Special Viewpoints

Loch Katrine Scenic Tower

Does a beautiful natural view need any structure to enhance it? Well, the answer is both yes and no. No, because there are so many incredible views that are just fine as they are. Yes, when you see the five structures' positive impact on these locations.

These examples are all very different, each carefully designed to blend seamlessly into its unique landscape.

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Ben Lomond Viewing Shelter - Gartocharn

The Loch Lomond RSPB Reserve at Gartocharn is well worth a visit. I’ve linked below to two of our reviews to help you plan some time on the reserve, firstly Aber Shore on the southern banks of Loch Lomond and secondly the Visitor Centre with trails and pond dipping experience for children.

 

Plan Your Visit 

If you plan to visit Loch Lomond & The Trossachs, consider ordering our book ‘101 things to do in Loch Lomond & The Trossachs’, a photo guidebook of things to do and places to explore. Click here to purchase. 

It is the RSPB Visitor Centre near Gartocharn where we find our first special viewpoint. Follow the signed Viewpoint Trail, which is just 200m long and wheelchair friendly, to find a superb and beautiful framed view towards Ben Lomond courtesy of this shelter.

Look Out (Mirror Box) - Loch Voil

The next example is deep into Rob Roy MacGregor territory. To get to this viewpoint, take the A84, heading north out of Callander, leaving it at Kingshouse. From there, follow the signs to Balquhidder, and go through the village along the narrow road. This single-track road soon starts to follow the banks of Loch Voil; unless tempted to stop and take photographs, keep going until you see the distinctive pink building that is the stylish Monachyle Mhor Hotel.

You should now be able to see Loch Voil and its close neighbour Loch Doine. Take the footpath towards the strip of land between the two lochs for the lookout mirror box. It successfully blends into the environment, so you may not see it immediately. When you reach it, you may disturb some grazing sheep admiring themselves in the mirrors that make up the box's exterior.

 

This innovative design is the work of architecture students Angus Ritchie and Daniel Tyler. They won funding for it from The Scottish Government as part of their thesis at Strathclyde University.

Carefully positioned mirrors allow you to sit just inside the box and look out across one loch whilst seeing a reflection of the other. The Mirror Box and the following two examples are part of the Scottish Scenic Route Viewpoints series. The Lookout (Mirror Box) is also part of the BLiSS Trail. Read more about that in the link below, do download their informative app where you can listen to an audio tour feature about The Lookout.

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Loch Lubnaig, ‘Sloc nan Sitheanach’ (faeries hollow)

 

Tucked away by the side of a picnic area of the first visitor car park at Loch Lubnaig is ‘Sloc nan Sitheanach’ or faeries hollow. Even if the car park is busy, this can be a quiet spot; take in the excellent views across Loch Lubnaig to Ben Ledi. This is the start of the BLiSS Trail, more about that in the link earlier in this article.

Woven Sound - Falls of Falloch

The final example of these spectacular viewpoints is the Falls of Falloch, which is close to the A82, about 5 miles south of Crianlarich.

 

All of these special and enhanced viewpoints are unique and thoughtfully designed to work within their landscapes. Woven Sound is no different and is the work of John Kennedy, who has added extracts from English poet Dorothy Wordsworth’s diary entry for her visit to the falls in the early 19th century.

The first picture is the view of the Falls themselves 

Woven Sound - Falls of Falloch

Scenic Tower & Viewpoint at Loch Katrine

The new Scenic Tower above Trossachs Pier provides a powerful new way to experience one of Loch Katrine’s most historically significant viewpoints. The three-storey structure gives access to the Roderick Dhu viewpoint, where the dramatic landscape inspired Sir Walter Scott to write The Lady of the Lake, published in 1810. That poem captured the public imagination and played a key role in placing the Trossachs on the map, helping to spark the early growth of Scottish tourism.

Officially opened in August 2024, the Scenic Tower is free to access from Trossachs Pier, with donations supporting the charitable trust that cares for the site. A short but steep 200-metre path leads up through ancient woodland, with benches placed along the way to allow visitors to pause and take in the surroundings. The path and viewpoints have been carefully hand-built to protect this sensitive landscape, using traditional techniques and materials brought in by helicopter to minimise disturbance.

From the tower, each level reveals a different perspective across Loch Katrine and the surrounding hills. Visitors can look down on the pier, trace the length of the loch, and watch the historic steamship set off on its long-established route through the Great Trossachs Forest. Quotes from The Lady of the Lake placed around the tower help connect the views to the stories that made this place famous, creating an experience that blends scenery, literature and heritage in a thoughtful and memorable way.

Thanks for reading

Words and photography by Paul Saunders. Visit Paul’s Marketing and Photography websites for details of his services in Scotland.

Please let us know about your visits to any of the scenic viewpoints reviewed here in the comments section below.