Dumbarton (Ancient Capital of Strathclyde) is a fantastic town to use as your touring base for this area of Scotland, with Loch Lomond only minutes away by car.  We're only a 15 minute drive from Glasgow Airport on the west coast; Prestwick Airport is about 55 minutes away southwards; and Edinburgh Airport on the east coast is a 70 minute drive.  

We are an ideal base for touring all around this area of Scotland.  You will find it difficult to find a town more central for visiting interesting and popular places in the north, south, east (we are located in the west).  Whether it's the city or tranquil countryside you are after - or a bit of both, we have the best of both worlds. 

Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National Park, Balloch, Helensburgh and Cardross are right on our doorstep to the north; we are ideal for day trips to places such as Luss, Callander, Dunoon, Inveraray, Aberfoyle and Oban (all north from us).  Stirling (60 minute drive), Blair Drummond Safari & Adventure Park (outside Stirling, circa 45 minutes from us); Falkirk (60 minute drive east), Edinburgh (70-75 minutes east from us); then to our south (along the west coast) there is Gourock, Skelmorlie, Largs, Troon, and down to Ayr (and the Ayrshire coast).  Even Glencoe is only about a 90 minute drive to the north; and Fort William a 2 hour drive.  Inland to our south, Clydebank is less than 10 minutes away; and Glasgow City Centre with it's wonderful museums, shops, restaurants and night life is also only 30 minutes away (the west end of Glasgow is slightly closer to us).  And of course Dumbarton Castle is minutes walk away.

We are in a very central location in the town of Dumbarton itself.  Less than a 10 minute walk from the town centre which has plenty of shops, pubs and restaurants; and there are many other excellent pubs and restaurants in the immediate area catering for every taste.  We also have some beautiful local walks and cycling routes along the River Clyde, not to mention our very own castle - the oldest recorded stronghold in Great Britain.

If you're a golf enthusiast, the Loch Lomond Golf Club, where the Barclay's Scottish Open takes place every July, is a 15-20 minute drive away.  The new golf course, The Carrick, at Cameron House, also at Loch Lomond is a 10 minute drive.  Even the world famous Gleneagles in Auchterarder (Perthshire) is only a 70 minute drive away.  And don't forget to visit Dumbarton Golf Club while you're here too! 

If you'd like to take a break from all the castles and historical sites for the day, Ayrshire is the place to head to for the seaside, situated on the beautiful Clyde Coast.  You can drive there from Dumbarton, taking in Gourock, Skelmorlie, Largs and Troon on your journey south to Ayr.  Ayr itself is about a 60 minute drive from us.

Why not stop off in Clydebank for an hour or two on your way to Glasgow and see the spectacular Titan Crane?

If Whisky is your thing, the very well know Auchentoshan Distillery is less than 10 minutes from us.  They welcome visitors and have daily guided tours.  Please also see this link for their downloadable colour brochure (pdf format).

For the gardeners (or even if you're not a gardener!), Loch Lomond Homes & Garden Centre (a few minutes from us) is HIGHLY recommended.  You can spend the whole day here with so many amazing things to see and do.  Includes a fantastic cafe - you can download the menu at the bottom of this page.

Scotland is world famous for it's fishing holidays and angling breaks.  The River Leven and Loch Lomond provide great salmon and trout fishing.

If you're interested in walking or climbling, the Munro's are the highest of Scotland's mountains, named after the man who first catalogued them, Sir Hugh Munro.  There are nearly 300 mountains above 3000 feet.  Ben Lomond is the closest to us.  We're also very close to the start of the 95 mile long West Highland Way - a walking route from Milngavie to Fort William.

The popular Unit 23 Skate Park (Unit 23 Skatepark), which is one of the largest and most popular parks of it's kind in the UK, is only a few minutes walk from us.  Dumbarton Football Club is also only a short 5 minute walk away, right next to the Castle.

Dumbarton Public Library is less than a 10 minute walk away.  Many of our guests go here to research their family history and love that their convenient and free Internet access.  St. Patrick's Roman Catholic church is right across the road from the library, and there are a number of other churches in the area with historic significance.  Dumbarton People's Theatre is also just around the corner.

The Dumbarton Campus of Clydebank College is a 5 minute drive from us.

We are very well situated for the Scottish Exhibition & Conference Centre (SECC) in Glasgow.  To give you an idea of how convenient we are to get there: Our closest train station is Dumbarton East (5 minute walk away from the B&B); there is a train station actually at the Exhibition Centre, and the journey is less than 30 minutes away from Dumbarton.  It often takes less time travelling from Dumbarton to the SECC than it does to get to the SECC from within the very busy city centre.

We have also become one of the popular destinations for cyclers to break up their journey on charity runs (e.g., Land's End to John o'Groats) or just simply on their way up north (or vice versa).

We can't possibly mention everything you can do and see on this page, so we've put together a LINKS page with many more suggestions on it for you.  Please do go over and take a look if you get the chance - it will also give you ideas on how close we are to so many interesting and historic places.

:: Transport ::

We have excellent public transport in the immediate area if you would rather not drive: a bus stop on our doorstep and a train station (with it's frequent services to Glasgow City Centre and to Balloch/Loch Lomond) a 5 minute walk away. 

We also have ample off-street private parking if you have a car (complimentary for our guests); and we have a garage if you need to lock up your bikes safely for the night.

Some distances, to give you a better idea: Glasgow Airport approx. 7 miles; M8 Junction 31, approx. 1.4 miles; Alexandria approx. 2.5 miles; Glasgow (city centre), approx. 13 miles.