Following the trail of an outlaw on The Rob Roy Way…

The well-known Rob Roy Way in Scotland is a popular 7 or 8 day walk which starts in the village of Drymen and weaves its way across the Southern Scottish Highlands to Pitlochry. Measuring roughly 124km or 94 miles, this long walk is popular as it affords walkers the opportunity to get a great feel for the history of Scotland and also to soak up some of the fabulous scenery on offer too.

The walk follows the tracks and paths purportedly used by notorious Scottish outlaw Rob Roy MacGregor (now considered a folk hero) in the 16th and 17th century as he dodged the law and the paths were also supposedly used by a number of other well-known historical characters during the Jacobite uprisings, and feuds between the local Scottish clans in the late 1600s.

This walking path was created in 2002 and crosses the Highland Boundary Fault, which is a fascinating natural geological fault where the Highlands meet the Lowlands, and the fault travels its way through the beautiful Scottish countryside. The interesting thing about the fault is the difference between the two landscapes which is highly noticeable and makes for some interesting and scenic photographic opportunities as well.

The walk commences in the village of Drymen (which means ‘on the ridge’) and is a superb way to commence your walk, the town itself is steeped in so much history. Drymen used to be a popular stopover place for cattle drovers and today the village features a number of quaint old buildings, a village green and a host of popular pubs and stopover spots, as one walk starts in Drymen whilst another walk and cycle route pass through Drymen, so it can often become quite busy with walkers and cyclists stopping over.

Day One on The Rob Roy Way sees you departing Drymen for Aberfoyle and this part of the walk is relatively gentle (a great start for first time walkers too).

Passing along an old Victorian aqueduct offers some interesting scenery, as well as great view of the peak of Ben Lomond in the distance. Aberfoyle is a busy village and serves as the ideal rest stop at the end of your first day.

Departing Aberfoyle on Day Two will see the walk becoming slightly steeper in elevation as you climb towards Callander (also known as The Gateway to the Highlands) and breath taking views of the volcanic hills of Campsie Fells and Ben Ledi await you, before Day Three takes you from Callander to Strathyre.

Day Three is the last day of easy going walking before the pace picks up a bit, again with great views and a beautiful detour to visit the Falls of Leny on the way.

Departing Strathyre to Killin on Day Four will see your legs getting some hard work in, and the Glen Ogle Viaduct is a sight to be seen along the way.

Day 5 takes you from Killin to Ardtalnaig which will find you on the steepest part of your walk, however this also offers you the perfect opportunity to stop and admire the views while you catch your breath and the dam at Loch Brealaich is not only beautiful, but also serves the functional purpose of creating electricity for neighbouring villages as part of its hydroelectric scheme.

Now that the hardest part is well behind you, and you can officially call yourself a long walk aficionado, and Day Six will see you depart Ardtalnaig with two route options on how to reach Aberfeldy.

The first route is done in one day and will see you begin to wind your way through the beautiful countryside which features some great historical spots such as Hermit’s Cave (great views of the waterfalls leading in to Loch Tay), as well as popular local site, Taymouth Castle, which can also be spotted on your way in to Aberfeldy.

Route two is a slightly longer option to reach Aberfeldy and is split over two days. It offers hill walkers with great navigation skills an opportunity to brush off their compasses and get hands on with nature.

You will be spotting views of ‘drumlins’ which are unique mountains of debris left by retreating glaciers (quite a sight to behold) as well as a First World War memorial along the way with an overnight stop in the quaint town of Amulree, before departing the next day along the north bank of the River Braan.

The beautiful wooded forests are a sight to behold and the beauty and wildlife served for much of the inspiration behind Robert Burn’s famous Scottish poetry. Spend a well-earned night’s rest in Aberfeldy before commencing on your final day’s walk from Aberfeldy to Pitlochry.

Day Seven (or Eight depending on your previous route) may find you popping in for a wee dram at Dewar’s World of Whisky, and then trailing along an old railway line, followed by more inspiring views out over Strath Tay.

Carefully make your way over the A9 motorway and head towards the memorial garden in the Pitlochry town centre, to complete your adventure and say that you truly ‘Have Got The T-Shirt’ from The Rob Roy Way – well done!

We cannot wait to welcome you to Scotland, and hope to see you on our beautiful walks really soon! If you need more information on Scottish walking trails, or would like to chat to our team directly, you can also contact us via email on info@thewalkersclub.com