Thursday, 28 September 2023
The Lodge Forest Visitor Centre
The Lodge Forest Visitor Centre
Where we are
Latest forest information
Open water
- This destination contains areas of open water which can be hazardous if you are not suitably prepared. Follow our water safety advice and take care.
About
The gateway to Queen Elizabeth Forest Park
With trails suitable for all, tree top adventures, a great café, toilets and plenty of information, this should be your first stop when it comes to exploring Queen Elizabeth Forest Park.
Enjoy panoramic views and scenic trails, from a gentle stroll to a waterfall past a monument commemorating the Women's Timber Corps, better known as the Lumberjills, to more strenuous routes through lofty woods and rocky crags.
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Walking trails
Walking
Waterfall Trail
A pleasant stroll through the trees past a monument to the Women's Timber Corps, leading to a dramatic waterfall that appears as if by magic. Plenty of places to sit or play along the way.
Wide, firm gravel surface throughout, with some loose stones. Long gentle slope for 400m with some short moderate sections. Short section of uneven wooden boardwalk.
1 miles / 1.8 km
Allow ½ hour
More information
Look out for reflective artworks and feel the breeze beside the tumbling waterfall. Wind back up to The Lodge from here or continue through towering Norway spruce and over an arched wooden bridge to reach the Red Squirrel Hide.
Walking
Oak Coppice Trail
A scenic walk through ancient oak woodland that is cloaked in velvety green lichens – a sure sign of the clean air up here.
Largely firm gravel surface, with a few uneven sections. Several short steep slopes and one short flight of steps.
1 ¾ miles / 2.9 km
Allow 1 hour
More information
This is an atmospheric meander amongst ancient oak trees that were once coppiced every 15 years or so, stimulating new growth from the stumps. The new stems could be used for building, fuel and to make charcoal for iron smelting.
Walking
Craigmore View Trail
Follow in the footsteps of the Duke of Montrose, climbing above the Duke’s Pass for great views of The Lodge and the Loch Ard Forest.
Varied surface with some long, fairly steep sections. Narrow and uneven rocky path with some muddy parts.
1 ¾ miles / 2.8 km
Allow 1½ hours
Walking
Lime Craig Trail
A fair climb through the forest to Lime Craig for magnificent views over the Carse of Stirling and along the Highland Boundary Fault.
Sustained steep slope for 700m up to Lime Craig, but largely firm gravel surface. Rough rocky section for further 250m up to viewpoint which can be avoided. Includes two bridges.
4 miles / 6.6 km
Allow 2½ hours
More information
Part of this trail follows the route of the old gravity railway that was used to transport limestone extracted from the quarry on Lime Craig. The best views are from the summit of the craig. On a fine day, you’ll see Ben Lomond, Ben Venue and Ben Ledi as well as getting a bird’s eye view south over the low-lying Flanders Moss and Carse of Stirling to the Campsie Fells beyond.
Activities
Watch for wildlife
This is a great place to watch wildlife – there’s the easy-to-reach Red Squirrel Hide as well as live video feeds of our squirrels in the wildlife room. The wildlife room has a live camera showing our garden bird feeders and recorded footage of local birds of prey.
Copyright: Peter Cairns/2020VISION
Aberfoyle's ospreys
We have had to make the difficult decision to remove our long standing osprey nest camera.
This camera was installed many years ago near a nest in a standing dead tree. Unfortunately, this tree has naturally degraded over the years and is no longer safe for staff to climb for regular maintenance of the camera. Our nest has also sadly sat empty for the last 4 seasons, despite there being around 30 nesting pairs in the Queen Elizabeth Forest Park. The reason they have not recently been using our camera nest is probably because of the condition of the tree and does not indicate any concern for the numbers of ospreys.
Ospreys can still be seen regularly in our region, from Balmaha to Inversnaid along Loch Lomond’s eastern shore and at Loch Achray and the Lake of Menteith, close to Aberfoyle.
Go Ape tree top adventure
If you are looking for an adventure that will live with you and your Tribe forever, you've arrived at the right place. Go Ape Aberfoyle offers exhilarating and unrivalled outdoor activities less than an hour's drive north of Glasgow.
Home to two of the longest zips in the UK, you'll be flying over trees and waterfalls with unprecedented, seasonal views of the hills, valleys and Highlands.
The start of this Treetop Challenge packs a punch with a colossal 323-metre zip thrill before you've even tackled the high-rise challenges. Your reward? A whopping 45-metre-high, 426-metre-long flight back down to earth.
Orienteering
If you want to test your navigation skills and see some bits of the forest most visitors don't then why not pick up a free orienteering map from reception. We have three courses to choose from that vary in length and navigational difficulty - great for families with young children, or anyone seeking something more challenging than a sign-posted route.
Facilities and access
Opening hours
The Lodge Forest Visitor Centre is open seven days a week, 10am to 4pm (10am to 3pm January).
The Lodge Café is open seven days a week, 10am to 5pm.
Car parking information
The charges to park at The Lodge are:
Payment options: coin, card or RingGo
- £2 for up to 1 hour
- £5 for all day
- £14 for minibus or coach all day
We recommend you bring both coins and cards with you, just in case. Please park with care and consideration. In particular please park in designated parking areas only and do not block entrances or gates. Nearby car parks with free parking can be found in our local forest list without the £ symbol.
Annual parking pass available:
Available in advance by downloading the relevant application form and emailing to the Regional Office. Please read our Annual Pass terms and conditions before applying.
Central Belt Car Park Pass - £40 per car and £100 per mini-bus or coach
Valid at The Lodge Forest Visitor Centre, Three Lochs Forest Drive, Ben Venue, Ben A'an, Rowardennan, Carron Valley.
FLS National Car Park Pass - £100 per car and £150 per mini bus or coach
Valid at all Forestry and Land Scotland car parks except Tentsmuir.
Blue badge holders park free. Please display your Blue Badge clearly.
Dogs
Water and sheltered tie-up points are available outside the visitor centre. Dogs are welcome within the building including our café.
Accessibility
Getting here
The Lodge Forest Visitor Centre is 1 mile north of Aberfoyle on the A821. Follow signs for 'Forest Park Visitor Centre'.
National Cycle Route 7 passes through the Forest Park.
Using SatNav?
FK8 3SX is the nearest postcode.
Get in touch
Have a question or suggestion for improvement?
Phone
0300 067 6615
Nearby forests
Head uphill or along the river from the centre of historic Aberfoyle
Facilities and activities
Distance from 'The Lodge Forest Visitor Centre': 0.32 miles
A picturesque loch ideal for family strolls and cycle rides
Facilities and activities
Distance from 'The Lodge Forest Visitor Centre': 0.91 miles
Towering larches and great views over the Lake of Menteith
Facilities and activities
Distance from 'The Lodge Forest Visitor Centre': 0.96 miles
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