Visit Inchcailloch Island: The Most Interesting Part Of Loch Lomond

While the bonnie banks of Loch Lomond are beautiful, they’re outshone by a visit to Inchcailloch Island. It’s one of the 22 islands of Loch Lomond, each with their own name, story and quirks. One was planted with Yew trees by Robert the Bruce, one sheltered William Wallace, one is even home to Wallabies!

However, if there’s one island in Loch Lomond worth visiting then it’s Inchcailloch –The Island of the Veiled Woman. Here you’ll find an ancient church, forest walks, a gentle beach, incredible viewpoint and if you plan ahead then you can even camp on Inchcailloch. Best of all, Inchcailloch is dog friendly so Molly got to join me on my trip!

Read on to discover everything you need to know about this quirky little island.

How To Get To Inchcailloch Island

First thing you’ll need to know is how to get to Inchcailloch Island. It’s fairly close to Balmaha at the southern end of Loch Lomond and there are regular ferry trips from there. Instead of that short trip though, I’d recommend using Cruise Loch Lomond to visit Inchcailloch Island from Luss instead.

That way you get to explore the beautiful village of Luss before the boat leaves, as well as enjoy more time on the water. The Island Explorer boat trip takes a meandering trip around Loch Lomond, giving expert commentary and information en route. You might even spot the Ospreys in their nest as you pass on the boat towards Inchcailloch.

Spend Time In Luss Village

Before you get the Inchcailloch boat, spend some time exploring Luss. This village is a contender for most picturesque in Scotland, full of tiny slate roofed cottages and hanging flower baskets. On a sunny day, you’ll find it full of families swimming in Loch Lomond or jumping off the pier.

There are a couple of stories about how Luss got its name, but my favourite is a short love story. A visiting French noble fell in love with a local Luss lassie and the pair moved to the continent. When she sadly passed away, her husband brought her body home to be buried in Scotland, planting the French fleur-de-lys at her grave. The flowers spread and the village she came from took its name Luss from the lys!

Wander amongst the picture perfect cottages and you’ll soon come to the historic Luss Church. There’s been a place of worship here for around 1500 years and that’s evident from some of the graves. Most notably, a Viking hogback stone from around the 11th century and very rare for this part of Scotland!

Exploring Inchcailloch Island’s History

To appreciate a trip to Inchcailloch Island, you might need to learn a little about its history. The name translates from Gaelic as the island of the old woman or veiled woman and is said to come from St Kentigerna. She was the mother of the better known St Fillan, found represented in places like Fife and Strathfillan.

Kentigerna lived as a hermit on the island in the 8th century and legend says her small chapel grew into a nunnery. The easy access for boats to Inchcailloch meant that it was regularly visited over the years. Robert the Bruce used the island as a hunting forest and you can sometimes spot deer and other animals amongst the trees.

There was later a farm on the island producing crops until the early 19th century! It’s hard to imagine that now but the ruin of the farmhouse is still easily accessible. Soon after the farm was abandoned, tree farming began here. Oak trees were shipping on boats to Balmaha to be processed in timber yards there, although now Inchcailloch is thankfully a nature reserve!

Lose Yourself In Inchcailloch Church

Once you’ve landed at the pier, you have a couple of options for how to walk around Inchcailloch Island. Personally, I headed along the Low Path straight for Inchcailloch church, the site of St Kentigerna’s chapel. Now completely ruined, this was once the parish church for a large area along the shore of Loch Lomond. People had to row their boats across to the island and walk up the hill every Sunday for the service!

It also became an important burial ground for chiefs of the Clan Macgregor, relatives of famous outlaw Rob Roy Macgregor. Even after this 13th century building was abandoned in 1621, it continued to be an important burial ground. Amongst the many interested graves on Inchcailloch, you’ll spot the name Macfarlane over and over. One story claims that the clan got so drunk at one funeral, they almost forgot to bury the body!

Keep your eyes open for Rob Roy’s cousin Gregor Macgregor’s large burial table from 1693, fit for a clan chief! There are also beautifully carved graves showing a sheep, cow and plough to indicate the deceased’s occupation.

Admire The Loch At Inchcailloch Island Viewpoint

There are few places with a better view of Loch Lomond than the highest point of Inchcailloch Island. Reached along the Summit Path, this is known as Tom na Nigheanan or the Hill of the Daughter, probably due to Kentigerna being the daughter of an Irish King. It’s a fantastic panorama to the north, with clear views of Ben Lomond, a popular Munro, in the distance.

From the Inchcailloch viewpoint you can easily see evidence of the Highland Boundary Line running through Loch Lomond. This is technically the boundary where Scotland’s Lowlands meet the Highlands. A line runs from Stonehaven in Aberdeenshire, diagonally across the country and eventually through the Isle of Arran.

Inchcailloch is one of a chain of islands caused by the boundary fault and the story is well told in public displays in Balmaha.

Go For A Paddle At The Beach

Wandering around Inchcailloch only takes a couple of hours, even at a gentle pace. That means that once you return to Port Bawn where the boat from Luss dropped you off, you’ve got time to relax. You’ll find tables with hotplates for BBQs, but I’d recommend getting in for a paddle at the beach!

Loch Lomond can be a very cold place for a swim and around the banks, Scottish lochs usually get very deep, very quickly. That’s why this little bit of beach at Inchcailloch is much better for swimming. It’s a shallow bay and shaded from the wind by trees so warms up much faster. Obviously Molly the dog would swim anywhere, but it takes somewhere special like this to get me in the loch!

Can You Camp On Inchcailloch Island?

Something that probably surprises most people is that you can actually camp at Inchcailloch! You can stay for up to 2 nights at Port Brawn, but be warned that the facilities are quite basic. There are composting toilets, but no drinking water or bins so you’ll need to bring everything on and off the island.

Once the last of the ferries have left, then those camping at Inchcailloch are all alone. Well, that is apart from the deer, capercaillie and any other animals lurking around. While the island never feels very busy during the day, the peace and quiet during the evening is absolute bliss.

Make sure to book ahead because there’s only space for 12 to camp on Inchcailloch. As far as I know, you don’t have any ghosts to worry about, but maybe don’t go poking around the burial ground in the dark just to be sure…

It costs £9 per Adult, Children go free and you can book a spot on the Loch Lomond website here!

Enjoy Your Visit To Inchcailloch Island!

The most important thing is to just enjoy your visit to Inchcailloch Island. If you’re not interested in the history then that’s fine! If you hate camping then there are plenty of boats back off the island! No matter what your interests are, I’ve no doubt that you’ll enjoy spending a few hours on Inchcailloch just as much as I did.

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