Cycle Routes in Scotland : Aberfoyle – Dukes Pass – Loch Katrine – ROUTE DETAILS

The following is a brief summary of the key details for Cycle Routes in Scotland : Aberfoyle – Dukes Pass – Loch Katrine.

This route is one of the cycle routes in Scotland that I have cycled over the years. Some of the other routes I have cycled over the years are listed in the page “Cycle Routes in Scotland”. (Click here to go to this page.)

Route map

The map above is an interactive map so if you press “Play” (click on the white triangle in the middle of the screen) you can zoom in or out by pressing the buttons that appear in the top left of the screen, and you can move the map by dragging it. Once you press Play the hills profile of the route will appear at the bottom of the map. You can get further comprehensive detailed analysis of the hill profile by clicking on “More Detailed Profile” at the top left of the hills profile section. You can also select full screen mode by clicking on the icon in the top right corner of the map.

Route details –

Cycle Routes in Scotland : Aberfoyle – Dukes Pass – Loch Katrine

This route is in the beautiful area of Scotland called the Trossachs and starts in the popular tourist village of Aberfoyle. I always cycle this route in an anti-clockwise direction. This is so that I arrive at the top of Loch Katrine in good time for a lunch break at the cafe at Stronachlachar Pier. It can, of course, be cycled in a clockwise direction.

Start Point

The route commences from the Riverside Car Park just off Main Street in Aberfoyle.

From the exit at the far end of the car park turn right onto a side road. This quickly leads to a main road. Here turn right and you immediately come to a junction with Main Street, where care should be taken. Here turn left and follow the main road up the hill. This road is called the Duke’s Pass and it climbs steeply all the way up to the top of the pass.

Aberfoyle – Dukes Pass

The Duke’s Pass road is so called because it was originally built by the Duke of Montrose to improve access to his estate in the 19th. century. It was later upgraded to cater for Victorian tourists. They were drawn to the area after the publication of Sir Walter Scott’s epic poem “The Lady of the Lake”. The poem celebrates the beauty of Loch Katrine.

The route starts off up a very steep gradient. A short distance after the road bends round to the left the start of the NCN 7 off-road route is on the right. This route continues through rough forest tracks from Aberfoyle to Callander . Ignore this and continue climbing up the hill.

A bit further on up the hill on the right hand side is the Lodge Forest Visitor Centre (previously the David Marshall Lodge). This has a cafe, walks and children’s activities, etc. It also incorporates a Go Ape tree top adventure course.

The road continues to wind it’s way steeply upwards. There are a few sharp bends where care should be taken as the road can be quite busy with tourists. This is especially the case in the summer months.

Eventually, after 2.5 miles of steep climbing, the top of the pass is reached. This is just past the second sign for the Three Lochs Forest Drive. (One of the lochs this drive passes is called Loch Drunkie!). The drive was closed due to Covid restrictions when I took this picture. I normally stop here for a few minutes to admire the fabulous views all around.

Dukes Pass – Loch Achray

The descent from the top of Duke’s Pass is of course very steep and winding in places, although some of the sections are undulating with some climbs. Great care should be taken on the steep descents, especially at bends in the road. On the steep descents it is a good opportunity to give your legs a rest by indulging in some free-wheeling.

Once at the bottom the road levels out and you are cycling alongside the shores of Loch Achray, with fine views across the loch and to the surrounding hills.

Further along near the end of the loch, nestled beneath the hills, is the Loch Achray Hotel.

Loch Achray – Loch Katrine Pier

The road continues along to effectively a T-junction where the Duke’s Pass road (the A821) veers sharply to the right. At this point a side road cuts off to the left. Here follow the side road to the left. This climbs up a hill and then down and along to Loch Katrine pier. At the pier there is the Steamship Cafe, a souvenir shop, a snack bar, bike hire and public toilets. There is a large car park with some spaces for overnight camper vans.

This is also where you can take loch cruises on the world famous steamship Sir Walter Scott. Cruises are also available on the more modern Lady of the Lake or Rob Roy III passenger cruise vessels.

From the pier you then start cycling along the private road that winds it’s way round the loch. Just past the start of this road there is a small discreet site where there are Eco Lodges and some camping spots.

Loch Katrine Pier – Clan McGregor Burial Grounds

From here the route is on a mainly traffic free road round to the top of the loch at Stronachlachar Pier. The route is mostly undulating and there are a few hillier sections. There are some quite steep sections and some sharp bends. There are warning signs in this respect at intervals along the road. So it can be quite a demanding section of the route

About 4.5 miles from Loch Katrine Pier there is a good spot for a rest stop. At this point there are a couple of benches that overlook the loch, just before quite a steep hill. From here there are wonderful views of the loch. There are also fine views across to Ben Venue, the high hill overlooking both Loch Arklet and Loch Katrine.

Just at the benches there is a narrow stoney track that follows the shoreline as an alternative to continuing up the hill on the road. I normally just stick to the road. At the top of the hill there is another good spot for a rest stop. This is where there is a grassy area with planks for seating.

Further along the loch side, on a piece of land jutting out into the loch, are burial grounds of the Clan McGregor.

Clan McGregor Burial Grounds – Stronachlachar

Continue cycling towards the top of the loch and soon the area around Stronachlachar Pier will come into view.

It doesn’t seem so far away from here. However, the loch branches round to the right and there is still a good bit to go to get to Stronachlachar Pier. This is because after cycling to the top of the loch you then have to loop round and back along the other shore of the loch.

At Stronachlachar Pier there is a fine cafe/restaurant with a small shop, and there are public toilets. There is also parking for cars and buses that have travelled from the opposite direction on the public road.

The cafe is one of my favourites as it has a glass sided extension over the loch with great views up the length of the loch. They serve fine snacks and meals. The shop sells ice cream so after lunch I normally buy an ice cream cone. I then walk about the pier area for a while, admiring the wonderful scenery all around.

From the pier there are fine views back down the loch.

Adjacent to the pier there is a small island in the loch called Factors Island. This is where the folklore hero Rob Roy McGregor imprisoned the factor of the Duke of Montrose. It was part of his long running feud with the Duke.

Stronachlachar – Kinlochard

From Stronachlachar the route continues on the public road back to Aberfoyle. Cycle along from the pier and turn left onto the road. Continue up the small hill, at the top of which there is a junction. Cycling straight ahead at this junction would take you down alongside Loch Arklet. This road continues down a very steep hill and ends at the Inversnaid Hotel on the banks of Loch Lomond. Ignore that road and turn left here onto the B829 that leads all the way back to Aberfoyle.

After you turn left onto the road to Aberfoyle there is quite a long and quite a steep climb, but then there is a very welcome steep descent all the way down to the start of Loch Chon.

After Loch Chon the route is undulating with some hills to climb until you reach the cut-off to the village of Kinlochard.

If you want to visit this village it is only a short distance off the road to Aberfoyle. It is a nice village that has a large grassy field on the banks of Loch Ard. It is popular with visitors, some of whom like to enjoy themselves in the waters of the loch.

Kinlochard – Aberfoyle

From the village cycle back along to the road to Aberfoyle and turn right to continue the return journey.

Further along there is a lay-by across from Ledard Farm where some hill walkers park their cars to climb Ben Venue by an alternative route. The route commences across the road from the lay-by up the side of Ledard Farm. Ben Venue can be seen when cycling round Loch Katrine. There are fantastic views over Loch Katrine and the surrounding hills from the top of Ben Venue. I normally stop at this lay-by for a few minutes to admire the view across the loch.

A short distance further on from this lay-by there is a large hotel called Macdonalds Forest Hills Hotel & Spa, which also has a time share facility. Across the road from the entrance to the hotel is a company that offers water sports and other adventure activities.

The road winds it’s way along the loch side almost all the way back to Aberfoyle. This is a fine section of the route as it closely hugs the side of Loch Ard and affords fine views over the loch.

When you reach Aberfoyle you turn right into the side street just before the junction with the Main Street. Then turn left back into the car park at the start of the route.

Route Alternatives –

Cycle Routes in Scotland : Aberfoyle – Dukes Pass – Loch Katrine

This route could be done in a clockwise direction, with perhaps a lunch break at Loch Katrine Pier. This would avoid having to do the steep hill climb up Duke’s Pass at the start of the route. There would though be a long steady climb from just before Kinlochard. You would also still have to do the steep hill climb up the other side of Duke’s Pass at the end of the route. I prefer to do it in an anti-clockwise direction so that I can have a lunch break at the Pier Cafe at Stronachlachar. Also this means that I can relax knowing that I have the steep hill climb up the Duke’s Pass behind me. The hilly section round Loch Katrine will also be behind me.

The route could be lengthened by about 10 miles by cycling down to and back from Inversnaid from Stronachlachar. The road finishes at Inversnaid so there is no alternative but to cycle back up. To do this alternative, once you leave Stronachlachar and you get to the T-junction at the top of the hill, instead of turning left to return to Aberfoyle, continue straight on and follow the road for about five miles all the way down to the Inversnaid Hotel, which is right on the shores of Loch Lomond. Be aware that there is a very steep descent at the end of the road to get down to Inversnaid, which of course you will need to climb back up on the return journey.

To shorten the route you could take the tourist cruise ship from Loch Katrine Pier to Stronachlachar Pier, which would cut out the hilly section round Loch Katrine.

Cafe/toilet stops –

Cycle Routes in Scotland : Aberfoyle – Dukes Pass – Loch Katrine

There are several cafes, restaurants and bars along the Main Street in Aberfoyle, and there is a public toilet at the entrance to the car park just off the Main Street.

Less than a mile up the very steep Duke’s Pass road there is the Forest Lodge Visitor Centre where there is a cafe and public toilets.

After descending from the top of the Duke’s Pass and cycling along the side of Loch Achray there is the Loch Achray Hotel on the left.

At Loch Katrine Pier there is a restaurant and shop, and there are public toilets.

At the top of Loch Katrine, at Stronachlachar Pier, there is the Pier Cafe and there are public toilets.

Just past Kinlochard there is the Macdonalds Forest Hills Hotel and Spa.

Train options –

Cycle Routes in Scotland : Aberfoyle – Dukes Pass – Loch Katrine

The option to take the train to the start point of this route is very limited as there is no train station in Aberfoyle. One way would be to take the train to Balloch and cycle on the NCN 7 cycle path from Balloch to Aberfoyle, but this would add a round trip of about 38 miles thus giving a total round trip of 70 miles. For those of us who are not ultra-fit a trip like this would need to be done over two days.