THE TROSSACHS TRAIL - WALKING SHORT BREAK

Explore the Lochs, Glens and Mountains of the Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park on

foot. The Trossachs Trail explores the most picturesque area of the Trossachs, an enchanting

area of lochs, mountains, rivers and forest rich in both scenic beauty and historical interest. The

Trossachs inspired Sir Walter Scott to write “Lady of the Lake” and “Rob Roy”, both of which

popularised the Highlands of Scotland as a popular destination.

Your walking break starts in Callander, a bustling town often called the gateway to the Highlands. You

begin with a wander along Loch Venachar and then climb over the Menteith Hills to Aberfoyle, enjoying

wonderful views to the South. Turning north you walk through the Queen Elizabeth Forest Park and over

the Duke’s Pass to the hamlet of Brig o’ Turk. The route continues through Glen Finglas and to

Balquhidder, a beautiful glen famous as the site of Rob Roy’s Grave. If you have chosen the shorter break

this is where your journey ends, for those continuing to Callander you have a magical final day’s walking

down Strathyre to look forward to.

Hand-picked overnight accommodation in high quality Hotels, B&B’s and guesthouses., daily door to door

baggage transfer, maps, route notes and emergency telephone support are included in your walking

break.

Enjoying some of Scotland’s best views.

Discovering the history of “Rob Roy Country”.

Walking in remote Glen Buckie and Glen Finglas, the old hunting grounds of the

Stewart Kings.

Welcoming and friendly country inns and B&B’s handpicked by us.

WHY CHOOSE A SELF GUIDED SHORT BREAK WITH US?

Macs Adventure is a small, energetic company dedicated to delivering adventure excellence. We are

passionate about delivering outstanding walking holidays where every last detail is taken care of. From

your first contact with Macs Adventure you will deal with a local specialist who knows the region intimately

and we ensure that we tailor make your trip so that your precious time away is hassle free and you can

focus on relaxation and fun.

A short break walking holiday in the Trossachs is the perfect way to discover this special corner of the

Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park. Free to travel at your own pace and wander off the beaten

track, you will discover the hidden secrets and quiet places that make the Trossachs so special.

THE TROSSACHS TRAIL

WALKING SHORT BREAK

SUMMARY

WHAT’S INCLUDED?

Accommodation: Hand-picked B&B’s, small hotels, country inns & guesthouses.

Meals: A hearty breakfast included. Lunch and dinner not included but always

available at accommodation or nearby.

Baggage Transfer: Door-to-door

baggage transfer.

Information Pack: 1:50 000 OS Map and

detailed route notes

IS IT FOR ME? If you only have a few days available for walking in Scotland, the Trossachs Trail will help you discover some of the very best Highland scenery. The walking is on good trails, forestry tracks, and footpaths.

Tour: The Trossachs Trail

Code: WSSTT1-2

Price: See website

Single Supplement: See website

Available: Daily, March to October

Walking Days: 3 or 4

Nights: 4 or 5

Start: Callander

Finish: Balquhidder or Callander

Distance: 31.5 or 43.5 miles

Grade: Easy to Moderate HIGHLIGHTS

Arrive Starting Point: Callander

Callander is a bustling little highland town

situated at the gateway to the Scottish

Highlands. It takes 1h30 or 2h00 to travel to

Callander from Glasgow and Edinburgh

respectively.

Callander to Aberfoyle —9 Miles

Leaving Callander on the Invertrossachs Road

you quickly reach tranquil Loch Venachar and

then head to Aberfoyle via the Menteith Hills. A

lovely day of walking through forests, along lochs

and across open moorland to Aberfoyle passes

all too quickly.

Aberfoyle is popular with day trippers from

Glasgow and has several tourist shops,

restaurants and an award winning local butcher

who offer tasty packed lunches.

Aberfoyle to Brig o’ Turk — 8.5 Miles

Today's walk starts off in the Queen Elizabeth

Forest Park, part of Scotland’s first National

Park. In autumn it is a riot of colour and you will

enjoy expansive views to the south as you climb

over the Duke’s Pass. Descending to Brig o’ Turk

you pass a number of small tranquil lochs and

the views of Bens Venue, Ben A’an and Ben Ledi

are spectacular. If you are lucky you may spot

Red or Roe deer, Red squirrels and even

Capercaillie.

Brig o’ Turk is a small hamlet, nestled in the

heart if the Trossachs, which has an excellent

local pub. Due to a lack of preferred

accommodations at this location, you shall be

provided with short return transfers to a nearby

property,

Brig o’ Turk to Balquhidder—14

Miles

Today’s walk is mainly out in open mountain

country, walking through glens and skirting the

base of heather clad hills. The first section leads

you up to Glen Finglas, the old hunting grounds

of the kings of Scotland, now an important

reservoir. You soon reach Glen Meann, which

leads you through some rugged, big sky country

and down to Balquhidder.

Balquhidder is famous as the site of Rob Roy’s

Grave and enjoys a picturesque location at the

head of Loch Voil. You will either stay in

Balquhidder or the nearby Kingshouse Hotel.

If your walk is ending in Balquhidder you can

take a bus (30 minutes) or taxi (20 minutes) back

to Callander and then onwards.

Balquhidder to Callander—12 Miles

The walk from Balquhidder through Strathyre,

along Loch Lubnaig and to Callander is a

personal favourite. Beautiful scenery, good trails

and great chat mean the miles fly past and you

are back in Callander all too soon.

Depart Callander

Regular buses depart from Callander to Stirling or Bridge of Allan and connect to train services to all Scottish destinations. We offer the Trossachs Trail as a three or four

day walking break. The three day walking option

finishes in Balquhidder, while the four day break

takes you full circle to Callander.

Description: This 3 day walk is ideal for a

long weekend or as part of a longer tour or

Scotland.

Walking Days: 3

Nights: 4

Average Daily Distance: 10.5 Miles

Grade: Easy to moderate

Description: Complete the circle with a lovely

walk down Strathyre to Callander.

Walking Days: 4

Nights: 5

Average Daily Distance: 10.5 Miles

Grade: Easy to moderate

Day Route Miles

1 2 3 4 5

Arrive Callander Walk to Aberfoyle Walk to Brig o’ Turk Walk to Balquhidder Onward Travel

9

8.5 14

Total Distance 31.5

THE TROSSACHS TRAIL

A WALKING SHORT BREAK

ITINERARY: WSSTT1 DETAILED DESCRIPTION

ITINERARY: WSSTT2

Day Route Miles

1 2 3 4 5 6

Arrive Callander Walk to Aberfoyle Walk to Brig o’ Turk Walk to Balquhidder Walk to Callander Onward Travel

9

8.5 14 12

Total Distance 43.5

Navigation

Sections of the trail are way marked, whilst at

other points you will have to follow directions and

map, although the route finding is easy and you

are walking on defined trails and tracks

throughout.

Grade

This walk is graded easy because the daily

distances are around 10.5 miles, although the

first three days do involve between 100m and

300m of ascent and descent.

Accommodation

One of the highlights of this tour is the high

standard of the accommodation. We specifically

choose the hotels, inns, guesthouses and B&B’s

to ensure that you enjoy every minute of your

stay. They all offer a warm welcome to walkers,

traditional hospitality and delicious local food.

Solo Walkers

This short break is available to solo walkers but

we charge a solo walker supplement to cover the

additional baggage transfer costs.

Single Rooms

If you require single rooms within your party we

will always try and accommodate your request,

although there will be a single supplement

payable.

Meals

A hearty breakfast is included each morning to

get you ready for a days walking. Lunch and

dinner are not included so you are free to choose

from the available options. Most of your

accommodations will be more than happy to

provide a packed lunch on request and this can

be booked on arrival.

Alternatively your info pack includes details of

local shops and convenient lunch stops on the

way. Dinner is available either at your

accommodation or nearby pubs and restaurants

and your info pack will of course have details.

Baggage Transfer

Your bags will be transferred from your

accommodation as per your itinerary and moved

onto your next overnight accommodation. We

ask you to limit your luggage to one bag of up to

15kg per person.

Equipment

Your information pack has a detailed equipment

list which includes standard walking gear such as

good walking boots or shoes, warm and

waterproof clothes and a day pack.

Dogs

Unfortunately we are unable to accommodate

walkers with dogs as many of the

accommodation providers do not accept pets.

Getting to/from Callander

Callander is well served by public transport and

has plenty of parking. It takes 1h30 and 2h00 to

reach Callander from Glasgow or Edinburgh

respectively. (Train & Bus)

From Glasgow there are frequent departures

from either Queen Street Rail Station or

Buchanan Bus Station. You can find further

details for this section of the journey by going to

www.citylink.co.uk/ for buses or

www.scotrail.co.uk/ for trains.

Once in Stirling you simply take the number 59

Bus from the bus station which takes you to

Callander. By either method, the whole journey

takes around 1.5 hours.

Should you be driving to Callander there is only

on street parking available and depending on

where you stay we can try to organise you to

leave your car with your accommodation

provider.

Travel Insurance

We strongly recommend taking out travel

insurance to cover cancellation or curtailment of

your trip.

Minimise Impact & Maximise Benefit

Our operating policies, office policies, holidays

and tours are all designed to minimise impact

and maximise benefit to the environment and

local communities.

Action & Advocacy

We believe that by engaging our team and

clients in environmental and community projects

we can make a real difference.

Carbon & Communities

Travel and our business activity does of course

contribute to carbon output and climate change.

We have put several policies in place to minimise

our carbon footprint.

TRIP INFORMATION

TRAVEL INFORMATION

THE TROSSACHS TRAIL

A SHORT WALKING BREAK IN THE TROSSACHS

M.A.C.S RESPONSIBLE TRAVEL

Sensitive & Sustainable

Macs Adventure has worked hard to ensure that

our holidays are sensitive to the community you

are visiting and sustainable over the long term.

More about M.A.C.S. Responsible Travel

Policy...

Availability

You can start the Trossachs Trail on any day

between March and October. The Trossachs are

a popular destination so we recommend booking

as far in advance as possible.

Price

Detailed up to date prices for all our Trossachs

Trail trips are available on our website.

Included

Hand picked B&B, guesthouse or small hotel accommodation in ensuite rooms.

Door to door baggage transfer.

A detailed info pack, route notes and map for the group leader.

Emergency telephone support from our office in the event of a problem.

Excluded

Travel to the start or from the finish of the walk.

Lunches, dinners, snacks and drinks.

Travel Insurance.

Personal Equipment.

Taxi transfers or public transport should you need to skip a stage.

Once you have read all the information in this

factsheet or on our website and decided on your

preferred itinerary, visit our website or give us a

call to confirm availability. You can then book by

any of the following methods:

Book Securely Online: www.macsadventure.com

Telephone: +44 (0) 141 530 8886

Please don’t hesitate to contact us by phone on

+44 (0) 0141 530 8886 or email:

info@macsadventure.com if you have any

queries and one of our expert customer service

team will be happy to help.

Financial Security

We are a member of ABTA which means

you have the benefit of ABTA’s assistance

and Code of Conduct. We provide full

financial protection for your money.

ABTA Member Statement

Macs Adventure Holidays

is a Member of ABTA.

ABTA and ABTA Members

help holidaymakers to get

the most from their travel and assist when things

don’t go according to plan. We are obliged to

maintain a high standard of service to you by

ABTA’s Code of Conduct. For more information

on ABTA, the Code of Conduct and the

arbitration scheme available to you if you have a

complaint, contact ABTA, 30 Park Street, London

SE1 9EQ, tel 020 3117 0581 www.abta.com

PRICE & AVAILABILITY

HOW TO BOOK

THE TROSSACHS TRAIL

A SHORT WALKING BREAK IN THE TROSSACHS

BOOK WITH CONFIDENCE