Trossachs Bird of Prey Trail
, The Trossachs Stirling, United Kingdom
Landscape
http://www.birdofpreytrail.com
10:34 05-Sep-2010
Landscape
As you travel the route of the Bird of Prey Trail, the one thing you’re guaranteed to see is spectacular scenery! The history of this part of Scotland has been shaped by its geography, and although the area has seen many changes over the last few hundred years, it inescapable beauty remains.
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| Copyright: Dean Bricknell |
Dominating the south leg of the Trail along the A81 is the large flood plain of the River Forth, known as the Carse of Stirling. Extending to the Lake of Menteith, it was once an area of extensive bogs and acted as an effective boundary between the north of Scotland and the south for many years. Progressively drained and stripped of its precious peat over hundreds of years, very little of the original bog remained. Flanders Moss (A6) is the largest area of preserved bog, and is in fact, the largest raised bog left in the UK.
Moving further west, and you’ll come to the glorious Lake of Menteith (A4), reputed to be Scotland’s only lake. In geographical terms, the lake is a kettle hole left by the actions of glaciers in the last ice age, and is in most parts only around 10m deep.
To the west of the lake is Aberfoyle (A1) which sits astride the Highland Boundary Fault, and is even known to feel the effects of the occasional small earthquake! The town is dominated by the towering crags of Lime Craig and Craigmore, and is surrounded by the Forests of Loch Ard and Achray. Larch, pine and oak are the dominant trees of the area, and the hillsides are thickly carpeted with bluebells in the spring.
North of Aberfoyle you move onto the Duke’s Pass, a twisting road which travels up and round the hillside and offers stunning views down over Loch Drunkie and Loch Achray. Built originally by the Duke of Montrose (nemesis of Rob Roy!) the road passes Aberfoyle’s old slate quarry, before running down to Loch Katrine, Glasgow’s main source of drinking water.
Turning east, the Trail passes through more rugged country, running along the shores of Loch Achray and under the shadow of Ben An to Brig o’ Turk (A3). To the north of the road lies the forested Glen Finglas, one of the largest collections of ancient trees in Scotland, and once a hunting forest for Scottish kings.
Further to the east, the Trail continues through wooded areas to the shores of the spectacular Loch Venachar (A5), which lives up to its name of ‘lake of the fair valley’. Full of fat trout, pike and salmon, the loch drains into the River Teith, the main river that runs through the town of Callander.
Following the Trail from the loch, the scenery becomes dominated more and more by agricultural land until you reach the little village of Kilmahog (A7) at the foot of Ben Ledi. At 879 feet Ben Ledi is one of the largest mountains in the area and is popular with climbers. Just to the west of the village lies the falls of Ledy, a series of waterfalls in a rocky gorge that can be particularly impressive after heavy rain.
The Trail passes through the pretty town of Callander, which is surrounded by incredible scenery, and dominated by views of Ben Ledi to the west. The next destination, Doune, is substantially smaller than Callander, and the surrounding landscape is more gentle and mainly agricultural. The farm at Argaty (A2) is typical of the area, being a mix of cattle and sheep.