Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
whole area from
Callander
right up to the eastern banks of Loch Lomond, with
which it has been grouped as one of Scotland's national parks.
he Trossachs' high tourist profile was largely attributable in the early days to Sir
Walter Scott, whose novels
Lady of the Lake
and
Rob Roy
were set in and around the
area. According to one contemporaneous account, after Scott's
Lady of the Lake
was
published in 1810, the number of carriages passing Loch Katrine rose from fifty the
previous year to 270. Since then, neither the popularity nor beauty of the region has
waned, and in high season it can be jam-packed. Autumn is a better time to come,
when the hills are blanketed in rich, rusty colours and the crowds are thinner. In
terms of where to stay,
Aberfoyle
has a rather dowdy air while
Callander
feels
somewhat overrun, and you're often better off seeking out one of the guesthouses or
B&Bs tucked away in secluded corners of the region.
GETTING AROUND
THE TROSSACHS
offering rental, sales, repairs and accessories (
T
01877
331052,
W
mounterbikes.co.uk).
Wheels Cycling Centre
next to Trossachs Tryst (see
p.299), 1.5 miles southwest of Callander (
T
01877
331100,
W
scottish-cycling.com). The best rental place in
the area.
BY BUS
First Group
T
01324 602200,
W
firstgroup.com. Operates
between Callander and Stirling; reduced service at weekends.
7
BY BIKE
Mounter Bikes
Handily located in the centre of Callander,
Aberfoyle and around
Each summer the sleepy little town of
ABERFOYLE
, twenty miles west of Stirling,
dusts itself down for its annual influx of tourists. hough of little appeal itself,
Aberfoyle has an ideal position in the heart of the Trossachs, with
Loch Ard Forest
and
Queen Elizabeth Forest Park
stretching across to Ben Lomond and Loch
Lomond to the west, Loch Katrine and Ben Venue to the northwest, and Ben Ledi
to the northeast. Don't come here for lively nightlife or entertainment, but for a
good, healthy blast of the outdoors.
Lake of Menteith
About 4 miles east of Aberfoyle towards Doune • To rent fishing gear contact the Lake of Menteith Fisheries (
T
01877 385664, April-Oct)
he
Lake of Menteith
is a superb fly-fishing centre and Scotland's only lake (as opposed
to loch), so named due to a historic mix-up with the word
laigh
, Scots for “low-lying
ground”, which applied to the whole area. here are also some secluded spots along the
shore for picnics and swims.
HIKING AND BIKING IN THE TROSSACHS
The Trossachs are ideal for exploring on
foot
or on a
mountain bike
. This is partly because
the terrain is slightly more benign than the Highlands proper, but much is due to the excellent
management of the
Queen Elizabeth Forest Park
, a huge chunk of the national park that
lies between Loch Lomond and Loch Lubnaig. The main visitor centre for the area, David
Marshall Lodge (see opposite), is just outside Aberfoyle, and is well worth a visit.
For
hillwalkers,
as far as height goes the prize peak is Ben Lomond (3192ft), best
accessed from Rowardennan (see p.292). Other highlights include Ben Venue (2370ft) and
Ben A'an (1520ft) on the shores of Loch Katrine, as well as Ben Ledi (2857ft), just northwest
of Callander, which all offer relatively straightforward but very rewarding climbs and, on
clear days, stunning views.
Walkers
can also choose from any number of waymarked routes through the forests and
along lochsides; pick up a map of these at the visitor centre.
Bikers
are served by a network of
forest paths and one of the more impressive stretches of the National Cycle Network cutting
through the region from Loch Lomond to Killin.
