natural wonder
Loch Lomond
Britain's largest freshwater lake by surface area, where Highland mountains meet Lowland shores in a landscape immortalised in song.
14 km · about 25 min drive
EuropeUnited KingdomScotland
Cardross
Scotland, United Kingdom · Europe
About Cardross
Cardross works well as a base: 5 minutes from Port Glasgow, 14km from Loch Lomond.
Cardross is in Scotland, United Kingdom, with about 2,100 people. You drive on the left here. The nearest town is Port Glasgow, about 4 km away.
Cardross (Scottish Gaelic: Càrdainn Ros) is a large village with a population of 2,032 (2022) in Scotland, on the north side of the Firth of Clyde, situated halfway between Dumbarton and Helensburgh. Cardross is in the historic geographical county of Dunbartonshire but the modern political local authority of ArgyllRead more
and Bute.
Cardross Village took its name from the historic parish in which it is located and where King Robert the Bruce lived the final years of his life. The Parish of Cardross stretched in area from the River Leven on the west side of Dumbarton to Camus Eskan (near Helensburgh), and stretched as far north to include the village of Renton in the Vale of Leven.
The distinction between Cardross village and Cardross Parish is particularly important for students of Scottish history. King Robert the Bruce's documented association with ’Cardross’ occurred three centuries prior to the existence of the modern-day village, and at a time when the name referred to the ecclesiastical parish and its church, Cardross Kirk.
The original piece of land known as ’Cardross’ is at the eastern edge of the historic parish and the western point of the confluence of the River Clyde and River Leven at the town of Dumbarton, facing across to Dumbarton Rock and Castle. Today the land is known as “sand point” and sits on the edge of Dumbarton's Levengrove Park. The site of medieval Cardross Kirk, and its remains, sits within Levengrove Park.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is there to see near Cardross?
Within an hour or so of Cardross: Loch Lomond (14 km), The Oak Tree Inn (15 km), Riverside Museum (24 km), Rest and Be Thankful (A83) (30 km).
Are there any good drives near Cardross?
The nearest famous roads are Rest and Be Thankful (A83), Arran Coast Road (A841) and Glen Orchy.
Where is Cardross?
Cardross is in Scotland, United Kingdom, about 4 km from Port Glasgow.
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Quick Information
- Population
- 2,130
- Continent
- Europe
- Country
- United Kingdom
- Region
- Scotland
- Timezone
- Europe/London
- Coordinates
- 55.9618, -4.6532
Emergency & Services
Essential numbers in United Kingdom
112 also works. NHS non-emergency medical advice: 111. National Highways breakdown assistance on motorways: 0300 123 5000.
Full driving guide for United KingdomTags
Worth the detour from Cardross
8 notable places within an hour's drive.
cafe
The Oak Tree Inn
A popular stopping point on the A82 beside Loch Lomond, where road trippers heading to the Scottish Highlands pause to take in one of Scotland's most beautiful lochs.
15 km · about 30 min drive
museum
Riverside Museum
Glasgow's Zaha Hadid-designed transport museum on the Clyde, packed with classic cars, a recreated cobbled street of vintage vehicles, and the tall ship Glenlee moored outside.
24 km · about 30 min drive
famous road
Rest and Be Thankful (A83)
The famous climb out of Glen Croe in Argyll with the old military road beside it; landslide-prone but a spectacular gateway to the west coast.
30 km · about 35 min drive
scenic viewpoint
Rest and Be Thankful
A famous viewpoint at the top of Glen Croe where 18th-century soldiers carved the name into a stone after completing the military road.
32 km · about 35 min drive
natural wonder
Loch Katrine
The loch of Scott's Lady of the Lake, cruised by the 1899 steamship Sir Walter Scott and encircled by a traffic-free cycle road.
33 km · about 40 min drive
natural wonder
Loch Achray and Ben A'an
A small Trossachs loch under Ben A'an, whose short steep path yields one of Scotland's best effort-to-view ratios.
34 km · about 40 min drive
castle
Inveraray Castle
The turreted seat of the Dukes of Argyll on Loch Fyne, with state rooms, an armoury hall and gardens open in season.
40 km · about 45 min drive
Driving roads near Cardross
- 30 kmRest and Be Thankful (A83)The famous climb out of Glen Croe in Argyll with the old military road beside it; landslide-prone but a spectacular gateway to the west coast.
- 32 kmRest and Be ThankfulA famous viewpoint at the top of Glen Croe where 18th-century soldiers carved the name into a stone after completing the military road.
- 50 kmGoatfellArran's highest peak at 874m, climbed from Brodick, with views over the Firth of Clyde and to Ireland on clear days.
- 56 kmArran Coast Road (A841)The 90km loop around Arran, taking in the Boguillie and the Ross road climbs — a classic day's drive or ride from the Brodick ferry.
- 57 kmGlen OrchyA single-track alternative to the A82 between Bridge of Orchy and Dalmally, following the tumbling River Orchy through birch woods.
- 65 kmElectric BraeFamous optical-illusion stretch of the A719 on the Ayrshire coast where cars appear to roll uphill. Drivers have pulled over to test the gravity-defying slope since the 1930s.
Driving in United Kingdom
- Drives on
- the left
- Petrol
- ~€1.73/litre
- Motorway tolls
- None
When to drive here
May to September
Far northern latitude: short daylight hours outside summer make long drives harder.
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