LUSS, LOCH LOMOND: This Scottish village is a perfect Glasgow day trip for families with autistic kids
- sunshinelayla
- Sep 22
- 7 min read
Updated: Sep 30
The Scottish village of Luss makes an ideal destination for a family day trip from either Glasgow or the Loch Lomond & Trossachs National Park.
The village of Luss is situated on the edge of Loch Lomond and at about 30 miles north of Glasgow it is easily reached from the city centre.
Initially we decided to visit Luss because it was a convenient stopping point on our longer journey from Glasgow to Oban. However as soon as we arrived in the village we realised it would make the ideal day trip from Glasgow, especially for families with autistic kids who want a break from the city to explore some of Scotland's stunning autumn scenery.
The time we spent in Luss was a great way to start our holiday, and it turned out to be an unexpected highlight of our trip. While J and I loved Luss's quaint village architecture and the stunning autumnal colours of the surrounding woodland, the main attraction for our kids was more prosaic - the Halloween themed trail and a large playground!
Four reasons why Luss is a great Glasgow day trip for families with autistic kids
THE LOCH LOMOND SCARY TRAIL
When we visited during October half term there was a fun Loch Lomond trail with a scary Halloween theme. To see what events are currently on visit the Loch Lomong Faerie Trail website. Tickets can and do sell out, so it pays to be organised and book in advance.
On the day we arrived the boys were not feeling up to completing the 1 mile round trip through the woods (I think the travelling from London had taken it out of them), so we contented ourselves with joining at the last stage of the trail, the Pumpkin Patch!
Here they were able to get their first glimpse of a highland cow which was very exciting; our youngest promptly named the cow Argen - and then spent the rest of the holiday getting excited every time we saw an Argen in another field. There were also donkeys, sheep and some goats, although they did not come close enough for the boys to pat them.
At the end of the trail was a large marquee with a scary trail photo moment, hay bales and lots of pumpkins scattered around - it was perfect for taking some really fun Scottish harvest / Halloween themed photos and provided a much needed break from the bracing wind!
Even if you are not able to do walk the actual trail (which unfortunately is not accessible to wheelchairs or buggies), the pumpkin patch at the end is still a lovely way to get into the autumn / Halloween spirit and we had a lot of fun.
LUSS VILLAGE SHOP
Luss village is very small, with a handful of quaint sandstone houses that date mostly from the 18th and 19th century. Created as a model village, the laird built them to house workers from the nearby slate quarry and local mills. You will find a heritage shop, pub and the village shop as well as a church and playground.
The village shop was very busy when we visited, as it also serves as a warm and inviting cafe - there was a queue of people waiting to have lunch on one of the tables out the back. If you don't have time to wait, or have brought your own picnic lunch then you can do what we did and order drinks and some of their cakes to take away.
These cakes were, quite frankly, DELICIOUS! All homemade, the selection featured some interesting traditional Scottish recipes. Some of the cakes were so big we enjoyed them at lunch and still had plenty left over an afternoon snack! If you only buy one thing in Luss, make sure it is one of the cakes from the Village shop - you can view their takeaway menu here. Oh, and for the summer months they do ice-cream too.
LUSS BEACH @ LOCH LOMOND
The Loch Lomond shoreline at Luss is a lovely 400m long beach with a shingly type of sand. In summer it is a popular spot for families and wild bathing is allowed - the season officially runs from mid May until mid September.
The body responsible for monitoring water quality states that the bathing water at Luss can be: "subject to short term pollution following heavy rainfall. Bathing is not advised during or 1-2 days after heavy rainfall due to the risk to bathers’ health from water pollution."
Although it was a cold, overcast day this didnt stop our boys from whipping off their shoes and socks and going for a paddle as soon as we got within sight of the beach.
They had such fun kicking around in the water - even if they were the only ones in there!
If you are visiting with kids definitely allow time for them to have a paddle or a dip, and bring some towels and extra clothes to warm up afterwards - even in Summer the water temperature remains pretty cool!
LOCH LOMOND VIEWING POINT AND JETTY
The Luss jetty is a great place to take in the full grandeur of Loch Lomond. Boats tours also leave from here and our boys really enjoyed watching all the activity on the water.
The jetty is situated on the western shores of Loch Lomond, and provides views of the impressive Ben Lomond, a mountain which rises 974m on the Eastern slopes of the Loch. It is the most southerly peak of the Munros - the name given to the 282 Scottish mountains over 3000ft.
HOW TO GET FROM GLASGOW TO LUSS WITH AUTISTIC KIDS:
Luss is only around 30 miles from the city of Glasgow. It you are travelling from Edinburgh it is double the distance (around 78 miles) - perhaps too far for comfortable day trip.
Whichever transport option you choose, car, bus or organised tour. you are guaranteed to enjoy some truly lovely scenery on your trip.
BY CAR
On the morning of our trip we picked up a hire car from the airport, packed up our bags and headed out. The drive from Glasgow to Luss on a Saturday morning took us around 45 - 50 minutes. There was a large public car park on the left hand side of the road as we approached the village (from Glasgow).
On arrival at Luss's large carpark it is a short walk down into the village itself, and those all important views of the water.
From this car park it is only a short stroll down the main road through the village to get to the edge of the Loch Lomond. The road is paved and it is only a slight incline down to the Loch.
BY BUS / TRAIN:
There are buses operated by the Ember group that can take you from Glasgow Buchanan Bus Station to the main carpark in Luss. Look for buses travelling in the direction of either Uig or Fort William i.e., north!
AUTISM FRIENDLY FEATURES ON THE EMBER BUSES
Ember buses are electric which make them pretty quiet, have comfortable seats with more legroom than is standard, in seat USB points to keep the all important tablets charged up, free 5G wifi and toilets (on nearly all routes).
There is also the option of getting a train from Glasgow up to Balloch (about 50 minutes) then picking up a bus for the remaining 20 minute run up to Luss Village.
BUYING TICKETS FOR EMBER BUSES
You can buy a ticket onboard an Ember bus, except at pre-booked only stops, cash is not excepted, you will need to pay by card or phone.
It is cheaper to buy tickets online, and this can be done even just a few seconds before you hop on the bus. If you have a bike you will need to book a bike space online before you travel to be sure you can take it with you. It will most likely be stored under the bus.
PRE-BOOKED BUS STOPS -IMPORTANT PLEASE READ!
The village of Luss is a PRE BOOK STOP. At pre-book bus stops you have to buy your ticket on line at least 10 minutes before you want to travel, or the bus wont stop.
If you're unable to book online you can call Ember on +44 (0)131 510 4007 and they will ask the driver to stop there so you can buy on board. Make sure to phone within office hours (9am - 6pm, seven days a week).
CHILD TICKETS (UNDER 7)
For children under five, travel is free on Ember buses. Between the ages of 5 and 18, children can travel for half price, with a minimum fare of £1.
If you have a Scottish National Entitlement Card then travel is free.
WHAT TO PACK FOR YOUR AWESOME LOCH LOMOND DAY TRIP
The main reason for a day trip to Luss is to see Loch Lomond and enjoy the beautiful surrounding woodlands. In autumn, depending on your intentions you should consider taking:
a picnic blanket
water bottles and a hot drink thermos
high energy snacks
waterproof shoes / boots you don't mind getting muddy
a wrap / scarf - if you go out on a boat on the Loch it is always colder and windier than you expect
woolly hat / gloves
light cloth or sarong for drying wet feet, if you are tempted like my two boys to go for a paddle in the lake!
For more packing tips visit our Packing for travel with Autistic Children page
Final Thoughts
This was our first family visit to the Western Isles and in total we spent 9 nights in Scotland with our autistic children and their amazing Nonna. After flying from London into Glasgow we travelled to Oban via Luss (on Loch Lomond) and then took a car ferry to the the Isle of Mull where we stayed for a week. We then drove back to Glasgow via Aberfoyle (on the other side of Loch Lomond to Luss) before flying back to London.
We absolutely adored our Halloween themed autumnal visit to Western Scotland and would love to explore more of this beautiful country. Many people have since told us that if we loved Mull we should definitely go to Stornoway on the Isle of Harris, apparently it even more spectacular, if that's possible!
We really enjoyed the time we spent in Luss. It was very soothing being by the shore of Loch Lomond and if we had had more time would definitely have done one of the boat trips on offer. The boys loved all the sensory aspects of being by the water, and were able to let off steam and move around in the nearby playground, which was actually pretty well equipped.
The facilities in the village were fine, with public toilets available and somewhere to get lunch, or a delicious sugary treat. The halloween / faerie trail and pumpkin field was great fun, particularly surrounded by all the autumnal trees and falling leaves. The scenery added to the atmosphere and it made our visit extra special.
Given how close Luss is to Glasgow, and how easy and scenic the drive was, we would definitely recommend it as a great day trip for families with autistic children.
