Cycling

Cycling in Drymen

Drymen is a great place to start exploring the rich variety of cycling routes around Loch Lomond and the Trossachs area. Many of our suggested routes will start from the village square which makes a great meeting place, with the Rob Roy Way, West Highland Way and National Cycle Network 7 all converging here.

The village now has the Cycling Friendly Silver Award for our recent work trying to make the village more cycle friendly. Here are a couple of videos about Active Travel in the National Park. Click here for Drymen’s Active Travel plan.

We were delighted to open new facilities in 2022 at Drymen Square for cyclists, with a bike repair station and free e-bike charging points. Scottish Water also installed a top-up-tap to allow you to refill your water bottle.

See also more information about the new Drymen Meanders Cycle Group. Also for more information about the e-bike charging station at the Square click here.

Cycle Routes

Drymen to Balmaha (1)

Start at Drymen Village Square and follow the cycling signs for Balmaha, heading through Buchanan Estate and along the pathways and road cycle lane towards Balmaha. This route is mostly flat and easy to navigate

Return distance is 18km / 11 miles, suitable for e-bikes, road bikes, resilient hybrids

Drymen to Balmaha (2) via Garadbhan

A short e-bike friendly route on quiet roads, gravel trails and shared use paths from NCN7 Loch and Glens (North) to the Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park Visitor Centre at Balmaha. Stunning views over Loch Lomond with options to visit the National Park Visitor Centre, Tom Weir Statue and Oak Tree Inn, Balmaha. 

Return distance is 18km / 11 miles, suitable for e-bikes, gravel bikes, resilient hybrids

Combine the two routes above for a circular route through Balmaha

Return distance is 18km / 11 miles, suitable for e-bikes, gravel bikes, resilient hybrids

Drymen to Balloch 

Follows quiet country roads from Drymen to Croftamie along NCN 7 which combines with the John Muir Way and West Highland Way in places. It’s mainly flat and easy to cycle with the route ending at Balloch Castle Country Park 

Distance 16km / 10 miles, suitable for e-bikes, road bikes, resilient hybrids See Guide

Cycling Aberfoyle.jpg

Drymen to Aberfoyle

From the Drymen Square go past The Clachan and up Old Gartmore Road past the primary school. This route follows NCN7 with a few gradients, but easy and narrow forestry roads. Through Gartmore and finally into Aberfoyle along a cycle path.

Aberfoyle is home to the Gravelfoyle gravel riding trails If you are keen to get onto the gravel after 6km along this route at Old Drymen Road car park you can turn left and enter the trail network around Gravelfoyle. 

Distance 16km / 10 miles, suitable for e-bikes, road bikes, resilient hybrids See Guide

Cycling Rowardennan.jpg

The full day Adventure

Using some of the routes described above a full day adventure around Loch Lomond which also takes in a journey by waterbus can be planned. Waterbus Information

It is recommended that you check with the waterbus operators for the timetable and to book your seat as required

Follow the Drymen to Balloch route described above.

Distance 14.5km / 9 miles, suitable for e-bikes, road bikes, resilient hybrids

Cycling NCN7.jpg

From Balloch follow the West Lomond Cycle Path which follows the western shores of Loch Lomond on to Tarbet. It’s well signposted, mostly on pathways and fairly flat with great views of Ben Lomond and Loch Lomond. (A short detour to Luss gives the option to shorten the cycling part of the route and take the waterbus back to Balmaha.) From Tarbet take the waterbus to Rowardennan.

Short Route Distance 14km/ 8.5 miles suitable for e-bikes, road bikes, resilient hybrids

Long Route Distance 28km / 17 miles suitable for e-bikes, road bikes, resilient hybrids

From Rowardennan follow the B837 road back to Balmaha, the road can get quite busy in the height of the season.

Distance 10.5km/ 6.5 miles, suitable for e-bikes, road bikes, resilient hybrids

From Balmaha choose either option 1 or 2 to return to Drymen

Distance 9km/ 5.5 miles, suitable for e-bikes, road bikes, resilient hybrids

This gives a couple of variations for a day long adventure.

Overall distance Long Route 62km /38.5 miles suitable for e-bikes, road bikes, resilient hybrids

Overall Distance Short Route 37.5km /23 miles suitable for e-bikes, road bikes, resilient hybrids

Cycling Milton of Buchanan.jpg

Endura LifeCycle Trust Trails

Located just outside Drymen, Endura Life Trails provides a safe and discrete environment for charity groups and organisations to use free of charge especially those who work with kids or adults with particular challenges.  

A network of feature-rich and fun-filled red and blue mountain bike trails.  They run partly through beautiful deciduous woodland and are arranged in a circular plan, signposted with clear way markers.

Open access session dates and times vary to accommodate the needs of the groups but generally open to the public on Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday 09:00 to 19:30. Visit Website.

Information compiled by Jim Riach from Loch Lomond and Trossachs Countryside Trust.

Click here to find out about Drymen’s Active Travel plan.