LUSS IN SCOTLAND – COMPLETE GUIDE

We recently traveled to Scotland as a family of three with our 11 month old at the time. We spent a few weeks exploring Scotland and fell in love with the village of Luss. This adorable Scottish town is situated along Loch Lomond less than an hour north of Glasgow. The village is considered one of the prettiest cities in Scotland with the most picturesque streets. We spent some time exploring Luss in Scotland on our way to Oban Scotland and fell in love with the village.

Below, I’ll go through everything you need to know for a trip to Luss in Scotland. As I mentioned, we traveled to Scotland with our daughter so this guide is great for littles ones as well! From the beautiful streets to Loch Lomond and the surrounding Trossachs National Park.

Traveling to Scotland? I’ve linked our full two week itinerary below!

• 2 Weeks in Scotland

And don’t forget to pin this for later!

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If you’re planning a trip to Scotland, make sure to grab the travel planners linked below. There are a total of 8 templates. Six of the templates list suggestions and travel tips for the most popular cities in Scotland. There is also a place for you to add your travel information as well as blank templates. They’re a great way to plan your trip and stay organized.

As I mentioned, Luss Scotland is located on Loch Lomond which is the largest lake by surface area in Great Britain. This quaint town is about 40 minutes from Glasgow and approximately 1.5 hours from both Edinburgh and Oban. As such, it’s an excellent stop if you’re traveling from Edinburgh or Glasgow to Oban.

We rented a car to travel Scotland, however, you can also reach Luss with public transportation. From Glasgow you can reach Luss in about one hour by bus which travels from Glasgow to Oban. As such, you can continue on to Oban from Luss on the same bus line. Public transportation between Edinburgh and Luss isn’t as straightforward so it’s easier to go from Glasgow or Oban.

Travel Tip – If you’re planning to be based in Edinburgh, you can also take a day trip to the town of Luss or Loch Lomond. I’ve linked a few tours which travel to this area from Edinburgh below.

• Loch Lomond, Stirling Castle, and the Kelpies from Edinburgh
• Oban and the West Highlands

Since you’re likely making a quick stop in Luss Scotland on a longer trip in the country I’ll focus on the weather in Scotland in general. Similar to most places in Europe, the best time to travel Scotland is in the Spring (March to May) and Fall (September to November). Especially last year since the UK experienced record heat in the summer! We visited in September and the weather was great, it was actually warmer than I anticipated. The weather in the Spring generally ranges between 46-55 degrees Fahrenheit and between 41- 57 in the Fall. This is an average though as the weather changes depending on where you’re traveling. The crowds also tend to be more mild in the shoulder season. We didn’t find it to be overly crowded anywhere we visited.

Honestly, Luss Scotland is the perfect day trip from Glasgow, Edinburgh, or Oban. As I mentioned, it’s a relatively quick drive from all three cities so it’s an easy stop to make while you travel Scotland. Since the town is so small you really only need a few hours to fully explore the town. Set aside a relatively quick stop while you travel between cities or plan a day trip from one of the larger cities nearby. If you’re planning to hike in the Trossachs National Park from Luss, I recommend spending at least 1 night in town.

As I mentioned, you only need a few hours in town unless you’re doing a long hike in Luss. If that’s the case, you’ll want to spend at least 1 evening in town. Hotels in Luss Scotland tend to be expensive since it’s such a small town. There are a few hotels within a 5-10 mile radius which are more reasonably priced. I’ve linked a few options below in and around Luss.

Luss Hotels –

• Glenview Luss – highly rated B&B within walking distance of Luss
• Guesthouse Loch Lomond – highly rated Airbnb within 10 minutes walking of Luss

The main activity in town is, of course, soaking in the charming streets of Luss. The town feels like a classic Scottish village with decorative flowers and greenery on the cottages along the street. Since Luss is located in the Trossachs National Park there are panoramic mountain views from town.

There is a small historic church in town you’ll want to visit but aside from that, you’ll just want to enjoy town. I suggest grabbing lunch from one of the restaurants in town and shopping at the local shops. There are only a handful of shops and restaurants in town giving the streets that much more of a small town vibe.

Another great activity in town is to take a cruise on Loch Lomond which is one of the largest lakes in Great Britain. This is an excellent activity to do with kids! There are three main cruises around Loch Lomond leaving from Luss. You can do a 90 minute cruise of Loch Lomond which passes islands and other beautiful scenery on the Loch. You can also cruise from Luss to the village of Balmaha which is another quaint town on Loch Lomond. In Balmaha you can climb Conic Hill for panoramic views of Loch Lomond and enjoy the town. The last option is the ‘island explorer’ which is a cruise passing the pretty island on the Loch and disembarking at Inchacilloch, known as “Treasure Island”. At the island you’re able to enjoy the walking routes or rent paddles from the beach at Port Bawn. We wish we knew about the cruises in advance as we didn’t have enough time once we arrived to Luss.

Booking –

• Cruise from Luss to the village of Balmaha
• Luss Circular
• Sail around Luss to and disembark at Inchcailloch, also referred to as ‘Treasure Island!’

There are also several walking trails and hiking trails you can go on from town. There are four walking trails to choose from which range from 15 minutes to an hour. The trails are all paved well enough to do with kids. I’ve linked a map of the walking trails for reference however, there is also a map of the trails posted in the town of Luss. If you have enough time, I recommend doing the longest path, the Luss Heritage Walk. This trail combines all of the trails with a full circuit of the village, river, and surrounding countryside. It’s a nice walk with absolutely beautiful views!

Luss is also an excellent place to base yourself if you want to hike Trossachs National Park. There are several beautiful hikes you can take which start from the car park in Luss. If you have a little extra time in Luss, I highly suggest taking a hike in the area as it’s absolutely spectacular! I’ll go through the 4 hikes you can take from the car park in Luss below. As I mentioned, if you’re planning to hike in the area, spend at least 1 evening in town to enjoy the streets of Luss.

Hiking options from Luss Scotland –

• Beinn Dubh – 4.7 mile out and back trail which takes approximately 3.5 hours
• Beinn Dubh & Coire – 7.2 mile loop trail which will take about 4.5 hours
• Luss to Balloch – 8.8 mile trail which takes about 3 hours (this is a one way trip so you’ll likely want to take public transportation back)
• Beinn Eich – 12 mile out and back trail which takes about 7.5 hours

We absolutely loved exploring the village of Luss in Scotland! There is nothing I love more than a charming small town in Europe. If you’ve been to Scotland, let me know your favorite village in the comments below! I’ll be sure to add it to our travels.

Looking for more magical towns in Europe?

• 10 Most Magical Towns in Europe

Safe Travels,

Sarah :)

I’ve linked a few of my favorite travel essentials below! See our travel shop for more essentials including my favorite baby travel gear. Let me know if you have any questions in the comments below, I’m happy to help!