Fodor's Scotland by Fodor's

Author:Fodor's
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Fodor's Travel Publications
Published: 2014-02-09T16:00:00+00:00

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Dunblane | Callander | Balquhidder Glen | The Trossachs | Aberfoyle | Drymen | Loch Lomond

Immortalized by Wordsworth and Sir Walter Scott, the Trossachs (the name means “bristly country”) contains some of Scotland’s loveliest forest, hills, and glens, well justifying the area’s designation as a national park. The area has a special charm, combining the wildness of the Highlands with the prolific vegetation of an old Lowland forest. Its open ground is a dense mat of bracken and heather, and its woodland is of silver birch, dwarf oak, and hazel—trees that fasten their roots into the crevices of rocks and stop short on the very brink of lochs. There are also many small towns to visit along the way, some with their roots in a medieval world; others sprang up and expanded in the wake of the first tourists who came to Scotland in the late 19th century in search of wild country or healing waters. Dunblane has a magnificent cathedral; Doune’s castle will make you stare in awe.

The most colorful season is fall, particularly October, a lovely time when most visitors have departed, and the hares, deer, and game birds have taken over. Even in rainy weather the Trossachs of “darksome glens and gleaming lochs” are memorable: the water filtering through the rocks by Loch Lomond comes out so pure and clear that the loch is like a sheet of glass.

The best way to explore this area is by car, by bike, or on foot; the latter two depend, of course, on the weather. Keep in mind that roads in this region of the country are narrow and winding, which can make for dangerous conditions in all types of weather.

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