Summer 2009 - Scottish Natural Heritage

Inchcailloch Trail
Make your way to the boatyard in
Balmaha where you can hop on
one of the old clinker-built ferries
for the short trip across to the
island. You could complete this
woodland walk in an hour and a
half, but you’ll probably want to
spend at least double that and
take time to enjoy all the island
has to offer. The summit path
across to Port Bawn is steep in
places but well worth the effort.
Use the numbered map and
directions in the text to guide
you round. If you want to cut the
walk short, then you can take the
central path, which takes about
15 minutes to walk.
1
After being dropped at the North Jetty,
wander up the hill until you come to a
junction. Take the left-hand path that
leads to the summit. Oakwoods like
the one you’re walking through once
surrounded the loch. Over thousands of
years they disappeared as trees were
cut for fi rewood, building and charcoal.
Then, around 200 years ago, there
was a demand for leather belts to drive
machinery in city factories. Leather is
softened and made supple with tannin,
a natural material found in oak bark. So
Loch Lomond’s landowners planted
more new trees around the loch, and
on islands like Inchcailloch, to meet the
demand.
Look out for the island’s fallow deer
on your visit. King Robert the Bruce
probably introduced fallow deer to
Loch Lomond in the 1300s. The islands
were used as deer parks where only
the king and his nobles were allowed
to hunt. The Inchcailloch deer vary a lot
in colour, from pale to dark brown, and
many have attractive white spots.
Key
Barn End
Burial Ground and
Church Ruins 7
6
Farm Ruins
MacFarlane Burn
Low path
Passenger boat to Balmaha
Trail
Boat
Toilet
Picnic area
Viewpoint
Historic structure
Farm Burn
Tait Burn
West Promontory
North Bay
North Jetty
Alder
Marsh
Summit Viewpoint
C h u r c h R i
d g e
Central path
1
Alder Burn
Central Valley
Port Bawn
Jetty
Port Bawn
Summit path
North
Hill
Endrick Viewpoint
3
5
4
2
M a i n R i d g e
Coffin
Valley
S o u t
h R i
d g e
South Promontory
Clearance Beach
0 200
metres
www.snh.org.uk
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