- Overview
- Day-by-day itinerary
- Photos
Why choose this route?
A mainland loop through Loch Lomond, Glencoe, Glenfinnan and Oban. Five hire days suit one main outing a day, with the final night closer to Renfrew.
Glencoe — good for: Big Highland scenery without an island crossing; strong low-level and indoor alternatives. The compromise: The roadside viewpoints fill up. Mountain walks need much more preparation than a short woodland circuit.
Argyll & Oban — good for: Food, history and coast in one mainland trip; no ferry booking needed unless you extend to an island. The compromise: The A83 can be disrupted at the Rest and Be Thankful, and a coastal detour makes a ferry connection less forgiving.
Your route at a glance
Pink markers show the itinerary’s day areas. Tap a marker for its name, or open the stops in Google Maps. Ferry crossings and road journeys need separate checks for your travel dates.
- Renfrew — collection / return
- Day 1: Loch Lomond
- Day 2: Glencoe
- Day 3: Glenfinnan and Mallaig
- Day 4: Oban
A glimpse of the places
Photo: Malcolm Lightbody · Unsplash. Resized for display.
Your 5-day plan:
- Day 1: Loch Lomond
- Day 2: Glencoe
- Day 3: Glenfinnan and Mallaig
- Day 4: Oban
- Day 5: Return to Renfrew
4 nights away. Open the daily plan below for the food, activity and overnight choices.
Itineraries
Day 1
Loch Lomond
Collection: Allow for the 14:00 handover in Renfrew before starting this day. Choose an evening stop that fits the campsite’s check-in time.
Start with Luss’s cottages, pier and lochshore, rather than trying to cover both sides of the loch. Park in a signed visitor car park and leave the village lanes for walking.
Make it work: For the short weekend, Balloch Country Park gives you a final-morning walk close to the return journey.
Day 2
Glencoe
Follow the A82 across Rannoch Moor and stop at the Three Sisters viewpoint only when there is a safe space. Make Glencoe your base; the visitor centre is a useful alternative when hill weather is poor.
Make it work: Choose a low-level outing in poor weather. Glen Etive is a narrow dead-end detour, not a quick alternative through-route.
Day 3
Glenfinnan and Mallaig
Make Glenfinnan’s viaduct and loch your main stop before following the Road to the Isles. Check train operation and timing directly if seeing a train is the reason for the stop.
Make it work: Continue to your booked mainland pitch. There is no Mallaig–Armadale ferry in this version; leave Skye for a longer hire.
Day 4
Oban
Leave the van in an appropriate town car park and explore the harbour on foot. A waterfront lunch and one viewpoint are a better combination than squeezing in a distant island crossing.
Make it work: Today’s southbound transfer helps keep the handback morning manageable. There is no island ferry in this itinerary.
Day 5
Return to Renfrew
Today is the return journey, with standard handback by 12 noon. Check live traffic, allow time to refuel and arrive at the agreed return point. Optional sightseeing and cafés come after the return only, unless a later handback has been agreed.
Food: Breakfast in the van before leaving your final pitch keeps the morning flexible. Sleeping: No overnight pitch is included for this final hire day; book an additional night if extending.
