miles/800ft) – about 4hr.
This walk on tracks, paths and roads includes the most spectacular section of the Rob Roy Way, as well as some much less demanding estate tracks and 2km of quiet road.
Glen Lochan is perhaps at its best when the cloud swirls along the heather slopes, and wind rushes along the narrow hollow. This is a good, longish walk for a bad day. And if you do feel damp along Glen Almond, stop at Clach na Tiompan and consider how much worse it was in the Bronze Age.
North of the River Almond, start along the wide gravel track with SRWS (Scottish Rights of Way and Access Society) signpost for Loch Tay (14.5 mile away). After 5km, fork left passing Conichan house. In another 1km, a cairn with interpretation board marks the ruins of the Clach na Tiompan chambered cairn – no chambers survive. Just along the track, a new ‘stone circle’ or drystane sheep fank was built under Auchnafree Hill to mark the Millennium.
The Sma’ Glen seems too twisty for a glacial glen, and could be a meltwater channel. This supposes an earlier River Almond flowing north to Amulree and the River Braan. With this blocked by ice, a lake would have formed in upper Glen Almond, and overflowed to carve this gorge.
The Rob Roy Way heads into Glen Lochan
Before Glenshervie Burn fork right on a smooth track, to a bridge towards Auchnafree house. Immediately across the river turn right on a track running up to left of Glenshervie Burn and below a plantation. After crossing the burn, the track rises steeply, then bends left (into Glen Shervie). At this bend leave it. The old path is round to the right but simpler is to take the steep small path ahead, rejoining the older path after 50 metres.
The path is barely more than a sheep trod, as it runs along the steep slope above the unnamed burn. It crosses the top of the stream, and runs through the striking V-slot of Glen Lochan.
A dry streambed runs through the slot, and while we may be unconvinced by the Sma’ Glen, this is surely a meltwater channel, carved by a much bigger stream than the present one, the outflow of a glacier-dammed lake in Coire a’ Chearcaill ahead.
The path dips to run along the left-hand shore of a small lochan. It crosses the outflow of an even smaller pool just below. Passing over a ruined fence, you see the gate of the original path just below. No longer following the old path line, the path becomes rugged stones and peat. It runs along the foot of the southern slope, with the valley now wide and flat-bottomed, the bed of a former lake of which only the tiny Lochan Uaine remains.
Cross the outflow of this lochan, with the clearest path now running on the stream’s left bank, to where the valley broadens again. The path, now faint and boggy, bends left, to follow the foot of the northern slope. After 500 metres the path reaches the corner of Lochan a’ Mhuilinn. Just ahead it joins a rough track.
Follow the track downhill (northeast) to the minor road near Glenquaich Lodge above Loch Freuchie.
Turn right, following the road for nearly 3km. Where it bends left under power pylons, turn off right in a track enlarged as the access to a pylon of the Beauly–Denny power line. After 500 metres, as the construction track turns away, keep ahead on the pleasanter old track descending towards A822. It bends right at a mobile phone mast, joining the track of General Wade’s Military Road towards the ruined farm at Corrymuckloch.
The ‘Military’ roads were built after the Scottish rebellion of 1715, to make it easier to control the Highlands. General George Wade started the programme of road building: its crown jewel was the fine stone bridge at Aberfeldy (Route 40). He also joined Perthshire and Speyside through the Drumochter Pass (Route 80). His successor Major William Caulfeild built the ones that now make up much of the West Highland Way.
At Corrymuckloch the track bends left to A822, but keep ahead, south, to right of a wood and across open field; gates still exist along the line of the former road. Join the A822 at a lay-by to cross a stream; soon a gate lets you move down into the field on the right.
A hill track descends from the right, and from its foot the faint old track of Wade’s Road runs immediately above the A822. After 500 metres the track moves up away from the road and becomes clearer. As it descends towards Sma’ Glen, parts of it are soggy – Wade’s drainage has broken down after 250 years. The old road crosses a stone bridge to join the A822.
It’s only 400 metres back to the start, but the main road is narrow and twisty. You can climb the awkward fence opposite, and go down under larch trees to left of the road to Newton Bridge at the walk start.
PART TWO
KILLIN AND GLEN LOCHAY
Killin, Ben Vorlich and Stuc a’ Chroin, from Creag na Caillich (Route 12)
The Lomond-Trossach National Park takes a bulge to include Killin – apparently the natives anticipated a tourism boom and lots of new town paths. Glen Lochay’s hills are also half in Lomond-Trossach, though their eastern approaches give an experience of long trackways, hydro pipes and big grassy slopes that’s purest Perthshire.
And Perthshire perfection is Meall nan Tarmachan, a hill of narrow grass ridges, rocky knolls, and a convenient car park at the 600m mark.
ROUTE 9
Looking at Loch Tay: Meall Clachach
| Start/finish | Killin, central car park NN574332 |
| Distance | 10.5km/6.5 miles |
| Ascent | 550m/1800ft |
| Approx time | 3¾hr |
| Max altitude | Meall Clachach 602m |
| Terrain | Lochside path; then a rough hill crossing on paths and moorland |
Route 9 could also start at the Longhouse car park, omitting the shoreline stroll.
When you find yourself at the end of a really large loch the best thing to do is to find a hill that looks out straight along it. The villagers of Killin obviously agree, as they’ve formed a steep little path straight up the end of Sron a’ Chlachain.
Before looking at the loch from the hill, examine the hill itself from the loch shore. Then get the Loch Tay view all of a sudden, sneaking up the northern side by Moirlanich Longhouse and an equally old path above it. I take it to be a peat road, used for dragging down winter fuel from the bogs above.
After crossing the Bridge of Dochart at the south end of Killin, continue 800 metres to a road bend, and keep ahead to a car park. Start through a gate at its back right corner onto a gravelled railway track. Follow this over River Lochay, then turn right through a kissing-gate.
A path (sometimes underwater) runs along the riverbank to Loch Tay, then turns left along the loch shore. The shoreline path follows a sandbar, and it’s clear that the loch once flowed right to the doorsteps of what is now Killin. A gate leads back onto the railbed alongside Pier Road. Turn left along the railbed path for 600 metres under trees. Just before the road bends away right move across to join it, and follow it past Killin Cemetery to the A827 at Coach House Hotel.
