The Lodge Forest Visitor Centre

12/07/2024

Due to damage to the footbridge, the green waymarked ‘Lochan Spling Trail’ at Loch Ard is currently inaccessible from Milton Car Park.

The trail can still be walked from Aberfoyle village via Kirkton.

The Gravelfoyle Aqueduct and Lomond trails are temporarily diverted along the B829 to return to Aberfoyle village.

We are working to repair this bridge as quickly as we can.

02/07/2024

🎉Waterfall Trail Bridge Update🎉

Installation of a new, accessible bridge next to the waterfall is due to begin in the coming weeks and will hopefully be installed by the end of August.

In the meantime, our onsite partners at GoApe have installed a temporary crossing that allows access to their staff and GoApe customers only. This is required for emergency evacuations and provides course access for staff.

We apologise for the continued delay and unforeseen issues that have prolonged the installation process.

22/06/2024

🎉 Exciting News 🎉

Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park will be launching a new bus service called the Trossachs Explorer on July 1st 2024. 🚌🚏

The bus will run from Aberfoyle to Callander multiple times a day, 7 days a week. It will pass through key areas on the Trossachs Trail including The Lodge, Ben Venue and Ben A’an.

To find out more visit:

lochlomond-trossachs.org/trossachsexplorer

05/06/2024

🎉 The Loch Drunkie toilets are now open again 🎉

Please remember that these toilets are stream fed and may take a while to refill.

Please do not dispose of any chemical waste down these toilets either as the system is not designed to handle this, the nearest chemical waste facilities are in Callander.

Sorry for any inconvenience and thank you for your patience.

01/06/2024

Our Water Ranger Jac has been up to exciting things recently in partnership with Scottish Water. She attended an event to help educate a group of Glasgow school children about scotlands drinking water and how to help protect it into the future. Click the link below to read the full article. Well done Jac 🎉

Scottish Water has officially launched a nationwide education programme Generation H2O to encourage young people to protect the future of Scotland’s water.

23/05/2024

❌ Unfortunately due to unforeseen circumstances we have had to make the decision to close the Loch Drunkie toilet block on The Three Lochs Drive ❌

We are aware of the issue and we are trying to rectify this as soon as possible.

We will update the page when we have more information.

Apologies for any inconvenience this may cause.

20/05/2024

⚠️BE AWARE⚠️

Ben A'an Car Park will be CLOSED on Thursday 23rd May for resurfacing works. It will re-open on Friday 24th May.

Ben Venue car park is available as an alternative while this work is carried out.

09/05/2024

30/04/2024

Due to essential works at The Lodge Forest Visitor Centre on Tuesday 7th May, the site will be closed. This includes the car park, Go Ape, the cafe, toilet facilities and the visitor centre. Apologies for any inconvenience this may cause. The trails will remain open but please do not enter the area surrounding the building, due to the nature of the work being carried out.

20/04/2024

The Three Lochs Drive is looking lovely in the spring sun today ☀️ why not take a drive round, stop in at the Loch Drunkie car park and enjoy a walk along the loch by following the green Drunkie trail. 🌲

07/04/2024

2 positions available, previous applicants need not apply thank you.

06/04/2024

The Three Lochs Drive has re-opened today 06/04/2024🎉 Please be careful if you are planning a visit to the drive today as we are expecting very high winds 💨 Drive with caution and please follow the 10mph speed limit.

05/04/2024

Due to adverse weather conditions we have made the decision to delay the opening of The Three Lochs Drive. ❄️ we will update the page when we have made further inspections later today. Please drive carefully especially on higher ground where the snow will be thicker.

29/03/2024

The Three Lochs Drive has re-opened today 🎉

⚠️Please be aware there may still be some work going on today to repair the road so please drive with caution. ⚠️

⚠️There is also a risk of mud on the drive just now during the wet weather so please be extra cautious around any patches of mud. ⚠️

But most importantly go and enjoy the beautiful views that The Three Lochs Drive has to offer… including the one below which was taken on the drunkie trail. 🌳

26/03/2024

Update - SSE have had to postpone their work at The Lodge Forest Visitor Centre today, meaning the site is open as usual. The Visitor Centre, Cafe and Car Park will all be open till 4 pm. We look forward to seeing you soon.

16/03/2024

Quercus is back… and he’s brought his whip!

Can you help Quercus locate the missing eggs?

There’s a cool sticker for anybody that can…👍🏼🕊️

08/03/2024

The Lodge Forest Visitor Centre is proud to host a memorial for the Lumberjills as a proud legacy of all the women who have worked on the land past and present.

This International Women's Day, we'd like to draw your attention to some unsung heroes of the Second World War, the Women's Timber Corps. "These ‘Lumberjills' replaced the men who had answered the call to war. They carried out the arduous tasks of felling, snedding, loading trucks and trains and milling timber all over Scotland. A large percentage of this was mining timber, used to keep Britain's engine turning during these difficult times." There were several WTC camps in Strathspey, including at Pityoulish, near Glenmore.

You can find more information here: https://forestryandland.gov.scot/learn/heritage/world-war-two/womens-timber-corps

and Land Scotland

26/02/2024

The Lodge Forest Visitor Centre, Cafe and Car Park will be closed on Tuesday 26th March, due to essential electrical works by SSE. We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause.

14/02/2024

In partnership with Scottish Water, our Water Ranger Jacqueline will be hosting a beginners guide to identifying birds and their calls at Carron Valley on 02/03/2024 and 23/03/2024 between 1000-1200.

If you would like more information about the event and to book a spot please contact Jacqueline directly via email [email protected].

23/01/2024

We have had to close The Lodge Forest Visitor Centre slightly earlier today due to the heavy rainfall and to allow the staff to get home safely. Please be careful if travelling in the area.

22/01/2024

22/01/2024 - Due to power issues within The Lodge caused by the recent weather, the visitor centre and Cafe is currently closed. The car park is open as normal but all trails are still the be checked. Please be careful and take care. We will provide updates when possible.

20/01/2024

Ice pillars and icicles at the waterfall today. The power of the water cascading down is awe inspiring.

20/01/2024

🎉🎊

The Lodge will re-open today at the normal time of 1000-1600.

Thankfully the cold snap has passed and we have a clear and safe car park for you to use.

There are still small pockets of snow and ice around so please be careful whilst out and about on our trails.

We look forward to seeing you!☺️

19/01/2024

The Lodge will be closed again today due to the weather conditions. The dukes pass is very icy as well so please be careful on the roads today. We will keep you updated on the situation.

18/01/2024

Due to the cold temperatures we will have to remain closed today. We will keep you updated on the situation via this page. Apologies again for any inconvenience caused.

17/01/2024

Due to the weather conditions we have had to make the difficult decision to close The Lodge again today. Sorry for any inconvenience caused. Please be careful on the roads today.

16/01/2024

We have had to make the difficult decision to close The Lodge early today due to the hazardous weather conditions. Apologies for any inconvenience this may cause.

08/01/2024

Update 08/01/2024 - The Lodge Forest Visitor Centre is now open. If you are visiting today or using the surrounding trails, please be careful.

08/01/2024

08/01/2024 - Due to the low temperatures up at The Lodge Forest Visitor Centre, the car park and surrounding areas are covered in ice.

As the safety of our visitors and staff is top priority, we have decided to delay our opening.

We hope to be open at around 10.30am and will provide a further update as soon as possible. Thank you for your understanding.