Loch Katrine to Callander on the Great Trossachs Path – Trail run

I was visiting my lovely Edinburgh-based friend (@helen.x.outside) and she had decided that a day out in the hills was just what the doctor ordered, especially after a few wee shandies in the pub the night before, but the less said about that the better! So, our day started on the Trossachs Explorer pilot bus service, which we picked up from Callander.

Safely dropped off at the shore of Loch Katrine (which has excellent facilities including a café, gift shop and some of the best public toilets I’ve ever visited) we smiled at how well our plan had come together, but then in true Scottish style the heavens opened, and we dashed for cover amongst the stuffed highland cattle and tartan PJs in the gift shop. Twenty minutes later it was gorgeous sunshine, and we were back on our way, having downed half a bar of ‘Scottish trail running rocket fuel’, aka tablet.  

The trail quickly took us up into some glorious pine trees, which not only look spectacular, but smell glorious too. If you are into tree bathing, or even if you are not, this is the perfect spot to relax and disconnect from any stress and really let nature do its work. Once we popped out of the pine trees the sun was really giving it some and we spent the next half an hour jogging along with the most spectacular views of the hills around us. The landscape started to open out and the purple heather, matched with the pink of the rosebay willowherb, make it nigh on impossible to not stop every few minutes and take another photo.

I was musing to my friend at this point about how being outside and moving is such a wonderful experience, and one that cannot be captured by a lens or the written word, you really must be there to feel it. To feel the sun on your face and the wind cooling your slightly sweaty skin, a distant ache in your legs from hauling yourself up a hill, and the quickened pace of your heart from the excitement of being in such a beautiful place, there really is nothing else like it. 

A bit further along we dropped down to the side of Loch Achray and it was glorious to have the silence broken by the lap of the waves and the distant chatter of two young children battling with their paddle board. We pushed on a bit further, through a lovely farm with ice creams and some very shouty goats before crossing a picturesque bridge providing the perfect spot to tie your shoelaces. 

We then happened upon the most bizarre sight of the whole route, a London bus, the N29 from Camden no less. I grew up in London and the sight of a night bus prompted me to tell many a tale from those times, none of which have a place here in a wholesome blog post about the countryside! 

Many laughs were had during this section of the route. This is one of the lovely things about trail running with friends, the connection as you move along together, often building a rhythm between you. Trail running isn’t about paces, it’s about places and it is such a pleasure to explore somewhere with a friend, swapping stories and ideas and giggles while moving through trees, rivers, hills, and sometimes even abandoned night buses!

At the five mile point we reached the village of Brig O Turk and stopped off at the tearoom. If you do this route, you cannot miss it the big green cabin that says ‘tearoom’ on it. It’s a vegetarian menu and the food is delicious, and the staff are delightful, I got a free top up of blackcurrant squash which made my day! 

Full of soup, cheese, and cups of coffee we set out again. A little slower this time and in agreement to walk the next steep section to let the food digest a bit, at least until I stopped doing carrot and lentil burps! 

There is quite a bit of climbing at this point which is why the café is such a good place to stop and refuel to give you the energy to push up the steeper bits. It is all worth it though, because once you reach the top there are miles of canopy running where you are up high enough to get a gorgeous view of the hills all around you, but you are not right on the tops getting blown off in every direction (although that can be fun too). 

This was probably my favourite bit of the route. If you are doing it from Loch Katrine to Callander, like we did, make sure you stop and turn around at this section to admire the view behind as it is just gorgeous. On the way up make sure to look out for the Drippan Farmstead too, an old set of ruins that were home to families for generations until they were abandoned in the mid-19th century. 

If you do nip down to take a photograph or explore, make sure you have a friend with you who will brush you down for ticks when you emerge (hopefully with no parasites!). 

We then started to make the descent into Callander. The sun had come out again and had turned the sky a gorgeous electric blue. As we dropped back onto the Great Trossachs Path into Callander I actually felt quite sad that it would soon be over. I was perked up by the realisation that there is an excellent ice-cream shop in Callander and there is no better way to end a trail run than with an ice-cream, especially one that started with tablet! 

This is a true 10 out of 10 adventure with a bit of everything – some uphills, some very flat sections, a café, and lots of places to restock and nip to the loo. An absolutely perfect day out in the most splendid of settings.