Photographs and map of Balloch Country Park and Castle on Loch Lomond

Location: Balloch Castle Country Park, Dunbartonshire
Grade: Easy low-level walk
Distance: 5km / 3 miles
Time: 2hours

Balloch Castle is a rare example of an almost intact designed landscape. The fashion for creating harmonious landscapes around big houses reached its peak in England with the work of Capability Brown and his contemporaries. Such large-scale landscaping was unusual in Scotland, but here at Balloch Castle we can see the work of the designer, Robert Luger, still evident on the ground as we walk around the country park.
Lugar had, of course, the natural backdrop of Loch Lomond at its most southerly point, where the River Leven runs out from the loch. He used this to good effect to create the all-important panoramas, with trees framing the loch and the surrounding hills.
Within this frame are a number of striking elements, some of which are still being uncovered as work on restoring and enhancing the landscape goes on. Thus at the side of the house there is a Chinese garden, reﬂecting the 19th century fascination with all things oriental. There are also many ﬁne specimen trees. And at the north end of the park, contrasting with the sweeping contours of the main areas, is the secretive little Fairy Glen — all parks should have one! - with its sparkling burn running down and unexpected corners where the “little folk” might be hiding.
Visitors looking for a genuine castle might be slightly disappointed. At the centre of the park is a ﬁne mansion house, designed by Luger for John Buchanan of Ardoch in 1808 and A-listed, but it isn’t really a castle. There was a genuine, much older fortiﬁcation here and its scant remains can be made out from the Lochside path as we walk back south on this circuit.
The estate was purchased by Glasgow Corporation in 1915 as a public open space - a far-sighted move for which we should all be grateful. The park is leased to West Dunbartonshire Council and is now in the Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park.
Balloch Castle today offers great opportunities for peaceful recreation, and the walk described here, though short, is still very enjoyable. A recent addition has been waymarking for the John Muir Way, the long distance trail that runs from Muir's birthplace in Dunbar across central Scotland to Helensburgh. It passes through Balloch as it nears the end of its journey.
Visiting Balloch Castle is a pleasure at any time of year and it is a place you can return to many times without it growing stale.

ROUTE PLANNER
Map: OS 125,000 Explorer sheet 347 ( Loch Lomond South ). An excellent free map of the park is availabie locally or through www.trossachs.co.uk
Distance: 5km / 3 miles
Time: 2 hours
Start / Finish: Balloch railway stalion( GR: NS390818 )
Public transport: Frequent trains to Glasgow Queen Sheet.
Information: Balloch TIC, 01389 753533.

Route:
From the station, cross Balloch Road and TR.
Cross the River Leven and take the second road on the left.
At a car park go R.
Cross broad track and continue to Kitchen Garden and Secret Garden.
Walk out to main track heading N.
Cross East Drive and continue to visitor centre and Chinese garden.
Return to main track, which becomes a path ( Coo Lane ).
At Burn of Balloch TL down Fairy Glen.
At foot of glen TL and follow main path by the loch past the Old Boathouse to walk by River Leven.
Continue to Balloch Road and TR for station.