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Aberfoyle and MacGregor Country

Aberfoyle & MacGregor Country Trossachs Tourist Information

This area of Scotland between Loch Lomond and the Centre of the Trossachs is off the beaten track and mostly single track roads but is absolutely unique with a delightful mix of tranquil lochs, burns and great views of Ben Lomond and highland lochs. The Aberfoyle to Inversnaid   area might have been made purely for the pleasure of visitors.
Mini Photo Gallery
Loch Katrine cottages

This is the heart of Rob Roy MacGregor's Scotland and is where he was born, where he met and married Mary (Campbell) MacGregor, and it was among these lochs and glens of the Trossachs that he lived his life and where some of his more famous exploits took place. This description takes the tourist from Drymen on the A811 to Aberfoyle then Inversnaid on the north west banks of Loch Lomond.

Gartmore

Gartmore is on the old Drymen to Aberfoyle road. Gartmore dates from the early eighteenth. The house was the seat of the Grahams of Gartmore, descendents of the Earls of Menteith. On the village green stands a memorial to Cunninghame Graham The ruin of sixteenth-century Gartartan Castle, which preceded the mansion, stands about 300yards to the north.
There was a time when many of Gartmore’s inhabitants were Glaswegians. Adults and children from Glasgow’s poor and orphan institutions were boarded out in local farms and cottages until the early years of the twentieth century.
South of the village, on the old Drymen Road, is Chapelaroch farm, where a chapel attached to the Priory of Inchmahome once stood. There was also an inn, where Rob Roy is said to have kidnapped the Duke of Montrose’s factor, Graham of Killearn, while he was collecting rents in 1716. The rent money was then returned to the tennants along with a receipt from the factor.

Tourist Information for Gartmore

Aberfoyle

In the days of Walter Scott's visit to these parts of Scotland, someone wrote 'In the clachan of Aberfule we saw such miserable little bourachs that we may have ridden over them in the night and never have known of them'. (this quotation from a fading memory). The village has improved somewhat and is  now typical of a well to do Trossachs village .

Aberfoyle is an important visitor centre and is fully described on the Aberfoyle page

Milton and Kinlochard

From Aberfoyle, take the B829 to Milton where you can see a huge iron water wheel which once powered the mill. You can also find 'Jean MacAlpine's Inn' which is a beautifully restored and thatched cottage.

Continue through the pass of Aberfoyle and lovely Loch Ard with its spectacular views to Ben Lomond. Queen Victoria is reputed to have been entranced by these views over Loch Ard. On a little island at the far shore are the ruins of the 15th c Murdoch's Castle. Murdoch was the regent of Scotland while James I's captivity in England.

Continue up the lochside to Kinlochard which boasts a watersports centre where you may indulge in all sorts of activities, from a bit of gentle fishing to white water rafting and diving. Walkers may leave the road here to climb Ben Venue from whose summit spectacular views over all the Trossachs may be seen.

Further on you pass through pleasantly wooded countryside and past Loch Dhu (the black Loch) and Loch Chon (loch o' the dog). The road now decends gently and 'twistily' past some excellent views from the eastern end of Loch Arklet and then to a 'T' junction. The right turn leads to Stronachlacher on Loch Katrine and the left turn to Inversnaid.

Stronachlachar

Stronachlacher is in a beautiful location at the western end of Loch Katrine where   steamer 'Sir Walter Scott' calls on its morning sail.

There are  some marvellous views to be had from the steamer pier. You can also walk or cycle along the private north Katrine road which leads to the far end of the loch and on to Callander. From this lochside road you can find Glengyle House, for years the home of the MacGregor chiefs, and also gain access to the artificial island at Portanellan which was created by the Glasgow water board workers in Victorian times to protect the ancestral burial ground of the Clan MacGregor when the waters of the loch were raised to provide Glasgow's water supply.
The water is carried from an outlet on the south side of the loch via an aquaduct to  reservoirs outside Glasgow. The aquaduct itself is an engineering wonder with a fall of only a few feet to carry the water to Glasgow without the need for pumps.

As you approach Stronachlachar, a track to the south leads to 'Royal Cottage' which was built to accommodate Queen Victoria when she came to open the new water supply - she never used it!

The steamer 'Sir Walter Scott' calls in the mornings and only in season, but check with Callander Tourist Information  or tel 01877 376 275 before making plans.

Trossachs Tourist Information for Stronachlachar

Inversnaid

Turning left at the T junction takes you to Inversnaid via the north shore of Loch Arklet which was artificially raised by a dam erected in the first decade of the 20th century for Glasgow's water supply.  It was on the south side of Loch Arklet and on the slopes of Ben Lomond that Mary (Helen) MacGregor lived with her uncle before she became famous by marrying Rob Roy MacGregor. They married at Corriearklet farm which is on the right of the road. See 'The Rob Roy Story' for more information

The road from the Loch Arklet dam down to Inversnaid is VERY steep. At the top of the hill, turn left and drive up to the little car park from which you can walk a short way up to a viewpoint with the unlikely ? title "Rob Roy's View" which provides a viewmarked panorama over Loch Lomond.

Drive down to Inversnaid and think of the horses which had to pull the dis-assembled Loch Katrine steamer  up this hill and over to Stronachlacher where it was re-assembled.

There is a spacious car park at Inversnaid with toilets and convenient access to the Inversnaid hotel bar!

The height of the car park now affords spectacular views up and down Loch Lomond and across to Tarbet on the western shore of the loch.
A spectacular waterfall to the south of the car park warrants a second look then you can walk half a mile north on the west highland way to visit Rob Roy's cave above the loch. The cave is well signposted.
There is a foot ferry service from the little harbour over to Inveruglas.

Unfortunately there is no alternative return route and unless you want to tackle the long walk down the lochside you now must return by the same road to Aberfoyle for the trip over to The Trossachs and Callander.

Tourist Information for Inversnaid

Remember before you visit MacGregor country to get your maps and Trossachs Tourist information Scotland.

Aberfoyle - not Aberfoil

The above mis-spelling  0f Aberfoyle as Aberfoil is for the benefit of search engines !

Tourist Information Centres Scotland