Killin Time in Killin

 You are Here: Scotland; East; Killin

As I was helping to 'organise' the Sabre Highland Roadtrip, I thought it only right that I should turn up now and then, so I headed off to meet them straight from work. Of course, they were taking their time coming up the road, so I found myself with a few hours to kill around Killin.

Glen Dochart

First stop was the Loch Iubhair Car Park in Glen Dochart. Glen Dochart lies to the east of Crianlarich and is the natural pass taken by the A85 as it heads up from the Central Belt. It took me a few minutes, but I eventually found the old military road built 250ish years ago by General Cauldfeild. I also had a wander along the shore of this pretty loch!

I continued east, past Lix Toll and up to the Glen Ogle car park. The NCN7 cycletrack passes through here, and the map showed it following the old military road. Sadly, this is not really accurate, and the track actually uses a forest road into the car park, then a specially constructed route alongside the road until it can cross to the old railway line to drop down Glen Ogle. One day I will pedal my way up from Balquhidder or Lochearnhead, but not today!
Anyway, after following the track south across the summit of the lairig and past Lochan Lairig Cheile, I found myself at the top of Glen Ogle. The map says that the old military road runs down the glen below the modern road, but all I could find was bog and bracken. However, Google's sattelite view shows a track on the ground, so maybe if I return in the winter when the vegetation has all died back I may find something!

Back at the car park, I followed the cycletrack a little way in the other direction too, but only for about half a mile, as I was wanting to do some more exploring in Killin.

Killin & Loch Tay

Not sure exactly how much time I had, I headed into Killin and parked up before seeking out the old railway line. This was just a branch of the line I had been following earlier, although it was built early on to connect the Loch Tay steamers to the railway network. At the turn of the century it was a popular daytrip, take the train to Killin, steam down the loch, and then after a six mile horse & coach journey, get the train home from Aberfeldy. Today, the old railway line is a pleasant walkway!
Following the track north, I crossed the Dochart on the old stone viaduct, and emerged on the main road next to Killin Bridge. After passing back through the town, I went to explore the Bridge of Lochay at the further end of the town, before taking the road down to Loch Tay itself. I was now running short of time, and had to hightail it back along the old railway line to the car park where I had first joined it, and (almost) literally fly down the A827 to Grandtully.

The Inn on the Tay

My rendezvous point was the Inn on the Tay at 7.30pm. I was about 3 minutes late, thanks to a slow lorry and two slow cars, but soon I had found my fellow Sabristi, and once the introductions were over, we settled down to some drinks beside the river, before heading in for a delicious meal. The evening was spent with much jolity, and I can safely say that despite some aprehension beforehand, they all proved to be very nice, almost ordinary people!