The Central Highlands - The Rough Guide to Scottish Highlands and Islands - page 141

CLIMBING THE BEN LAWERS GROUP
Ordnance Survey Explorer map 378
Dominating the northern side of Loch Tay is moody Ben Lawers (3984ft), Perthshire's highest
mountain; from the top there are incredible views towards both the Atlantic and the North
Sea. The ascent - which shouldn't be tackled unless you're properly equipped for Scottish
hillwalking (see p.42) - takes around three hours from the NTS car park, which you can reach
by following a winding, hilly road off the A827.
The Ben Lawers range offers rich pickings for Munro-baggers, with nine hills over 3000ft in
close proximity. The whole double-horseshoe-shaped ridge from Meall Greigh in the east to
Meall a'Choire Leith in the northwest is too much for one day, though the eastern section from
Meall Greigh (3284ft) to Beinn Ghlas (3619ft), taking in Ben Lawers, can be walked in eight to
ten hours in good conditions. Standing on its own a little to the east is perhaps the prettiest of
the lot, Meall nan Tarmachan (“The Hill of the Ptarmigan”); at 3427ft, a less arduous but
rewarding four-hour round-trip from the roadside, a mile or so further on from the car park.

2

in Fearnan T 01887 830519, W culdeesbunkhouse.co.uk.
Family-friendly bunkhouse and B&B accommodation on a
spectacularly located farm, where t he e mphasis is on perma-
culture and spiritual values. Dorms £18 ; family room sleeping
four/person (under-10s half-price) £23

Kenmore Hotel On the village square T 01887
830205, W kenmorehotel.com. The nicest place to stay in
Kenmore; it's well run and has pleasant r oom s that each
have a TV, DVD player and free wi-fi access. £89

Glen Lyon
North of the Ben Lawers range is Glen Lyon - at 34 miles long, the longest enclosed
glen in Scotland - where, legend has it, the Celtic warrior Fingal built twelve castles.
The narrow single-track road through the glen starts at KELTNEYBURN , near Kenmore,
at the northern end of the loch, although a road does struggle over the hills to Bridge of
Balgie , halfway down the glen. Either way, it's a long, winding journey.

Fortingall
A few miles from Keltneyburn, the village of FORTINGALL is little more than a handful
of pretty thatched cottages, though locals make much of their 5000-year-old yew tree
- believed (by them at least) to be the oldest living thing in Europe. The venerable tree
can be found in the churchyard, with a timeline nearby listing some of the events the
yew has lived through. One of these, bizarrely, is the birth of Pontius Pilate, reputedly
the son of a Roman officer stationed near Fortingall.

ACCOMMODATION GLEN LYON

Fortingall Hotel In the centre of Fortingall T 01887
830367, W fortingallhotel.com. If you're taken by the
peace and remoteness of Glen Lyon, you can stay at this

attractive, ten-bedroom country house, which has an
excellent r estau rant; it also organizes fishing and walking
packages. £165

Killin
The mountains of Breadalbane (pronounced “bred-albin”, from the Gaelic “braghaid
Albin” meaning “high country of Scotland”) loom over the southern end of Loch Tay.
Glens Lochay and Dochart curve north and south respectively from the small town
of KILLIN , right in the centre of which the River Dochart comes rushing down over
the frothy Falls of Dochart before disgorging into Loch Tay. A short distance west of
Killin the A827 meets the A85, linking the Trossachs with Crianlarich (see p.135), an
important waypoint on the roads to Oban, Fort William and the west coast.
There's little to do in Killin itself, but it makes a convenient base for some of the
area's best walks.