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Issue 9 - Loch Lomond, Stirling, Trossachs) – land of adventure

History & Heritage

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Scotland Magazine Issue 9

Scotland Magazine Issue 9
July 2003

 

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Loch Lomond, Stirling, Trossachs) – land of adventure

Gavin Smith introduces a stunning area of Scotland long-favoured by tourists and celebrated in literature and song

Loch Lomond, Stirling, Trossachs) – land of adventure (Issue 9)
Loch Lomond, Stirling and the Trossachs embrace some of the most beautiful scenery in Scotland, as well as sites associated with great historical events that have shaped the modern nation. Much of the area is within the Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park, Scotland’s first National Park, which was officially opened by HRH The Princess Royal on 24th July 2002.

The park encompasses some 720 square miles of prime Scottish landscapes, and extends from Balloch at the southern end of Loch Lomond to Tyndrum, Crianlarich and Killin, by Loch Tay, in the north. In the west it runs to the Argyll Forest Park, while in the east it embraces Loch Earn and the popular tourist town of Callander.

At the heart of the park, of course, is the loch itself, long a favoured place of recreation for people from the industrial towns of the west of Scotland, and the city of Glasgow. Approaching the loch along the main A82 from the Glasgow area, the visitor arrives at Balloch and Loch Lomond Shores, described by the National Park authorities as “a principal gateway to Scotland’s first National Park.”

Central to Loch Lomond Shores is the imposing Drumkinnon Tower, a modern interpretation of a traditional Scottish castle, which includes shops, cafés, bars and viewing galleries. There is also a 350-seat giant screen theatre where visitors can enjoy the Legend of Loch Lomond and Beneath the Loch, a short animated family show which follows the story of a young otter as he explores the depths of the loch and some of its myths and legends.

Those in need of retail therapy are not neglected, either, as Loch Lomond Shores includes the National Park Gateway Centre, which boasts 70,000 square feet of shopping and restaurant facilities, featuring a branch of Edinburgh’s famous store Jenner’s.

Loch Lomond is the largest stretch of inland freshwater in Britain, at 24 miles long and five miles across at its widest point. The loch with its beautiful wooded shores is overlooked by Ben Lomond, and has featured in numerous songs and poems, most romantically The Bonnie Banks o’ Loch Lomond, written in a Carlisle prison cell by a Jacobite supporter awaiting execution.

The loch is dotted with a number of islands, including Inchmurrin, with its ruins of Lennox Castle, and Inchcailleoch, ancestral burial place for the clan MacGregor. The outlaw Rob Roy MacGregor (see page 82) is one of Scotland’s most charismatic and enduring historical figures, even if the reality of the man was probably less romantic than his portrayal by Liam Neeson in the eponymous 1995 movie. In truth, the MacGregors were principally cattle thieves with a fruitful sideline in extortion.

The National Park is bisected by the Highland Boundary Fault, which divides the Lowlands from the Highlands, and is home to some 200 species of birds, 29 species of mammals, and more than a quarter of Britain’s wild plants. On a good day, the sharp-eyed visitor will see red deer and buzzards, and maybe even a golden eagle if really lucky.

Remnants of the ancient Caledonian Forest are to be found on the east side of the A82, in Glen Falloch, south of Crianlarich, while at Glen Finglas in the Trossachs, the Woodland Trust is restoring some 10,000 acres of mixed woodland through replanting initiatives.

For the walker, the 95-mile-long West Highland Way, which runs from the northern outskirts of Glasgow to Fort William, passes through the National Park for much of its length. Other walks of note include the Cowal Way, along the Cowal peninsula, and the comparatively new Rob Roy Way in the Trossachs. There are also many cycle routes within the National Park, including Route 7 of the National Cycle Network, which passes through Drymen, Aberfoyle, Callander, Lochearnhead and Killin.

Walkers and climbers converge on Arrochar, on the western shores of Loch Lomond, in order to explore the range of hills often referred to as the Arrochar Alps. Arrochar is dominated by Ben Arthur, better known as ‘The Cobbler’. Its outline has been said to resemble a craggy face with a Roman nose and pointed beard. Well, perhaps in certain lights …

There are four other peaks in the vicinity which extend to more than 3,000 feet, making the area attractive to serious climbers. The highest peak is Ben More, near Crianlarich, which rises to 3,853 feet. Crianlarich was a Roman outpost around 2,000 years ago, and is now a popular base for visitors whose idea of a holiday involves some vigourous exercise.

That exercise may take the form of watersports, as the area’s many lochs afford ample opportunities for sailing, canoeing, water-skiing, wind-surfing and diving. If you prefer to keep your feet on dry land, however, then golf, pony-trekking and even go-karting are other active options.

Aberfoyle is a bustling and beautifully situated village in the heart of the Trossachs – often referred to as the Highlands in miniature. The Trossachs were immortalised by Sir Walter Scott in several of his Waverley novels, published during the early 19th century, and its popularity with visitors developed from that time. So vivid were Scott’s descriptions of the landscape, that readers felt the urge to see it for themselves, and soon coaches were descending on the area from far and wide. The situation remains much the same, only today’s coaches are powered by diesel engines rather than pulled by horses.

Close to Aberfoyle is Loch Katrine, which inspired Scott’s poem The Lady of the Lake and his novel Rob Roy. Holidaymakers can take a picturesque and nostalgic trip across the loch on the century-old SS Sir Walter Scott.

A few miles north-east of Aberfoyle is another scenic and popular village, Callander, home to the Rob Roy and Trossachs visitor centre. Callander enjoys a setting just as spectacular and beautiful as Aberfoyle, lying in the shadow of Ben Ledi and a range of other hills.

Like Crianlarich, some of the first visitors it attracted were the Romans, who built a fort close to the modern settlement. Much later, the area drew Sir Walter Scott and the Borders writer James Hogg, ‘the Ettrick Shepherd’, while other authors who were inspired to commemorate and celebrate the area on the page include William Wordsworth, John Keats and Gerard Manley Hopkins. Queen Victoria also admired the beauty of the Trossachs.

William Wordsworth first visited the area in company with his sister, Dorothy, and Samuel Taylor Coleridge, and, by all accounts, the locals were somewhat bemused by the poet. Their attitude to tourists is one still to be found the world over today. Dorothy Wordsworth recorded in A Tour in Scotland in 1803 that a laugh was on every face when William said we were come to see the Trossachs; no doubt they thought we had better have stayed at our own homes. William endeavoured to make it appear not so very foolish, by informing them that it was a place much celebrated in England, though perhaps little thought of by them …

For the history buff, Stirling is one of the most fascinating places in Scotland, though its status as the country’s newest city demonstrates that it does not live in the past. Stirling has a vibrant university culture, with the MacRobert Arts Centre offering a variety of theatrical experiences, while the city centre is home to a diverse range of bars, eateries and retail outlets, ranging from department stores to boutiques.

Stirling was once the capital of Scotland, and an important settlement by AD 1000. It is dominated by an imposing castle which can give Edinburgh a run for its money in terms of dramatic location. The castle is built on a volcanic plug, and has a panoramic view of the surrounding area, including the battlefields of Stirling Bridge and Bannockburn.

The nearby Wallace Monument was constructed in 1869 to commemorate Sir William Wallace, hero of the 13th Century Wars of Independence, and now renowned the world over thanks to Mel Gibson and the film Braveheart. The movie may not be faithful to the historical facts, it may have been largely filmed in Ireland using American money, and it indisputably stars an Australian, but Braveheart and its hero has come to serve as a symbol of post-devolution Scotland and national pride.

The Battle of Stirling Bridge took place in 1297, when Wallace won a spectacular victory over English forces, while Bannockburn was fought in June 1314, and Robert the Bruce’s victory there ultimately secured Scotland’s independence.

The area’s heritage does not just consist of battlefields and martial monuments, however. A mile from Stirling is Cambuskenneth Abbey, founded in 1140, and once used as accommodation for the old Scots Parliament. The Augustine priory of Inchmahome was built on an island in the Lake of Menteith, near Aberfoyle, just under a century later.

Menteith is one of the very few lochs in Scotland to bear the Anglicised term ‘lake’. Inchmahome Priory was often visited by Scottish royalty, and today can be explored by boat from Port of Menteith.

The Lake of Menteith also has a place in the history of Scotland’s ancient winter sport of curling. In 1979 its waters froze so solidly that 3,000 curlers participated in one of the largest tournaments – or bonspiels, in curling parlance – ever staged.

Whether your interest is in Scotland’s scenery, its opportunities for outdoor activities or its fascinating heritage, Loch Lomond, Stirling and the Trossachs offers a rich array of natural treasures and man-made facilities guaranteed to make time spent in the area both enjoyable and memorable.