This is The Rob Roy Way which runs from Drymen to Pitlochry for about 85 miles (if you do the extended route). I hiked it in June 2021 while we were just emerging from of the long Covid hibernation. In retrospect, I’m not sure why I chose this hike – not my best decision but at the time it seemed like a good length and took me to the other side of Scotland where I could easily get to Edinburgh for a long weekend.
Highlights: Some lovely views, happy gushy rivers, lush forests, wildflowers and grasses, the birdlife, a couple of fabulous wild camps and the magically appearing bothy. The extension was worth doing as it takes you away from the road and into a more remote landscape.
Lowlights: Exasperatingly tedious and uninteresting paths, some very long boring road walks. Some of it was on very ‘local’ paths where people might be out for a Sunday bike ride – i.e.not really wild, rather on the tame side. The other thing I didn’t like was the lack of other hikers; on other long distance hikes I have enjoyed the camaraderie of meeting people along the way.
Day Zero: London to Drymen
I took the train from Euston to Glasgow. A special thanks to the man sitting opposite me who a) wasn’t wearing a mask, b) had an almighty, phlegm spluttering cough and C) didn’t even put his hand over his mouth.
I arrived in Glasgow and took two trains to get to Buchan and from there took the bus to Drymen which, if you have done the West Highland Way, you will be familiar with as it marks the end of the first day. That night I lay in my tent to hear the distant sounds of sheep bleating and the whistle of a curlew; it felt great to be away and on an other adventure.
Day One: Drymen to Aberfoyle (11.5 miles)
Had a lovely sleep and a breakfast of bread, cheese and tea. The trail begins on the same paths as the West Highland Way until you part company and head eastwards on a a forest track; it stays more or less stays the same for the next 10 miles. Although it’s is not the most interesting path, buttercups, foxgloves, wild orchids and harebells as well vivid purple, red and golden grasses lined the path. Some parts of the forest were magical – dense and lush with moss covered ground and tinkly trinkley streams running through. I saw some stonechats, kestrels, beetles and lovely fluttery butterflies which names I don’t know.
It started to rain towards the end of the days’s walking so was glad to arrive at Cobleland Camping. This is a lovely site and location although a site with many rules, additional charges and nowhere to charge your phone. (£16 per night)
Day Two: Cobleland Camping to Callander via Aberfoyle for breakfast.
Packed up and ready to leave at 9am, I walked to Aberfoyle hoping for a nice cafe and a decent breakfast; I wasn’t disappointed. After 2 eggs, 2 veg sausages, beans, mushrooms, potato cake filled with veg, pancake, toast all washed down with a pot of tea, I set off on my way (thank you MacGregors).
I met two older chaps walking the RRW and a few other walkers but generally the trail was pretty empty. Much of it took me through forest with some magnificently tall pine trees, until it opened out to some views of Loch Vernacher and the mountains beyond. It wasn’t a long day, only ten miles, but my legs felt stiff and I was glad I had a room booked. I had tried to book a campsite but they were all caravan sites that are not interested in little tents and solo hikers. The loch side here is permit only for camping. The Dreadnought Hotel was a parody Scottish theme hotel run by Chinese people – tartan everywhere. My room was £45 (and worth just that).
Day Three: Callander to a lovely wildcamp past Kings House.
The route here follows the Cycle Way 7 along the river – Garbh Uisge, which I have to say seems like a lovely happy river gushing along without a care in the world, but I could be wrong, rivers don’t always tell he truth. There were some lovely foresty sections and I stopped and chatted with a women over our mutual interest in a bird call we couldn’t identify.
The next part of the trail was a track running for miles and miles through a commercial forest – to be positive, a few deer popped out to say hello and one was kind enough to tell me I was going the wrong way. There were some lovely wild orchids growing on the side of the track and I love the moss covered forest floor.
Somewhere after Kings House, I found a lovely wild camp spot overlooking a pool of water. This was poll position for the evening show of insects skimming the water and swallows swooping down to skim the surface for their dinner. Sheep were bleating in the distance and their was the constant chatter of birds. It was delightful after a somewhat monotonous and lonely day.
Day Four: Wild Camp – Killin
I awoke vey early to the beautiful sound of birdsong and cackling ducks from across the river. The sound filled the tent which was lit up with the morning sun. Please birdies, it’s just too early, call me again again in a couple of hours. I fell back to sleep and awoke again a 7:15, then fell back to sleep into a lovely dream and awoke again at 8:15.
I set off at 9, desperate for a cup of tea and some breakfast, eventually heading off the trail and down to Lochernhead to a quirky, chaotic little shop. And then back on the track to make the long long journey to Killin – actually it wasn’t that long, it just felt like it. The path here follows a long gone railway line, on one side there is a steep drop to the river and main road which is too close to feel any sense of isolation; on the other side is a steep hillside up. It seemed like a never ending path and I hated it.
Killin finally appeared – a touristy spot with a fabulous river running through it. By the bridge there are some flat rocks perfect for sitting on, leaping over, falling asleep on – which I nearly did. I spent the night at the Killin Hotel which was so welcome after a day of such tedious walking.
Day Five: Killin to wild camp in the glen next to the River Almond.
After stocking up on bread and cheese I began my hike to Ardtalnaig, slightly annoyed (i.e totally fed up) that my boots were still thumping along concrete. The road finally turned into a track I felt I was in the countryside – for a while, at least. The path then descends to Loch Tay where I stopped for a lemonade at the hotel. The next section offers some fabulous views over the loch but another 3 miles ON THE EFFIN ROAD. At Ardtalnaig I made the decision to take the extended reason, if not only to get off the road. Finally, I headed up into the Glen and found a camp spot next to the sweetly named River Almond.
I was blessed with a stunning satsuma sunset and fell asleep to the sound of bleating sheep, chirping birds and the babbling stream.
Day Six: Wild camp in Ardtalnaig to bothy near Aberfeldy
The first part of the trail was a lovely hike through the glen and finally I felt that I was in the wilds – just a little a bit anyway.
I realised I didn’t have much time to get to my train at Pitlochry and after chatting with a fellow RRW hiker (the third one I’d met on the entire trail), I thought I would have to take the more direct version to Aberfeldy which included ANOTHER road walk. Although it was a very quiet road through the Glen, I didn’t realise was how long it would take. It just went on and on and on and on…I finally veered off back onto a track through some rough country.
I’d read there was a bothy up ahead, so spent the last few miles praying it would be open and empty. At some point I realised the instructions were incorrect and resigned myself to the fact the bothy was no longer there. I started to look for a decent camp spot but the ground was rough, uneven and covered in heather. My notes said the next roof you’ll see will be the farmhouse, and indeed, there in front of me was a red roof poking above the heather. But hang on – that’s corrugated iron….could that be the bothy? After a further mile or two of ups and downs and twists and turns, I finally arrived at the most lovely little mountain hut. It was 8:30 and I’d been walking for over 12 hours. The relief was palpable. I drank down a can of coke someone had left there – I don’t even like coke.
Day Seven: Bothy to Pitlochry
I had a lovely sleep in my bothy – so good not to have to spent time packing up in the morning. My first stop of the day was Aberfeldy; I can recommend the Piece Cafe.
The trail takes you through the beautiful Fall of Moness where a statue of Robbie Burns celebrates his poem The Birks of Aberfeldy – birks is the Scots for Birch tress which fill the forest along with oak, ash and elm.
And so on to Pitlochry to catch my train to Edinburgh for the weekend.
My thoughts on the Rob Roy Way:
Well, as you can see from the photos, there are certainly some lovely views. I had a couple of fabulous wild camps and the extended version did get me a little more out into the more remote hills. There are some beautiful lush forests and in June when I was there, some lovely wild flowers. The Falls of Moness and surrounding forest was beautiful albeit a little touristy of course. However, there were some really long long long tedious sections – particularly the path along the River Dochart towards Killin. There were also some long road walking sections alongside Loch Tay which just seemed to last forever.
The other thing I did not like about this trail was the lack of other hikers to chat with. I did, of course, meet people along the way but only two other Rob Roy Way-ers. For me, this is a big part of long distance trails and much as I love solitude, I found it a bit too much on this trip – yet without that exciting sense of isolation and remoteness.
Would I recommend this trail? In a word – No.
