Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
scribbled on the chimneypiece by Robert Burns in 1787, when the inn was already a
couple of centuries old. There's also a riverbank beer garden, great views from the mod-
ern restaurant and a wide variety of rooms, some across the road. They are rather staid,
but comfortable and spacious; the nicest have bay windows and river views. Prices plum-
met in low season and midweek. There are also upmarket self-catering lodges available.
LOCH TAY
Serpentine and picturesque, long Loch Tay reflects the powerful forests and mountains
around it. The bulk of mighty
Ben Lawers
(1214m) looms above and is part of a national
nature reserve that includes the nearby
Tarmachan Range
.
The main access point for the ascent of Ben Lawers is the car park 1½ miles off the
A827, 5 miles east of Killin. There's also an easier nature trail leaving from here.
There's good accommodation in Kenmore and Killin, as well as
Culdees Bunkhouse
(
01887-830519;
www.culdeesbunkhouse.co.uk
; dm/tw/f £18/46/69; )
, a won-
derfully offbeat hostel with utterly majestic vistas: the whole of the loch stretches out be-
fore and below you. It's a quirky place you could get lost in, with compact, spotless
dorms, lovable family rooms with the best views in Perthshire, and a range of cluttered,
home-like lounging areas. It's a top spot to relax but also a fine base for hill walking or for
mucking in with the volunteers who help run the sustainable farm here. It's half a mile
above the village of Fearnan, 4 miles west of Kenmore.
BAG A MUNRO: BEN LAWERS
The ascent of Ben Lawers can take up to five hours (return): pack wet-weather gear, water and food. From the car
park (£2), where a stone enclosure should have route maps, cross the road and follow the trail just uphill from
you. After the boardwalk protecting a bog, cross a stile then fork left and ascend along the Edramucky burn (to the
right). At the next rise, fork right and cross the burn. A few minutes later ignore the nature trail's right turn and
continue ascending parallel to the burn's left bank for just over half a mile. Leave the protected zone by another
stile and steeply ascend Beinn Ghlas's shoulder. Reaching a couple of large rocks, ignore a northbound footpath
and continue zigzagging uphill. The rest of the ascent is a straightforward succession of three false summits. The
last and steepest section alternates between erosion-sculpted rock and a meticulously crafted cobbled trail. Long
views of majestic hillscapes, and even the North Sea and Atlantic Ocean, are your reward on a clear day.
FORTINGALL
Fortingall is one of the prettiest villages in Scotland, with 19th-century thatched cottages
in a very tranquil setting. The
church
has impressive wooden beams and a 7th-century
