Map 11 Callander (Loch Venachar) to Drymen

























Continue along the road until you reach the banks of Loch Venachar. The road shadows the loch and further half a mile along the road you will arrive at East Lodge.  Here there is an estate sign here listing all the holiday/estate houses. Take the forestry track up to the left and follow the Rob Roy Way signs for a couple of miles until you reach a small loch. Take the path to the right of the loch and follow this until you exit the woods. This is a well walked section of the Rob Roy Way and the path is easy to follow across a small section of the Menteith Hills. After about ¾ mile the path enters the forest once more. This eventually turns into a forestry track and after ½ mile or so the track splits.  Take the right hand track and follow this until you reach a golf course. (If you continue straight on here the track will take you steeply down to a small forestry car park from which you will have to double back!) The track runs along the edge of the golf course and down into Aberfoyle via the Dounans (outward bound) Centre. At the A81 take a right turn into the centre of town. Here, take the bridge over the River Forth into Kirkton. Continue to follow this road until you reach the small hamlet of Balleich, where the road eventually turns into another forestry track as it enters the Loch Ard Forest. The Rob Roy Way is again marked through this section of the forest. After about 2 miles the forest opens up into a small clearing where Clashmore House is situated. Keep to your right and continue to follow the track for another 2 ½ miles past various over-ground water works and aqueducts. In the late summer, this section of the forest if teaming with Peacock and Tortoiseshell butterflies. Near the final aqueduct the track changes into a single track road. Continue along this until you reach the road that runs from Drymen to Gartmore. There is a car park opposite the junction and Drymen Road Cottage is just down the road to the left. Take a right turn and follow the road up the hill to Muir Park Reservoir. From here, continue to follow the road for a further 3 miles down the hill through the Garadhaban Forest and into Drymen. This completes the southern section of the East Highland Trail.  Now grab yourself a well-earned beer in one of the many hostelries that surround the village green.

Loch Ard Forest