Overview
A nine day, self-guided walking holiday across the southern Highlands, through forests, across open hillsides and alongside some stunning lochs. There’s no shortage of swimming, birdwatching or gobsmacking scenery on this Rob Roy Way, which follows in the footsteps of Scotland’s Robin Hood. The 129km-trail starts in Drymen, follows the West Highland Way for a while, then takes its own unique paths through Highland villages, to hidden waterfalls and hillside spectacles, then finally to the handsome Victorian town of Pitlochry. Stay in traditional Scottish hotels or guesthouses, with luggage transfers.
Please note: this tour can be adapted to shorten or length the trail, particularly at the start and end points, both of which are gateways to some of Scotland’s finest Scottish natural heritage.
- Drymen
- Pitlochry
- River Tummel
- Loch Venachar
- Falls of Dochart
- Dewars Distillery
Itinerary
Day 1: Arrive Drymen
Arrive in the market town of Drymen, which is also located on the West Highland Way and nestled below Conic Hill in Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park. We highly recommend booking an extra night in Drymen before the holiday to have time to explore its stunning natural heritage, before you start along the trail.
- Accommodation: Kip in the Kirk or similar in Drymen
Day 2: Drymen – Aberfoyle | 17.5km
Begin the day at Drymen Square, in the centre of the village, and head west to follow the West Highland Way for a short distance, before branching off and heading towards Loch Ard Forest and Muir Park Reservoir. Finally, enter the woods and follow a forestry track towards Aberfoyle. Located on the River Forth, this charming village boasts Victorian architecture and is famous for having mystic links to faeries (otherwise known as urisks).
- Walking for the day: 17.5km, ↑201m ↓233m
- Accommodation: Mayfield B&B or similar in Aberfoyle
Day 3: Aberfoyle – Callander | 15.3km
From the centre of Aberfoyle, head east before entering the forest to follow the track uphill towards the Menteith Hills. Continue over open hillside and moorland before re-entering the woods and descending towards the southern banks of Loch Venachar. Spend the evening in Callander, which is often called the gateway to the Highlands, with a handsome setting on the River Teith. If you have time, it’s also just 1km from Bracklinn Falls Car Park, which is the starting point for a 5km circuit of this wonderful natural site.
- Walking for the day: 15.3km, ↑309m ↓256m
- Accommodation: The Knowe Guest House or similar in Callander
Day 4: Callander – Strathyre | 14.8km
After a hearty breakfast in Callander, head north-west along a shady path, passing the Falls of Leny. The path continues alongside the river towards Loch Lubnaig, a narrow but magnificent loch which stretches for 5.5km to Strathyre, a small Victorian village on the shores of Loch Voll.
- Walking for the day: 14.8km, ↑170m ↓116m
- Accommodation: Rosebank House Bed and Breakfast or similar in Strathyre
Day 5: Strathyre – Killin | 22.3km
Start the day by ascending through Strathyre Forest, before descending the hill at Kingshouse. At this point, the route follows an old railway line along Glen Ogle, providing fantastic views of Loch Earn and the hills surrounding the glen. At the glen’s head, descend towards Killin through thick woodland. The spectacular and raging Falls of Dochart mark your arrival into the village of Killin.
- Walking for the day: 22.3km, ↑338m ↓351m
- Accommodation: Breadalbane House or similar in Killin
Day 6: Killin – Ardtalnaig | 19.9km
Leave Killin on the south side of the River Dochart along Loch Tay South road before climbing sharply through the forest and into the hills, where you get fantastic views of the surrounding mountains. Continue on past the dam at Loch Breaclaich and along the hillside before descending to Loch Tay. End the day following the loch to Ardtalnaig, where you are met and transferred back to Killin for the night due to the lack of accommodation options in the village.
- Walking for the day: 19.9km, ↑545m ↓531m
- Accommodation: Breadalbane House or similar in Killin
Day 7: Ardtalnaig – Aberfeldy | 24km
After a transfer back to Ardtalnaig, continue along the south banks of Loch Tay. Upon reaching Acharn, head back into the hills, passing the Falls of Acharn en route to the open hillside, where you get views across the loch to the Ben Lawers mountain range. After bypassing the village of Kenmore, continue along hillside paths, through forests and meadows before reaching the Birks of Aberfeldy. Finally, follow the path alongside the river and gorge into the centre of Aberfeldy.
- Walking for the day: 24km, ↑494m ↓524m
- Accommodation: Schiehallion Hotel or similar in Aberfeldy
Day 8: Aberfeldy – Pitlochry | 14.9km
Your final day begins with a stroll past Dewars Distillery, to then follow a gentle riverside path along the River Tay. Continue along a former railway line which leads into the village of Grandtully, before crossing the river and heading north towards Pitlochry. As the path climbs and becomes clear of the woods, there are excellent views of the distant mountains, including Ben Lawers and Schiehallion. Finally, descend via a forested track into the Tummel Valley and finally to Pitlochry. Spend your final evening in this handsome Victorian town, taking time to explore Pitlochry Dam or Black Castle Ruins.
- Walking for the day: 14.9km, ↑303m ↓307m
- Accommodation: McKays Hotel or similar in Pitlochry
Day 9: Departure
Departure after breakfast.
What to expect
Accommodation
Accommodation on this tour includes a mix of mostly small, locally-owned hotels, B&Bs and traditional guesthouses. They have been carefully selected based on a variety of criteria including their proximity to the Rob Roy Way, warm hospitality, fine local food or commitment to responsible tourism. All rooms have en-suite or private bathrooms.
Click to view our default hotels for this trip
- Kip in the Kirk (Drymen)
- Mayfield B&B (Aberfoyle)
- The Knowe Guest House (Callander)
- Rosebank House Bed and Breakfast (Strathyre)
- Breadalbane House (Killin)
- Schiehallion Hotel (Aberfeldy)
- McKays Hotel (Pitlochry)
Accommodation is subject to availability. In the event of a particular hotel or guesthouse being fully booked for your chosen dates, we will replace it with a hotel of equal value and quality level. We will provide exact accommodation details to you upon booking confirmation.
Meals
Breakfast is included on all days. When no restaurant location is available on the route, lunches and snacks should either be bought from local shops, or packed lunch can be pre-ordered from your hotel the night before. You can have dinner at the guesthouse you are staying at or at the village pubs and restaurants.
Difficulty and terrain
This tour is graded as moderate, with daily distance ranging from 15-24km, although daily elevation gains are not very high, some days will be more challenging than others and the terrain will be varied with some rough and rugged footpaths (read more about difficulty grades). The route is well signposted throughout, however, walkers must be vigilant at all times as there are paths and junctions along the way which deviate from the main route.
We strongly advise you to follow only marked trails and never try to shorten the path through unknown and unmarked terrain. We will provide you with detailed road notes and maps, and you can call our 24/7 local assistance phone number anytime. More detailed info on route navigation will be included in your holiday information pack.
When to go
This trip is available to commence every day from March until October.
The flexibility of self-guided holidays means that there are no fixed dates, and you can start your trip on any date during the season. For detailed info, see our blog on the Best time to go to Scotland.
Getting there
Up-to-date travel advice on the United Kingdom is available here (for Canadian citizens) and here (for US citizens).
Click to view travel options and route planner
By plane
Our recommended airports for this tour are Glasgow Airport (GLA) or Edinburgh Airport (EDI).
By train or bus
- Glasgow: there are excellent air, train and bus services, allowing easy access from anywhere in the UK and overseas.
- Arrival/departure: Drymen and Pitlochry are well connected by train, bus or taxi from Glasgow city centre. For more information see Traveline Scotland or use the Omio planner above.
- If you are able to travel to Scotland without flying, this holiday is reachable by rail with train stations in Balloch where you take a taxi to to Drymen (15mins) and from Pitlochry. For more details, see the national rail operator Traveline Scotland. There’s also a bus from Balloch to Drymen.
- You can also take the Caledonian Sleeper train between London and Pitlochry.
UK Visa and entry requirements:
IMPORTANT: From 2025, the UK is implementing a new Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) for many countries around the world. Up until 08 January, the ETA requirement only applied to nationals from Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and UAE.
On 08 January 2025, the ETA requirement was extended to visitors from eligible non-European countries, including Australian, Canadian and US nationals. Then, on 02 April 2025, the ETA requirement was extended to eligible European countries, referring to most of Europe.
You can view the full list of countries that this applies to here and apply for your ETA here, or on the UK ETA app. The ETA usually takes up to three working days to be processed, although we advise applying as early as possible, in advance of your travel dates. People travelling with an Irish passport don’t need an ETA.
You can read more about the UK entry requirements on our blog.
Inclusions
Included
- 8 nights accommodation
- 8 breakfasts
- Luggage transfers on all walking days (one piece per person, max 20kg)
- Transfer from/to Killin as detailed in the itinerary
- Access to your digital pre-departure information (accommodation list, GPS map of the route, baggage transfer information, itineraries, route information of cafes, restaurants, local bus timetables, etc.)
- 24/7 phone assistance by our local office/representative
Excluded
- Airfare and connecting land transfers
- Lunches, dinners, drinks and snacks
- Travel insurance (required – get a quote online)
- Personal expenses
- Local tourist taxes and entry fees (payable on-site)
- Any items not specifically mentioned as included in the programme
- eSIM data for international travel (get an eSIM)
Options, extras and supplements
- If you’re travelling in a group, a supplement applies to group members who would like to have a room of their own
- This holiday is available for solo travellers. However, a supplement will be charged as the cost of rooms and also luggage or private transfers (when applicable) is not shared. Please note that solo travellers are always accommodated in their own room. For logistical reasons, we don’t offer an option for solo travellers to share rooms with other solo travellers
- Extra nights along the route, in Pitlochry or Glasgow available upon request
Reviews
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