It was a beautiful day at Appletree Self Catering Cottage so we decided to drive up Loch Lomond to the Falls of Falloch known locally as Rob Roy's Bathtub.
From Appletree Cottage, we drove along the A811 towards Balloch up to the roundabout with the A82. The right-hand (3rd) exit took us up the western shore of Loch Lomond with some spectacular views across the water towards the towering majesty of the mountain of Ben Lomond.
After Balloch we passed Duck Bay on the right where there is a very popular restaurant / cafe and well frequented marina.
Shortly after passing the Carrick Golf Club and Loch Lomond Golf Club we arrived at the village of Luss, now bypassed by the main road. Luss is a pretty little extate village on the shore of the Loch and is where the TV soap Take the High Road was filmed. It is possible to take a pleasure boat from Balloch to Luss.
A few miles further on at the village of Tarbet, the road splits. Straight ahead is the A81 to Arrochar and Inveraray. We stayed on the A82 by turning right towards Ardlui and Crianlarich.
The next few miles of this road were quite windy with quite a few blind corners. However, soon we reached Inveruglas Visitor Centre and its large car park from which there are excellent views down the Loch.
Just before we arrived at the Inveruglas Visitor Centre we looked out on the left-hand side of the road to see the four massive pipes carrying the water from Loch Sloy high up on the on the other side of the hill (Ben Vorlich) to the turbine power station adjacent to the main road.
As we approached the head of the Loch the views down to the south were quite spectacular.
Ardlui, a little village with its pretty railway station (a stop on the West Highland Line), a hotel and a small marina is the last village before the head of the Loch.
About three miles after Ardlui we passed the Drovers’ Inn at Inverarnan. Well worth a look inside this ancient hostelry which was a rest for the drovers when taking their cattle and sheep for sale in the markets of the south. The interior of this hostelry is both memorable and atmospheric.
A few miles on from the Drovers’ Inn we see the brown signs for the Falls of Falloch.
We followed the signs to a small car park where we left the car and walked the short track through the pretty birch wood with river Falloch flowing fast down on our right-hand side.
Soon the path arrived at the edge of a huge almost circular pool with a high waterfall flowing into it. The pool, about 21 meters (70 feet) across is popular with wild swimmers and is what is known locally as Rob Roy’s Bathtub. Whether Rob Roy bathed in this pool or not is unknown. It is however the most idyllic spot and is popular with walkers and visitors in the summer when wild swimmers brave the cool waters, plunging in from the cliffs above.
The Falls of Falloch are particularly impressive when the river Falloch is in spate - with the water thundering over the ten meter drop in to the pool.
To our right hand side we could see the River Falloch continuing its violent journey south through the george.
To our lefthand side we saw a viewing platform which allowed access to directly above the pond. for a closer look.
Rob Roy (1671-1734) by the way, was a cattle manager who later became an outlaw, his adventures made famous by the popular novel Rob Roy by Sir Walter Scott. It is said that his relative used to run the Clachan Inn in Drymen (near Appletree Cottage). The Clachan is now the oldest licenced pub in Scotland and also well worth a visit. A great place to eat. https://www.clachaninndrymen.co.uk
More information about Rob Roy’s Bathtub can be found here on the excellent Walk Highlands website: https://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/lochlomond/falls-of-falloch.shtml