Forest bathing at Balloch Castle Country Park

Balloch Castle Country Park sits on the south-east shore of Loch Lomond, on the northern edge of Balloch. It was a private estate through the 19th century and became a public park early in the 20th, and its layout has changed little since the castle was built around 1800. About 200 acres of semi-natural and ornamental woodland surround open parkland, a walled garden and the loch shore. It is a National Tree Collections of Scotland site, with conifers planted with the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh.

Many visitors stay near the castle and the walled garden, so walk out into the woods or along the shoreline for more room. The Tree Trail around the castle introduces the exotic and native trees, and the Fairy Glen is worth finding. Many paths are suitable for buggies and wheelchairs. Come early on a still morning, when the loch is flat and the park is at its quietest.