Family Activities
Fun for all the family
Loch Lomond Family Activities
Places to Visit with the family around Loch Lomond
Our holiday cottage is located near Drymen, Stirlingshire. Perfectly positioned for family activities around Loch Lomond.
There are lots of wonderful family-friendly walking and cycle routes, with many quiet tracks, away from busy roads. With such an abundance of natural landscapes and wildlife to discover, this is the perfect place to switch off and get back to nature with kids. And, for busy children, enquiring minds, and rainy days there is a multitude of activities and attractions nearby to keep everyone occupied.
Below are some of our favourite activities and attractions for children and families to enjoy, all within a half-hour drive of the cottage.
Go Ape Aberfoyle
Distance from the cottage: 8 miles
Go Ape is an amazing outdoor adventure park in Aberfoyle. Within the mountains, forests and woodland of Loch Lomond and The Trossachs, it has two of the longest zip wires in the UK. This exhilarating experience will have you flying over trees and a stunning waterfall! (Suitable for ages 10 and over).
Also here, you will find the Lodge Visitor Centre, the gateway to the vast Queen Elizabeth Forest Park. So, with a cafe, nature insights, and plenty of trails to explore, you’re sure for a fun-packed day. And if this isn’t enough, you can head back down to the village of Aberfoyle, which offers mountain bike practice trails, ice creams and an excellent playpark. Or pop along to Kinlochard for outdoor activities and watersports, including an inflatable waterpark!
Sea Life Loch Lomond Aquarium
Distance from the cottage: 11 miles
See an amazing variety of aquatic life, such as tropical fish, seahorses, sharks, stingrays and otters at Sea Life Loch Lomond. From the Lochs of Scotland to the Bay of Rays, there are several zones to explore. Including the amazing Tropical Ocean Tunnel. With a programme of creature talks and feeds on throughout the day. (Suitable for all ages).
Sea Life Loch Lomond is located at Loch Lomond Shores. Here you can take to the sky at Treezone, or enjoy a display of wonderful birds at the Bird of Prey Centre. Also, with a play park, crazy golf and watersports, there’s enough to keep busy children occupied all day!
Mugdock Country Park
Distance from the cottage: 10 miles
Mugdock Country Park has 270 hectares of woodland, moorland and heathland for all the family to explore. There’s lots of space for the kids to run around, a children’s play park, adventure trail, visitor centre and sign-posted paths for walking and cycling. You can also visit the ruins of Mugdock Castle. Also, in the summer months, children can enjoy nature activities and events. And don’t forget to pop into the cafe for some delicious food! (Suitable for all ages).
And on your way home, pop up to Harmony Fields petting farm and animal sanctuary.
Swimming & Soft Play
Distance from the cottage: 16 miles
Make a splash at The Leisuredrome in Bishopbriggs. This leisure centre has a fun swimming pool with a flume and wave machine. There’s also a children’s soft play area called Charlie’s Big Adventure.
Also, you will find nearby the McLaren Leisure Centre in Callander. Another great place for kids. Dive into the pool. Go wild in the soft play. Or take to the climbing wall for a fun-filled day out.
Pool suitable for all ages, soft play for ages 12 and under.
Blairdrummond Safari Park
Distance from the cottage: 17 miles
Finally, no family holiday to our cottage would be complete without a day out at Blairdrummond Safari Park. This really is a special day trip for all the family. And it enjoys more than a safari park drive-through!
Join in with the sea lion shows, spend hours in the amazing adventure playground and on rides. Or relax with a family BBQ – complete with BBQs ready to light (be sure to book ahead). And if that’s not enough, step back in time on their latest feature, ROARsome, an interactive dinosaur walk.
And all this before you pop on the boat to monkey island, play on the pedalos, or zip slide across the safari park waters!
Suitable for children of all ages.
Sweeney’s Cruise Co.
Distance from the cottage: 12 miles
Set sail with Sweeney’s Cruise Co. for boat trips on the loch, departing from nearby Balloch. See the spectacular views and hear the fascinating stories of this magical Scottish loch. This is a great adventure for all the family and a must when visiting Loch Lomond.
Suitable for all ages.
Book NowPony Trekking in Loch Lomond & The Trossachs
Distance from the cottage: 12 miles
Castle Rednock is a working hill farm on the site of a medieval castle, with fantastic views across Stirling Castle and the Lake of Menteith. It offers outdoor activities including pony trekking, orienteering, segway and quad pod experiences.
Also, nearby in Balloch, is Loch Lomond Pony Trekking. And here you can enjoy fantastic views over Loch Lomond from horseback.
Pony trekking suitable for ages 4 and over, quad pods for ages 3 and over.
Book NowReviews
‘We spent 1 week in this beautiful cottage and straight away it felt like a home from home. Anne the owner is very friendly and welcoming. The cottage is really pretty and very comfortable (the beds in particular!) it has everything you need including decent wifi and you even get a welcome pack with a few food goodies.
‘We spent a week visiting the area and it’s a perfect base as you are only 20 minutes from places such as Stirling, Balloch etc. We did a day trip to Edinburgh and it only took 1h30 to get there from the cottage. There are local shops available only 5 minutes drive away which is very handy as well as lovely pubs such as the oldest one in Scotland in nearby Drymen.
We highly recommend this cottage in this really beautiful part of Scotland’
– Ballat Smithy Cottage Tripadvisor Review
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And See Ballat Smithy Cottage
Watch our video below and see our gorgeous cottage for yourself. Plus, get a taster of some of the wonderful attractions and activities nearby, including Loch Lomond. We are sure you will love all we have to offer so get booking today and enjoy a relaxing stay with us here at Ballat Smithy Cottage.
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