beautiful views.

The scenery was lovely, with the forest opening up to give us views across the loch and surrounding hills.

Some sections of the forest tracks were uneven, but our e-bikes made the ride much easier.

Cycling Through Three Lochs Forest Drive

We continued towards Three Lochs Forest Drive, enjoying the changing scenery as we made our way through the forest.

The route takes you past three beautiful lochs: Lochan Reòidhte, Loch Drunkie and Loch Achray.

There are toilets in the forest and plenty of lovely places to stop and enjoy the views.

You can also book dedicated overnight campervan and motorhome pitches in the forest. I’ve actually stayed here on a previous visit to the area, and it’s a lovely place to spend the night surrounded by nature.

It’s a great option if you’re exploring Scotland in a campervan and want to spend more time enjoying the Trossachs.

Cycling Towards Loch Katrine

We continued through the forest, passing the Ben Venue and Trossachs Trail area before making our way towards Loch Katrine.

The scenery was beautiful, with views of the surrounding mountains and lochs.

Eventually, we arrived at Trossachs Pier, where we stopped at the café for a well-earned coffee and cake overlooking Loch Katrine.

It’s a lovely place to sit and enjoy the views, especially after a morning of cycling.

Cycling Along Loch Katrine – Trossachs Pier to Stronachlachar Pier

Loch Katrine is one of my favourite places to cycle in Scotland and my third visit. The views are absolutely amazing, with beautiful lochside scenery and mountains surrounding you as you make your way along the water.

The well-maintained tarmac track runs from Trossachs Pier to Stronachlachar Pier and is approximately 14 miles one way, making it a 28-mile return ride.

It’s an undulating route, with a few hills along the way, but nothing our e-bikes couldn’t manage.

The route is mostly traffic-free, which makes it lovely and peaceful. During our ride, the only vehicles we came across were a tarmac van and a post van!

There are plenty of opportunities to stop along the way, take photographs and enjoy the incredible views.

Facilities at Loch Katrine – Trossachs Pier

Trossachs Pier is a lovely place to start your cycle ride or spend a few hours enjoying the scenery.

There is plenty of parking, toilets, a café and bike hire available, so you don’t need to bring your own bikes to enjoy the area.

You can also take a boat trip across Loch Katrine to Stronachlachar Pier at the other end of the loch.

This is a lovely option if you want to combine a boat trip with a cycle ride, as you can take your bike on selected sailings and cycle back along the lochside track.

For anyone travelling by campervan, you can also book overnight parking at Trossachs Pier.

It’s a beautiful location to spend the night and a great base for exploring more of the Trossachs.

Cycling Back to Callander Woods via Aberfoyle

Rather than returning through the forest, we decided to cycle back along the roads towards Callander Woods campsite.

We passed a beautiful loch on our right before arriving in the lovely village of Aberfoyle, where there were gift shops, cafés and pubs.

From Aberfoyle, we continued towards Callander Woods, enjoying the changing scenery along the way.

By the time we arrived back at the campsite, we had cycled approximately 50 miles in total on our e-bikes.

It was a long day, but the combination of peaceful forest tracks, beautiful lochs, mountain scenery and our coffee and cake stop at Loch Katrine made it a lovely cycling adventure.

If you enjoy exploring Scotland by bike, Loch Katrine and Three Lochs Forest Drive are definitely worth adding to your list.

Three Lochs Forest Drive & Loch Katrine Campervan Stopovers

Looking for somewhere peaceful to stay overnight in your campervan in the Trossachs?

We stayed at Three Lochs Forest Drive on our way home from the NC500 and loved the experience of spending the night in the forest.

There are also overnight campervan pitches at Trossachs Pier and Stronachlachar Pier on Loch Katrine, which are both on my list for a future visit.

Read our guide to overnight campervan parking, facilities, prices, boat trips and booking information.

Three Lochs Forest Drive Campervan Stay & Loch Katrine Guide