The
Rob Roy Way is named after the villain Rob Roy MacGregor,
a man forced into thievery who also looked after the poor. You have
seen the film, perhaps read a book about him now you can walk
through the countryside of his birth, life and death. The
Rob Roy Wayis a relatively new path and is not way-marked so you do
have to have the ability to read a map and of course to follow
directions. The path starts at Drymen and is about 79 miles long,
passing through much of the Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National
Park on the east side then the north eastern village of Killin where
it leaves the park and passes through the equally breath taking
scenery of Loch Tay and eventually ends at the Town of Pitlochery
on the Southern edge of the Cairngorm National Park. Unlike the
longer West Highland Way this route is on the whole much easier and
therefore perfect for those who love walking through wild scenic
countryside but who also like to end each day in civilised
surroundings.
Rob Roy Macgregor was born to Margaret Campbell
and Donald Macgregor at Glengyle at the head of Loch Katrine (Loch Katrine
is close to Brig o'Turk). He was baptized
on the 7th of March 1671. Although Rob Roy was not Clan Chieftain to the Macgregors he did become War
Leader.
The name
Rob Royactually is an Anglicized
name
from the Gaelic for Red Robert a name given to him because of the colour
of his hair. There are many stories of Rob Roy's exploits which are
recounted at numerous locations around the East of the National Park. His grave can be visited
at
Balquhidder Kirk yard.
Rob
Roy is often portrayed as a
tremendous protagonist, a naive man whose belief in honour and whose
love for a woman, family, and clan make him a figure to cheer for.
Whatever he was, there is no doubt that he was a villain who had the
reputation of helping those who were less fortunate than himself, thus
the legends began.
Rob
Roy Way - Route Summary (You
should use an official route map or get lost)
Drymen to
Aberfoyle - apprx. 10 miles Take the little used B
road north from the village square towards the village of Gartmore.
This is a gentle climb on a good surface on the Southern Fringes of
the Queen Elizabeth Forest Park, easy walking or cycling. The directions on the official
guide are easy to follow, however there is a bit of tree felling and
you may be detoured in and around Clashmore. Take care at the Clashmore junction to follow your directions as there are quite a few
tracks to choose from.
Aberfoyle village has all facilities you
might need if this is your first overnight stop. There is a
reasonably well stocked Cooperative, pubs, hotels post office, bank,
restaurants and many B&B's. It is usually necessary to pre-book
in the high season, why not use our B&B links to book now. If
you do spend time in Aberfoyle and like wildlife then you must visit
the David Marshall Lodge. There are a pair of Ospreys which nest
locally and you can view there nest via a video link. Aberfoyle to Callander apprx. 9 miles
The route leaves the centre of
Aberfoyle by way of the Doonan Outdoor Centre (beside Aberfoyle
Health Centre and up into the forest. (The road goes between the
Outdoor Centre Buildings). Turning Right onto the forest track
proper and continues along by the edge of the golf course. Follow
your directions carefully after the Golf course as there are
numerous new paths in this area. Eventually the track takes you to
ford and a single track trough the Menteith hills towards Loch
Venechar and Callander The views of Ben Ledi and other hills are
quite stunning as you come of the higher ground to the shores of
Loch Venechar. Callander is a small town but with many
hotels, restaurants and all main facilities.
Callander to Strathyre apprx. 9 miles This part of the route is the
easiest walking as it is along the old railway line and as such is
flat. The track takes you near the Falls of Leni which are worth
seeing if in full flood and then on along the south shore of Loch
Lubnaig. The main road in this are goes along the opposite shore and
so unlike some old railway line paths this one is peaceful. Follow
directions to the Munro Hotel in Strathyre village. This is a small
village with a shop and a couple of hotels and some B&B
establishments.
Strathyre to Killin apprx. 12 miles The route out of Strathyre is
a little convoluted however it leads up to the forest line and onto
a beautiful forest track with vith views over Balquhidder glen and
Loch Voil with the majestic peaks of Ben More and Stob Binnein
(pronounced Stobinian) in the north west. The path takes you to
Kingshouse Hotel where you then head for Balquhidder and following
the directions you come back to the railway line which starts to
climb up Glen Ogle, however before this if you are walking for
historical reasons then you should detour to Balquhidder Church and
see Rob Roy's grave. At the top of Glen Ogle which is often a misty
wet place there is a resting place by way of Ron and Sheila's snack
bar. We mention this as it is probably one of the finest mobile
eating places in Scotland. Your tea is in a china mug and refills
are free, vegetarian hot fillings are cooked in separate grills and
the crack (chat) is good. Just after the picnic area the main
Rob Roy route takes the left hand track ie the high route and goes
directly to Ardtalnaig but we would recommend Killin as a worthwhile
loop for its general character and facilities. The track now continues down the north
side of Glen Ogle to Killin a large village which is dominated by
the Falls of Dochart. The falls in dry periods are interesting with
lovely rock pools, but when the river is in spate the falls are
awesome.
Killin to Ardtalnaig apprx. 12 miles When leaving Killin you have a
climb up to nearly 2000ft with views to the North across Loch Tay of
Ben Lawers (nearly 4000ft) and to the west of that colossus,
Tarmagan Ridge. The track then leads down to Ardtalnaig. For those
who want a less strenuous route, from Killin you could leave the
Rob Roy(see
map) Way and take the South Loch Tay B road which still has beautiful
views but does not have the strenuous climb. However this is a
public if quiet road and you must be aware of what traffic there is
as there is no path at the edge of the road. As there is
limited accommodation around Ardtalnaig it may be necessary to
organise a lift to Kenmore and back again in the morning or
alternatively make this a long day (20 miles total) and walk to
Kenmore
Ardtalnaig to Aberfeldy apprx. 15 miles Take the South Loch Tay road to
the east (remember , watch for traffic, as this is a quiet road
don't be taken by surprise when a car does pass by) to Kenmore the
route then takes to fields and birch forest to Aberfeldy. The
official guides give a long alternative into the hills in this area
but as this is over 12 miles more it would take an extra day
for most people. Aberfeldy is a small town on the banks of the Tay
and for those wanting to do something other than walking there is
canyoning at Kenmore and white water rafting on the river Tay. The
author of this has done both and would recommend this to anyone who
loves getting wet while being scared out of your wits. Aberfeldy has
all facilities you would expect in a tourist town.
Aberfeldy to Pitlochray apprx. 11 miles Leaving
Aberfeldy across the most excellent Tay bridge (built for General
Wade around 1717) the route now goes North toward Tummel Bridge
(another wonderful bridge) and then Pitlochray. The scenery here you
will note has been subtly changing and there is more of a mid
highland feel to this part of the route. The elevation of this part
of the route reaches to around 1100 ft. Pitlochray is a large town
with all facilities and although not in the official Cairngorm
National Park, it is for all intents and purposes the main gateway
to the park from the south and well worth visiting.
The Rob Roy Way
Route description, a great walking experience in MacGregor
Country Heart of Scotland, In the east of the Loch Lomond and
Trossachs National Park