History

Loch Lomond has proved popular with generations of day-trippers, holiday makers, and overseas tourists. It has always been the case. Evidence of settlements as far back as 3500BC have been found and there are remnants of Iron age activity and hill forts. The Romans had a presence here evidenced by the nearby Antonine Wall built to separate Caledonia from the rest of occupied Britain in 140AD.

The area of Loch Lomond is close to the kingdoms of the Picts, Scots and Britons and was even invaded by the Vikings. In 1263 Magnus dragged his longboats across land from loch long and set forth destroying the communities around Loch Lomond.

The Clans in the area continued the spirit of rivalry, cheating and stealing. The main clans in the region were the MacGregors (of Rob Roy fame), the Buchanans, the Colquhouns and the MacFarlanes. Raids, cattle stealing, broken alliances and skirmishes led to the battle at Glen Fruin in 1603.

It was to the Rowardennan Inn on the eastern lochside that one of Rob Roy's sons, brought a kidnapped heiress and forced her to go through a ceremony of marriage. This eventually led to the gallows in Edinburgh. Earlier, in 1716, residents of the inn must have witnessed the passage of the odd little fleet that came against the MacGregors and retired in triumph after burning a few small boats. In its peaceful capacity, the Rowardennan Inn served as a wayside halt for the wild drovers who brought their equally wild, shaggy cattle across the loch by ferry on their way to the famous markets that were held at Stirling and Falkirk. The Ferry Field, between the hotel and the pier commemorates those days.