Balquhidder Road Show path on map
Start location: Brig o' Turk ( NN 536 066 )
End location: Ledcharrie, Glen Dochart ( NN 506 281 )
Geographical area: Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park
Path type: Drove Road, Rural Path, Smugglers' Path, Trade Route
Path distance: 27km
Accessibility info: Suitable for pedestrians
Route Description
Head northwards from Brig o’ Turk along the hydro road, and up the east side of Glen Finglas Reservoir. At NN523103, turning northeast up Gleann nan Meann on a rough hill track to NN517146 where a rough grassy path continues north-northeast for 300m to the stile at the watershed. Descend north to Gleann Dubh, then east to reach Ballimore at the end of the public road. Follow this road down Glen Buckie into Balquhidder.
From Balquhidder Church, go north up the road through the forest, then by a path beyond it on the east side of the Kirkton Glen, until a fence and stile at NN518240. Continue uphill past the huge boulder called Rob Roy’s Putting Stone, and below the frowning crag Leum an Eireannaich (the Irishman’s leap) to Lochann an Eireannich at the bealach. Guided by a waymarker at NN514244, descend north down the east side of the Ledcharrie Burn, keeping east of the emerging deer fence all the way down to the A85 at Ledcharrie.
OS Landranger 57 (Stirling & The Trossachs area) & 51 (Loch Tay & surrounding area)
Heritage Information
This pass through the Trossachs has been used for centuries for both legitimate and nefarious purposes. It has close ties to Rob Roy MacGregor, the famous Highland rogue immortalized by Daniel Defoe and Sir Walter Scott. Rob Roy's home village of Balquhidder is directly on this route, and his grave can be found in the kirkyard there, near the ruins of the earlier church. Indeed, Roy stole the bell from this earlier church for use in his son's school at Loch Tayside. The bell was returned in 1951.
Cattle droves coming from Skye and Lochaber would use this route on their way to Brig o' Turk and Aberfoyle. Cattle thieves would also use this path as it offers the advantage of being the least populated pass through the Trossachs. The pass south from Balquhidder into Gleann nam Meann is said to have been used by whisky smugglers in addition to all manner of local people about their business.
There are various interesting sites along the route including ruined shielings. Rob Roy's Putting Stone lies at the base of Creag an Eireannaich, it is said to be where MacGregor and his men hid from their enemies. Loch Eireannaich translates as Irishmen Lake, thought to be a reference to fifth century Irish missionaries who lived in the area. The stands of conifers near to Balquhidder are rumoured to be haunted by a ghostly huntsman. Whilst in Glen Finglas, a desperate struggle took place between the MacGregors and the Colquhouns.
The southern part of this route passes through Glen Finglas, the setting for Sir Walter Scott's Lady of the Lake, which inspired loads of tourists to visit the Trossachs. Glen Finglas Estate was bought by the Woodland Trust in 1996, and it forms part of the Great Trossachs Forest. Nine waymarked routes are shown on the Woodland Trust's site map, including one of 24km around The Meall which uses part of this old route.
