Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Getting There & Away
First
(
www.firstgroup.com
)
has six daily buses (Monday to Saturday) from Stirling (40
minutes); you'll have to connect at Balfron on Sunday. There are also three Monday to
Saturday buses from Glasgow.
CALLANDER
POP 2754
Callander has been pulling in the tourists for over 150 years, and has a laid-back ambience
along its main thoroughfare that quickly lulls visitors into lazy pottering. There's also an
excellent array of accommodation options here.
Sights & Activities
The
Hamilton Toy Collection
(
www.thehamiltontoycollection.co.uk
;
111 Main St; adult/
child £2/50p; 10am-4.30pm Apr-Oct, opens noon Sun)
is a powerhouse of 20th-century
juvenile memorabilia, chock-full of dolls houses, puppets and toy soldiers. It's a guaran-
teed nostalgia trip.
The impressive
Bracklinn Falls
are reached by track and footpath from Bracklinn Rd
(30 minutes each way from the car park). Also off Bracklinn Rd, a woodland trail leads up
to
Callander Crags
, with great views over the surroundings; a return trip from the car
park is about 4 miles.
The Trossachs is a lovely area to cycle around. On a cycle route, the excellent
Wheels
Cycling Centre
(
01877-331100;
www.wheelscyclingcentre.com
)
has a wide range of
hire bikes starting from £12/18 per half-/full day. To get there, take Bridge St off Main St,
then turn right onto Invertrossachs Rd and continue for a mile.
Sleeping
HOTEL
Roman Camp Hotel££
(
01877-330003;
www.romancamphotel.co.uk
; Main St; s/d/superior £100/155/195;
)
Callander's best hotel is centrally located but feels rural, set by the river in its own
beautiful grounds, with birdsong the only sound. Its endearing features include a lounge
with blazing fire and a library with a tiny secret chapel. It's an old-fashioned rabbit warren
of a place with three grades of room; the standards are certainly luxurious, but the superi-
or ones are even more appealing, with period furniture, excellent bathrooms, armchairs
