Lake of Menteith
The Lake of Menteith is Scotland's only lake — a distinction that makes it unique among Scottish bodies of water, which are almost universally called lochs. This curious anomaly in nomenclature is thought to derive from a linguistic evolution of the word "laich," meaning low-lying ground, rather than from any English influence, though the "lake" designation has endured and become part of the place's identity. Situated in the heart of the Trossachs and Loch Lomond National Park in Stirlingshire, it is a place of exceptional tranquility and historical depth, drawing visitors who seek both natural beauty and a tangible connection to Scottish history.
The lake's greatest claim to historical fame is the island of Inchmahome, which sits near its centre and hosts the remarkably preserved ruins of Inchmahome Priory. Founded in 1238 by Walter Comyn, Earl of Menteith, as an Augustinian monastery, the priory became one of the most significant religious houses in medieval Scotland. Its greatest moment in the national story came in 1547 when the young Mary Queen of Scots, then aged just four or five, was brought here for safekeeping after the Scottish defeat at the Battle of Pinkie. She spent several weeks on the island before being spirited away to France, and visitors can still see what is traditionally called "Queen Mary's Bower," a small enclosure in the priory gardens where the young queen is said to have played. Robert the Bruce is also believed to have visited the priory, and several Earls of Menteith are buried within its walls, their stone effigies still lying in dignified repose beneath the ancient vaulted stonework.
Inchmahome Priory itself is a breathtaking ruin in the care of Historic Environment Scotland. The nave, choir, and chapter house survive to varying degrees, and the stonework retains remarkable decorative detail — intricate carvings and pointed Gothic arches that speak to the considerable wealth and ambition of the monastery's founders. The priory church contains some of the finest medieval stonework in Scotland, including a double effigy of Walter Stewart, Earl of Menteith, and his countess, their figures carved in a tender pose of togetherness that is genuinely moving to encounter in such a remote and quiet place.
The lake itself is shallow and broad, roughly two miles long and about a mile wide, its waters sitting in a flat, glacially carved basin surrounded by low hills and the distant blue-grey ridgelines of the Trossachs. The surface is frequently calm enough to act as a perfect mirror, reflecting the wooded island and the surrounding hills with extraordinary clarity. Reeds fringe parts of the shoreline, and the air carries the smell of fresh water, mudflats, and the faint sweetness of woodland. In winter, when the lake freezes sufficiently — which it does rarely, perhaps only a handful of times in a century — it becomes the site of the Grand Match, a spectacular mass curling event organized by the Royal Caledonian Curling Club, during which thousands of curlers descend to play on the ice. The last Grand Match was held in 1979, and each winter curling enthusiasts watch the temperatures with barely concealed hope.
The surrounding landscape is gentle and pastoral compared to the dramatic Highland scenery just to the north, with open farmland and patches of ancient oak woodland giving way to the foothills of the Menteith Hills. The village of Port of Menteith lies on the southern shore and serves as the main access point. The Trossachs National Park offers a wealth of nearby attractions, including Loch Lomond to the west, the town of Aberfoyle just a few miles away, and the Rob Roy country of Balquhidder further north. The area is deeply associated with the MacGregor clan and Rob Roy himself, making this part of Stirlingshire a rich tapestry of legend and landscape.
Access to Inchmahome Priory is via a small passenger ferry that departs from the pier at Port of Menteith, operated by Historic Environment Scotland. The ferry runs during the spring and summer season, broadly from April through October, though visitors should check current schedules before travelling. The crossing takes only a matter of minutes but delivers an instant sense of departure from the everyday world. The island itself is compact and can be explored comfortably in an hour or two, with well-maintained pathways through the priory grounds. The lake and its shores can be visited year-round, with the surrounding area offering pleasant walking and picnicking. A hotel, the Lake of Menteith Hotel, sits directly on the lakeshore and provides accommodation and dining with views directly across the water.
One of the more quietly extraordinary facts about the Lake of Menteith is how completely it seems to have slipped beneath the radar of mass tourism, despite its astonishing historical associations and its undeniable beauty. While Loch Lomond and the more famous Trossachs lochs attract enormous visitor numbers, the Lake of Menteith remains comparatively unhurried and intimate. It is also a noted fishing lake, particularly for brown trout, and the sport has been pursued here for generations. The combination of a genuinely unique Scottish landscape, one of the most evocative medieval ruins in the country, and the poignant connection to Mary Queen of Scots makes the Lake of Menteith a place that rewards anyone willing to seek it out — a true hidden gem in a country that is not exactly short of remarkable places.