The Trossachs Accommodation

Views of the Heather Clad Trossachs Peaks offering challenging hill walking

Rob Roy Country, views of the Trossachs

Trossachs National Park, Callander, Aberfoyle, Trossachs Scotland UK

The Trossachs National Park, with two main centres Aberfoyle and Callendar, are a positive playground for outdoor activies. Here in the stunning 'Mini Highlands', the divider between the Scottish lowlands and highlands, the Trossachs contains numerous lochs including the popular Loch Earn and Loch Katrine. Water ski, windsurf, fish, canoe and take boat trips on these two Trossachs lochs. Loch Katrine offers a choice of boat trips via the Sir Walter Scott Steamboat, whilst Loch Earn is particularly popular for salmon and trout fishing.

Beautiful forests with woodland trails and dramatic gorges fill the area, offering superb walking/ hillwalking territory, and outdoor adventure sports. Aberfoyle Golf Club is widely regarded as one of the most scenic in Scotland. The Trossachs is Rob Roy country - he was born near Loch Katrine. Rob Roy MacGregor (1671-1734) managed to avoid capture by the Redcoats in his homeground the Trossachs and he's buried at the small village of Balquhidder near the Braes of Balquhidder and Loch Voil. His gravestone reads 'MacGregor Despite Them'.

The Trossachs National Park & Breadalbane

The Trossachs National Park and the Breadalbane area derived from the Gaelic meaning High Country, mark the dividing area between Scottish Lowlands and Highlands. Nicknamed the 'Highlands in Miniature', the striking heather adorned peaks of the Trossochs, incorporating the main gateway bases of Aberfoyle and Callander, are not more than an hour from both Edinburgh and Glasgow, making them accessible and popular outdoor leisure playgrounds.

Whatever your outdoor activity preference - be it cycling, hill walking, fishing, canyoning or more extreme adventure sports, they're all here in the Trossochs. The Trossachs are the wild glen area with a choice of lochs between Callander and Aberfoyle, whilst the Breadalbane high country area is to the north and includes the munros of Ben Lui, Ben Challum, Ben More and Ben Vorlich.

You're in the heart of Rob Roy country in the Trossachs gateway Callander. Rob Roy knew the Trossachs well, and managed to avoid capture by the Redcoats hiding here in his homeland.

Queen Elizabeth Forest Park, Visitors Centre, Aberfoyle. Tel.(01877) 382 258. Trossachs Discovery Centre Main Street, Aberfoyle (Open Apr-Oct & weekends Nov-Mar). Tel. 08707 200 604. Breadalbane Folklore Centre, Falls of Dochart, Killin, FK21 8XE. (Open Mar-Oct & weekends Feb). Tel. 08707 200 627. Tyndrum Tourist Info, Main Street, Tyndrum, FK20 8RY. (Open Apr-Oct & weekends Nov-Mar). Tel 08707 200 626. The Rob Roy & Trossachs Visitor Centre in Callander shows two films exploring both the life of Rob Roy and taking you on a tour of the Trossachs. Films are in English only. Group bookings need to contact the visitor centre in advance. Also available for groups at the Callander Visitor Centre is the fascinating kilt demonstration where volunteers dress up as Rob and Mary MacGregor whilst explaining how to wear the kilt and the reasons behind it being Scotland's national dress. Coaches should be parked in the coach park at Station Road, a short walk from the centre, where the visitor will find the public toilets. There are no public toilets in the visitor centre building. Contact Callander Tourist Information Centre, Ancaster Square, Callander. Tel. 00 44 (0)1877 330342. Loch Katrine north of Aberfoyle also offers a host of outdoor activities including boat trips on the steamship Sir Walter Scott, cycle hire or why not join the Rob Roy Evening boat cruise. Checkout the Boat Trips on Loch Katrine website right for details. The Anchor's Rest restaurant and Katrine's cafe sits alongside the loch at Trossochs Pier (see the website for directions). Steamship Sir Water Scott, Trossochs Pier, Loch Katrine, By Callander, Stirling FK17 8HZ. Tel. 01877 376 315/6.

The Trossachs & Breadalbane Outdoor Activities

The outdoor activity playground of the Trossachs and Breadalbane includes three golf courses, at Aberfoyle, Callander and Killin. Check the individual golf club websites for all of these linked right.

The Trossachs and Breadalbane Lochs are superb for fishing. particularly salmon and trout fishing on Loch Tay beneath Ben Lawers at Killin. The Lake of Menteith and lochs in the Queen Elizabeth Forest Park also offer brown trout fishing opportunities. See the Trossachs National Park website for a full listings of fishing operators in the area.

Walking in the Trossachs can be as leisurely or as challenging as you like. Both high and low level walking is on offer. Many walk to Rob Roy MacGregors' grave at Blaquhidder Glen and on towards Loch Voil. Callander especially makes a superb walker base, with numerous walks and trails directly from the town including to the stunning Callander Crags.

Check out the Glen Ogle Trail which stretches for about 3 to 4 hours along an old military road with views of Ben Vorlich. Call in at the Killin Outdoor Centre and Mountain Shop (weblink right) for details on this and other local walks. Loch Earn near the Glen Ogle rail trail track and old military road is popular for fishing fishing and walking, and just at the west end of Lochearn the Lochearnhead area nicknamed 'Queen Victoria's Khyber Pass is likewise popular with walkers wanting to take in Ben Vorlich, Stuc a Chroin, Ben More, and the Lawers range. Lochearn also benefits from a Watersports Centre (weblink right). For water skiing, wakeboarding, windsurfing, sailing and canoeing on Loch Earn head to the watersports centre. Lochearnhead Watersports Ltd, Watersports Centre, Lochearnhead, Perthshire FK19 8PU. Tel. 01567 830 330.

Aberfoyle Gateway to the Trossachs

A major hub within the Trossachs, Aberfoyle has everything you need for a bustling rural village including a stunning golf course, numerous local scenic walks, a choice of specialist shops, cafes and restaurants.

Head to the Trossachs Discovery Centre, Main Street, Aberfoyle, Stirlingshire, FK8 3UR. Tel. 08707 200604. Exhibitions here are on the geology, fauna and flora of the Trossachs National Park with a kids play area on-site.

Just above Aberfoyle, push into the stunning Queen Elizabeth Forest Park with visitor centre. The sublime forests around here in the heart of the Trossachs offer numerous walking and cycling trails. Find out more at the visitor centre and pick up a leaflet for the Trossachs Drive Trail. Two particularly stunning forests in the Aberfoyle area include Loch Ard Forest with its Ben Lomond backdrop and Strathyre Forest. Visitor and exhibition points include Ben A'An. Tel. 01877 382383 for details. Below the hills is an exhibition, shop cafe and toilets, plus picnic facilities. A fairytale of a walk is the Doon Hill Fairy Know area. The walk pushes up to the summit of the knowe through oaks, coniferous wooldand with toadstools and pine trees.

Attractions within Aberfoyle include the Scottish Woold Centre also on Main Street (tel. 01877 382850). 'The Fame Academy for Sheepdogs' is performed 3 times a day here from April to October, with other events running regularly. Food, gifts and a coffee shop are on-site. If you fancy some high wire adventure, checkout the weblink right for Go Ape. The new course here at Aberfoyle boasts one of the longest zip wires in the UK at around 426m long. Access is from the Queen Elizabeth Forest Park Visitor Centre, Aberfoyle. Tel. 01877 382258. Book on-line via the Go Ape website.

Callander & Rob Roy Country

Callander alongside Aberfoyle is a main and popular base in the Trossachs National Park. Ideally placed close to Lochs with easy access into the Highland Hills of Strathyre, Callander has a distinctly holiday feel about it, rich in the history of local Scots hero Roy Roy and crammed with fine coffee shops, arts and crafts and souvenir tourist shops.

Attractions within Callander include the little Hamilton Toy Museum on Main Street. A gem of a toy collection is this one, and toy collectors will drool wandering around the on-site collector's shop. Chopper 70s bikes, Star Wars, Batman and Rupert Bear and Disney collectibles are examples of what you'll find in the shop! (see website right for more details).

Two large mill sites in Callander offer great tartan and textiles shopping opportunities, plus other Scottish gifts aplenty such as Scottish knitwear, Scottish fine foots and Whisky shops with free tastings!! Visit Kilmahog Woollen Mill, Kilmahog, Callander, Perthshire FK17 8HD, Scotland. Tel. 01877 330178.

A pretty setting indeed has Callander, sitting as it does with a Highland hills backdrop with the River Teith running alongside it. To view a film on Rob Roy's life and find out more about the Trossachs visit the Callander Tourist Information Centre Ancaster Square, Callander. Tel. 00 44 (0)1877 330342. Opening Hours are Jan, Feb, Nov & Dec 10 - 4. March, April, May, June, Sept & Oct 10 - 5 and July & Aug 10 - 6.

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