If I’m correct (having passed the areas the path is in only recently), there’s very little room for moving the path at all. I’m guessing that the original line was chosen for a good reason (perhaps cost-saving) but it would good to get some more information before jumping to conclusions based on one very short and uninformative report on the BBC news website.
The path runs on the East side of the road from the end of Loch Chon almost to Stronlachlar, cuts the corner round the head of Loch Arklet and then turns West toward Inversnaid on the North side of the road – but up the hill a wee bit. I’m not sure what line it takes on the descent to the hotel. It looks like a pretty standard width/surfaced cycle path. I’m guessing the houses affected are at Garrison Farm (so called because it was built using the stones from an old “redcoat” fort.
I saw them building some of it when I was up there a few weeks back. I thought it was pretty ironic given the incredibly poor state of the existing road and the fact that it’s a wee dead-end anyway and I reckoned there must be little issue with traffic. However, the hotel is popular with bus trips so there’s probably a wee convoy of the things leaving each morning and returning around tea-time.
I only saw it in passing when I was doing a little “CX” tour of Ben Lomond. It did strike me as a bit strange, but it does link up with the cycle tracks round the South of Loch Chon/Loch Ard and, eventually, Aberfoyle. I can see that it might encourage more folk to do the Loch Katrine circuit, knowing that they didn’t have to cycle back on the road. As you suggest a link to Inversnaid also means a potential ferry crossing.
When I passed, it looked like a fine gravel surface, but as it was still being built (and taped off) maybe they will tarmac it – who knows.
I did a wee search when I got home but couldn’t find anything more about it. Nothing on the Sustrans site either.
Some more route options…http://www.lochlomond-trossachs.org/looking-after/new-loch-lomond-water-bus/menu-id-483.html