Loch Tay, Aberfeldy and Glen Lyon 

Glen Lyon   Falls of Acharn, South Loch Tay

This area in the heart of the Highlands is also known as Breadalbane and forms part of the vast county of Perthshire.

It provides some of the finest hillwalking in Scotland, including hiking over several impressive munros and easier low-level walks. 

This is combined with superb lakeside scenery and a wide range of visitor attractions.  There's Castle Menzies at Weem, near Aberfeldy, a whisky distillery in Aberfeldy itself, and a number of gardens open to visitors. 

Aberfeldy is an attractive small town with a wide range of shops, restaurants and hotels.  Just up the road towards Crieff is the Birks of Aberfeldy, a delightful beauty spot with walks to viewpoints over the waterfalls.  There's an indoor swimming pool nearby as well.  The bridge at Aberfeldy was built by General Wade during the pacification of the Highlands.

Kenmore is a village at the foot of Loch Tay, where the River Tay sets off on its long journey to the sea at Dundee.  It's the scene of a ceremony every January to mark the start of the salmon fishing season.  This was built as a planned village, and the historic Kenmore Inn faces onto the village square. Inside, the words of Burns can still be read on the chimney piece, capturing the wild essence of the scenery of Breadalbane. 

Close to Kenmore, at the start of the South Loch Tay road, Croft-na-Caber is a watersports centre with the Crannog Visitor Centre next door.  The Falls of Acharn are situated a little further along that side of the Loch.

Looking across to the north side of Loch Tay, the massive bulk of Ben Lawers dominates the scene, with its subsidiary peaks on either side.  The contrasting Tarmachan ridge lies on the other side of the Ben Lawers Visitor Centre, where the National Trust for Scotland provides information on the rare Alpine vegetation.

On the other side of these mountains are the remote upper reaches of Glen Lyon, the longest glen in Scotland.  It provides access to some fine mountains including Stuchd an Lochain and the Carn Gorm range.

Glen Lyon runs east to the little village of Fortingall, famous for its ancient yew tree, where the Fortingall Hotel is an excellent base for exploring the area.  It's close to the B846 which leads over to the famous peak of Schiehallion, Tummel Bridge and Loch Rannoch.

Stories featured so far:

• Falls of Acharn and Loch Tay Crannog
• Ben Lawers
• The Tarmachan ridge
• Stuchd an Lochain
• Carn Gorm
• Verses written with a pencil at the Kenmore Inn by Robert Burns

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