Hiking in the Autumn colours
We are very lucky to live so near to the famous Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park. There are so many wonderful hikes here which are all well described in the excellent Walk Highlands website. One of our favourites is a walk along stunning Loch Katrine. We hiked over the hill and were rewarded with views of magnificent Ben Venue and even the towering Ben Lomond. We often visit in the summer season with our tour guests. They enjoy a sail on the Steamship Sir Walter Scott, around the Loch to the tiny hamlet of Stronachlochar which is at the end of the loch.
On this hike there was no one else to be seen as Scotland was under travel restrictions. We enjoyed four hours of glorious hiking with the autumn colours reflecting in the waters.
Loch Katrine Boathouse
After Sir Walter Scott published his epic poem, Lady of the Lake, tourism came to Scotland. This was in the early 19th Century and visitors were entranced by the landscapes, Today in this area guests can hire bikes (even electric bikes), walk around the loch (12 miles) and take a steamer back to the start. They also enjoy a higher hike for stunning views across the National Park. Taking a picnic of local Scottish foods is a great way to enjoy an outdoor lunch on tour!
Famous Poem by Sir Walter Scott
Loch Katrine Aqueduct
Queen Victoria also loved visiting Scotland. When she came to Loch Katrine a house was built especially for her. Unfortunately she could not stay there as the 21 gun salute in her honour resulted in all the windows shattering in the cottage! The Royal Cottage still stands on the shore of the Loch for everyone to see. She visited Loch Katrine in 1859 to open a new aqueduct. This Victorian feat of engineering takes water from the loch, by gravity, more than 20 miles to the city of Glasgow. It is regarded as one of the world's greatest feats of engineering of its day. It's clean reliable water supply transformed the health of the people of the city.
As we continued our hike, we enjoyed chatting about the Victorian engineers, scientists, doctors and architects who created the innovative country we love as Scotland.
Signpost Loch Katrine hike
Brenachoille Point
We found a wonderful bench seat after only two miles of our hike. It was perfectly positioned to enjoy a Scottish picnic lunch because it looked down the length of Loch Katrine. There was a sublime view and we will include it for any guests on a Sublime Scotland tour!
Enjoying the autumn hiking
