Loch Katrine Scenic Steamship Cruise, Trossachs National Park

The Steamship Sir Walter Scott has carried passengers across Loch Katrine since 1900, making this 2-hour cruise one of Glasgow's most distinctive day trips into the Scottish Highlands. Built on the River Clyde in 1899, the vessel was dismantled, transported overland, and reassembled at the loch, where she's sailed ever since. Named after the author whose 1810 poem The Lady of the Lake drew the first tourists to the area, the ship carries that legacy through Loch Lomond & the Trossachs National Park today.

Departing from Trossachs Pier, the cruise sails to Stronachlachar and back, passing Brenachoile Point and Royal Cottage along the way. A live commentary from the captain covers Queen Victoria's 1859 visit, the story of outlaw Rob Roy MacGregor, and the waterworks system that still supplies fresh water to Glasgow. Surrounded by mountains, woodland, and glens, the loch is also a good spot to watch for ospreys overhead in spring and summer.

Onboard, you'll find indoor and outdoor seating, wheelchair access, accessible toilets, and a licensed bar serving light refreshments. Trossachs Pier itself is worth building time around, with a café, gift shop, bike hire for the lochside path, and a Scenic Tower offering panoramic views over Loch Katrine and the surrounding Highland scenery.

Your cruise begins at Trossachs Pier, where you board the Steamship Sir Walter Scott for the sail out across Loch Katrine toward Stronachlachar. Along the way, the captain's live commentary fills in the history: Queen Victoria's visit in 1859, the Royal Cottage built for the opening of the loch's waterworks, and tales of Rob Roy MacGregor, born near these shores in 1671. You'll pass Brenachoile Point, recognisable from Outlander, as mountains and ancient woodland rise up on either side.

The full round trip takes around 2 hours, with the option to relax indoors or head out on deck for open views of the water and surrounding glens. Keep an eye on the skies for ospreys, which are regularly spotted over the loch in spring and summer. Once back at Trossachs Pier, there's a café, gift shop, bike hire for the lochside path, and a Scenic Tower for a final panoramic look over the water before you head off.