The ever-popular holiday town of Callander is the perfect springboard for exploration of the Highland Hills beyond. Northwards lies ‘bonnie Strathyre’ and the heart of Rob Roy Country, in Balquhidder - surely one Scotland’s most picturesque glens.

Callander is a bustling holiday town, vibrant with activity and interest and a proud tradition of hospitality. Situated on the banks of the meandering River Teith, the town boasts some fine coffee shops and fascinating traditional, specialist and souvenir stores along its main street. Callander Meadows offers a quiet place to relax and unwind on the banks of the river, while the short but steep hike to Callander Crags is rewarded with magnificent views.

Callander

Hamilton Toy Museum

Callander’s Hamilton Toy Collection has marvellous displays that will please all ages. With toys dating from 1880 to 1980, adults can revert back to their childhood as they view the teddies, dolls and train sets. At Kilmahog Woollen Mill you can still see work in progress in a traditional weaving shed. The McLaren Community Leisure Centre has an exciting range of activities from a 20m leisure pool to a full-scale climbing wall. Rob Roy - Hero or Villain? Highland folkhero or a Lowland outlaw, Rob Roy MacGregor (1671-1734) used intimate knowledge of his Trossachs homelands to outwit the redcoat soldiers sent to subdue him. For almost 300 years, writers and now film makers have been fascinated by his story and today the Trossachs are still very much ‘Rob Roy Country’.

“MacGregor Despite Them”

The attractive little hamlet of Balquhidder is overlooked by the dramatic mountain terrain of the Braes of Balquhidder, at the head of the glorious Loch Voil. The local churchyard is the final resting place of Rob Roy, his grave marked with the appropriately defiant motto “MacGregor Despite Them”.

He lies with the remains of his wife and two sons, the graves marked by three flat stones. Balquhidder Glen is also popular for fishing, nature watching and of course walking. Above the village, Creag and Tuirc is a long treasured viewpoint, well worth the short climb.

Bracklin Falls

Into the Highlands Popular beauty spots around the Highland edge include the Bracklinn Falls on the Keltie Water and the Falls of Leny, which cascade between the rocks of the narrow Pass of Leny. The twisting pass, through which the A84 snakes its way northwards, marks the crossing point over the Highland Line. High above, magnificent Ben Ledi dominates the area. Its name comes from the Gaelic for ‘Mountain of God’ and the Ben is associated with ancient Druid rites. Beyond lies lovely Loch Lubnaig - great for fishing and picnic spots. At the northern end of the loch is the little village of Strathyre, surrounded by beautiful forested hillsides.Its appropriate name means ‘sheltered valley’. Overlooking the village is Ben Sheann - ‘the hill of the fairies’, which offers many excellent local walks.

Steaming into Rob Roy Country

Loch Katrine lies at the very heart of the wild, unspoilt beauty of the Trossachs. Three centuries ago, the notorious outlaw-come-folkhero Rob Roy MacGregor was born here.

You can follow generations of travellers, exploring its pure clear waters aboard a vintage steamship
Loch Katrine, which derives its name from the Gaelic cateran, meaning “a Highland robber”, is just under 10 miles (16km) long and over a mile (1.6km) wide and has been home to the SS Sir Walter Scott since its launch just over a century ago, in October 1899.

Built in Dumbarton, the vessel was brought overland to a barge on Loch Lomond, then transferred overland once more to Stronachlachar, on the shores of Loch Katrine. Screw-steamers such as the SS Sir Walter Scott were once commonplace around Scotland. Lochs Lomond, Awe, Tay, Maree, Sheil and Eck all offered an opportunity to “sail by steam”.

Some still offer a passenger service powered by less environmentally friendly diesel or oil, but on Loch Katrine water quality is jealously guarded, as it is the water supply for the City of Glasgow, lying 35 miles to the South.

Lady of the Lake The ship’s name is very apt as it plies the very waters which inspired Sir Walter Scott’s best-selling poem, The Lady of the Lake. An area of outstanding natural beauty, the Trossachs is home to another of his fascinations, Rob Roy MacGregor - clansman, cattle thief, outlaw and Robin Hood. On its route the steamer passes Am Prison, hiding place for the MacGregor’s stolen livestock. Two MacGregor graveyards can also be spotted, along with the islet where Rob Roy once imprisoned the Duke of Argyll’s factor.

SS Sir Walter Scott

Ellen’s Isle, with its fine sandy shores, was immortalised in Scott’s Lady of the Lake, which proved the inspiration for early, intrepid travellers to discover what would become Scotland’s first tourist destination. Other points of interest include, Iron Age sites, a cottage built for Queen Victoria and of course Glengyle, birth-place of Rob Roy, near the head of the loch.

Walk, Cycle . . . . or Simply Relax

The magnificent Trossachs scenery makes wonderful viewing as you relax on one of the ship’s serenely peaceful voyages, which depart 3 times daily, 7 days a week and twice on a Saturday, from the Trossachs Pier (April to October inclusive).

Alternatively, the more energetic can take the steamer to Stronachlachar, then walk or cycle (bikes for hire at pier) along the loch’s shores at their own pace, on the private roadway back to Trossachs Pier.

Area Overview | Photogallery | Maps & Travel Info | Accommodation | Things to See & Do
The Great Outdoors | Events | Highlights of Scotland | Contact Us | Links |
Brochure Request | Copyright VisitScotland 2008
Old Town Jail, St. John Street, Stirling, FK8 1EA