Wilkie - Self Guided Rob Roy Way

On the latter stage of the route from Milngavie to Drymen you will be walking along a country road. Shortly after leaving this road you will arrive at the A811 road (you will have walked through a field and crossed a stile). At this point, make your way into Drymen village (signposted). With the village square in front of you turn right and pass Clachan Inn which will now be on your left. Continue a short distance up hill and you will see the red sandstone of Ashbank B&B on your left hand side. Continue for a short distance past Ashbank straight up the hill and you will reach Angel cottage on the right hand side of Old Gartmore Road.

Drymen is a small village in the west of Scotland forming the gateway to East Loch Lomond. In the 1700s Drymen found itself on the route of the military road from Stirling to Dumbarton. The Clachan Inn, on a corner of The Square dates back to this period and carries signs proclaiming that it was first licensed in 1734. The area – steeped in history – is Clan Buchanan country. Rob Roy McGregor was a ‘local’ and this is the area in which he carried out his famous (or infamous) exploits against the Duke of Montrose.

The Rob Roy Way will lead you along Manse Road and on to the main street of Aberfoyle. Turn right at the T-junction and walk along the main street until
you arrive at Mayfield clearly signposted on the right hand side in the village centre.

A picturesque village in the district of Stirling, situated on the River Forth which rises in nearby Loch Ard and flows eastwards to the sea. The river soon reaches the vast Forth Valley and Stirling where it meanders and becomes tidal before transforming into the magnificent Firth of Forth and the North Sea. In 1885 the Duke of Montrose constructed a road over the eastern shoulder of Craigmore Hill above Aberfoyle to join the older road at the entrance of the Trossachs pass. Famously, the First Duke of Montrose was a benefactor of Rob Roy MacGregor and in 1711advanced him a loan of 1000 pounds. The money was stolen by MacGregor’s head drover and consequently,Montrose seized Rob Roy’s lands and evicted his family. This resulted in Rob Roy unleashing a campaign of revenge against the Duke which lasted for many years. In 1810 Sir Walter Scott published ‘Lady of the Lake’ and asa result.

Ben A’an House is easy to find. The Rob Roy Way leads down on to the main street of Callander (down Bridge Street and past the Callander Hostel). When you reach the main street, ie A84, turn right and walk along the main street, ignoring turns to the left and right, until you reach Ben A’an House clearly signposted on the right hand side of the road.

(Gaelic: Calasraid) is a small town in Stirlingshire and situated on the River Teith. The town serves as the eastern gateway to Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park, the first National Park in Scotland. Due to its location itis often referred to as the ‘Gateway to the Highlands.’ The former St. Kessog’s Church is now the Tourist InformationCentre. Saint Kessog was an Irish missionary of the sixth century. Dominating the town to the north are theCallander Crags, a visible part of the Highland Boundary Fault, rising to 343 metres at the summit cairn. The nearby hill to the north-west of Callander is Ben Ledi (879 metres). Callander achieved prominence during the 1960s as the fictional town of ‘Tannochbrae’ in the original BBC television series Dr. Finlay’s Casebook.

The Way will lead you over the bridge and onto the main road which runs through the village of Strathyre. Turn left and walk along the road for a short distance until you arrive at Rosebank House clearly signposted on the right hand side.

Since the only pub in the village, ie The White Stag, are only offering evening meals to their own residents an evening meal has been advancebooked at Rosebank on your behalf (costs £22.50 per person and reviews of Davide’s cooking have been wonderful). Please note that Rosebank is notlicenced so it will be a case of bring your own bottle (please ensure it is adequately packed in your luggage).

Strathyre (Gaelic: Srath Eadhair) is a village in Stirlingshire and is within the bounds of the Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park. The district of Strathyre extends from east of Balquhidder following the River Balvaig which flows out of Loch Voil almost due south to Loch Lubnaig. The Strath (translation: broad mountain valley) was the route of the former Callander and Oban Railway and an 18th century military road. The village of Strathyre is largely a Victorian creation, having grown up with the arrival of the railway in the 1870s and the establishment of Strathyre railway station. The resident population recorded by the United Kingdom Census 2001 was around 100. Strathyre has a small primary school with 40 pupils on the roll, drawn from a catchment area that includes Balquhidder. Gaelic is taught in the infant school.

The Way takes you down on to the main road which runs through Killin (A827). Turn right when you reach this road and walk past the Falls of Dochart and instead of continuing on the Way turn left over Dochart Bridge. Continue on Main Street (A827) through the village for 350 yards/320 metres and Breadalbane House is on your right hand side clearly signposted. Directions for the next day are as follows.Tomorrow afternoon Kingshouse Travel will uplift you from Ardtalnaig and transfer you to Breadalbane House in Killin. The preferred pick up time by Kingshouse Travel is usually 1600 hrs so it is suggested that you aim to reach Ardtalnaig by 1600 hrs and you should have a reasonable indication of your walking speed by then and hopefully be able to plan accordingly. For your information, Kingshouse Travel can be contacted on 01877 384768. Mobile Numbers, in the event of an emergency, are Graeme (07876 375982) and George (07733 895903). The following morning you will be uplifted by Kingshouse Travel from Breadalbane House at 0930 hrs for your return journey back to Ardtalnaig.

Killin (Cill Fhinn ‘the White, or Fair, Church’ in Gaelic) is at the western end of Loch Tay. The scenic Falls of Dochart, at the west end of the village are formed by the meeting of the rivers Dochart and Lochay. The falls are crossed by a narrow stone bridge. The MacNab Clan were once dominant here and their ancient burial ground is on Inchbuie in the River Dochart, just below the falls. In 1767 the minister of Killin, James Stuart, published the first New Testament in Scottish Gaelic. The Breadalbane Folklore Centre in the Victorian former village mill displays the ‘healing stones’ of Saint Fillan (probably two 8th century monks). The nearby old copper mine at Tomnadashan is sometimes identified as the haunt of the Rabbit of Caerbannog of ‘Monty Python and the Holy Grail’ fame.

The Way takes you down on to the main road which runs through Killin (A827). Turn right when you reach this road and walk past the Falls of Dochart and instead of continuing on the Way turn left over Dochart Bridge. Continue on Main Street (A827) through the village for 350 yards/320 metres and Breadalbane House is on your right hand side clearly signposted. Directions for the next day are as follows.Tomorrow afternoon Kingshouse Travel will uplift you from Ardtalnaig and transfer you to Breadalbane House in Killin. The preferred pick up time by Kingshouse Travel is usually 1600 hrs so it is suggested that you aim to reach Ardtalnaig by 1600 hrs and you should have a reasonable indication of your walking speed by then and hopefully be able to plan accordingly. For your information, Kingshouse Travel can be contacted on 01877 384768. Mobile Numbers, in the event of an emergency, are Graeme (07876 375982) and George (07733 895903). The following morning you will be uplifted by Kingshouse Travel from Breadalbane House at 0930 hrs for your return journey back to Ardtalnaig.

The Way will lead you downhill onto Crieff Road and you will arrive at Balnearn House clearly signposted on the left hand side of the road.

Aberfeldy (Gaelic: Obar Pheallaidh) is a small market town located in Highland Perthshire with a population of 2000.The Falls of Moness are featured in a well-known poem by Robert Burns ‘The Birks of Aberfeldy.’ The town is known for ‘Wade’s Bridge’ built in 1733 and designed by architect William Adam, father of the more famous Robert Adam.General Wade, and later Major Caulfield was tasked with building roads and bridges across the Highlands to allowthe suppression of the Jacobites following the rebellions of 1715 and 1745, the latter led by Bonnie Prince Charlie.Wade & Caulfield built some 1200 miles of road and 700 bridges between 1725 and 1767 and in doing so transformed the Highlands. General Wade considered this bridge to be his greatest accomplishment. Aberfeldy is also mentioned in the traditional Loch Tay Boat Song and the River Tay is a famous Salmon fishing river. Aberfeldy has a Distillery, a memorial to the Black Watch and in 2002 the town was granted Fairtrade status.

The Way will take you over the bridge at Port na Craig and leads on to the main road which runs straight through the village of Pitlochry (you will have been on Ferry Road). At the junction which leads from Ferry Road to the main road, turn left and walk along the road for a short distance until you arrive at a turning to the right for Bonnethill Road. Turn right and walk along Bonnethill Road until you reach a turning to the right for Toberargan Road. Turn right and walk along Toberargan Road until you reach a right turn for Lower Oakfield. Walk along Lower Oakfield for only a short distance and you will see Craigroyston House clearly signposted on the right-hand side of the road.

Pitlochry Baile Chloichridh or Baile Chloichrigh in Gaelic, is a burgh in the council area of Perth and Kinross inScotland, lying on the River Tummel. Pitlochry dates largely from Victorian times, although the areas known as Moulin and Port-na-Craig are much older. History records that Moulin Kirk was granted by the Earl of Atholl toDunfermline Abbey in 1180 and Moulin became a burgh of barony in 1511. Port-na-Craig was the site of the original ferry over the River Tummel which operated until the suspension footbridge was built in 1913. The building between these two separate communities followed the construction of the military road north in the 18th century which followed the line of the present main street. After the railway station was built in 1863, Pitlochry became a favoured destination for tourists. In 1947 Pitlochry became a burgh. That year also saw the beginning of the construction of a dam as part of the Tummel hydro-electric power scheme. The dam and its fish ladder are a popular tourist attraction today.