Balloch Park Guide

02/09/2026

Balloch Castle Country Park | Colourised 🏰🌳🖼

Balloch Castle Country Park Regeneration Group

01/09/2026

Balloch Castle staff with friends c.1950s 🏰🌳

During this time, the castle had a well received tea room, supplying visitors with luncheons and picnic parties on request. This was to mirror the service that the popular Glasgow country parks offered, including Kelvingrove and Po***ck Park. Stock for this tea room would be shipped down from Glasgow to Balloch Park via boat on Loch Lomond☕️🍴🚢

24/08/2026

💥Up and Running Events are at it again!

🏰 Balloch Castle Country Park
🏃‍♂️ 5k/10/Half
📅 Sat 24th Oct 2026

Head to 👉Up and Running Events👈 for more info ✍️

20/08/2026

The Balloch Castle and Boathouse 🚤 🏰 🌳

The Balloch Castle, driven by my grandad, was a passenger vessel that carried visitors on a 30-minute sightseeing cruise around Loch Lomond. Following Glasgow Corporation’s purchase of Balloch Castle Country Park in 1915 and its opening to the public, the vessel operated from the park’s pier, giving visitors the opportunity to enjoy scenic views of Loch Lomond and its surrounding landscape. The cruises continued to operate regularly from 1915 into the 1960s.

The boat was moored beside the small boathouse (now SUP Health & Harmony Loch Lomond - The Green Rose Coffee Shop ) next to the pier. Built around 1808, at about the same time as Balloch Castle, the two-room cottage was the home of the private estate’s boatkeeper, my grandad. The estate’s sailing boat was berthed at the pier and cared for by my grandad, who was responsible for its upkeep. Despite its modest size, the cottage was known as the warmest house in the park, with a fireplace in each room (my two aunts can be seen in the photo).

My grandad also had a small boat of his own, kept safely out of sight in a narrow storage compartment beneath the boathouse. The compartment was just large enough for the boat and could be securely locked.

In the footage, you can see a boat shed, greenish in colour, around 50 yards north of the boathouse. Built by Glasgow Corporation, the boat shed had a winch and slipway, allowing members of the public to launch and sail their own boats on the Loch. Unfortunately, the boat shed was later destroyed by arson.

(Boat and boathouse photos are colourised)

Vale of Leven History Balloch Castle Country Park Regeneration Group

12/08/2026

Help us tell the story of the Balloch Park Ash Tree.

Do you have a special memory, story or idea connected to the ash tree in Balloch Castle Country Park?

We’d love to hear it. Your responses will help show just how much this tree means to our community.

👉 https://forms.gle/Ad22UAoGXdE3bYiQ6

Please share and help us give this special tree the recognition it deserves by continuing to vote!

12/08/2026

08/08/2026

08/08/2026

Balloch Park has been crying out for its own running event, and Up and Running Events stepped up and delivered 💪👏 Hopefully the first of many!

Check out the medal, too, btw 😯🏰🌳