Callander Scotland - Heart of The Trossachs

What is it about Callander?

Callander Main Street

Callander, on the edge of the Highlands, is the first town you come to as you enter the Trossachs from the south-east on the A84 - the most popular route unless coming from the direction of Glasgow. As you enter Callander you only have to open your eyes to realise why it is probably the most popular place in the Trossachs in which to base your holiday.

Long before you reach Callander you see the easily recogniseable shape of Ben Ledi which can be seen even as you leave Stirling for the 15 miles of scenery which makes the drive so enjoyable. Ben Ledi is only about a mile from Callander town centre and is a popular 'first mountain' for the many walkers who visit the Trossachs. As you enter the town from the south on the A84 'The Gart' a popular local caravan site is seen on the left. a little way further on on the right is 'The Myrtle Inn' - a useful watering hole and restaurant, especially if you are in a caravan on 'the Gart'.

A straight tree lined road now leads to the centre of Callander where you are likely to find just about everything you need for your holiday. The main shopping street is lined with shops of all sorts - around 60 of them. There are the usual 'touristy shops' selling everything from souvenirs and postcards to clothing and woollen goos. There are outdoor sports shops, cycle hire, a fishing tackle shop, art galleries, a toy museum, chippies, restaurants, chemists, a health food store, a Tesco, a Co-op grocery store, the list goes on and on.

At the heart of Callander is the local Visitor Centre - currently known as the 'Rob Roy Centre'. This centre has a staff of local people with the knowledge to help you with accommodation, travel information and local attractions. There is also an excellent stock of books and maps besides the usual collection of small souvenir items.

Callander is the largest town in the Trossachs - indeed in the National Park. Being the largest town in the Trossachs it is also the largest provider of accommodation, both serviced accommodation and self-catering accommodation.

Golf Course & Ben Ledi

Whilst Ben Ledi is the most visible feature of the local landscape, Callander is also famous for the Callander Crags and close by, the Bracklinn falls. The Callander Crags provide a fairly easy walk to a height of about 1000 feet and spectacular views to the mountains and to Stirling and the Forth estuary. A walk up the Crags may be combined with, or taken separately from a visit to the Bracklinn Falls, where the river Keltie passes over a series of rocky shelves in a gorge to form a sequence of spectacular waterfalls. A bridge over the falls was washed away in a storm but is scheduled for replacement in the near future.

Another popular spot in Callander is 'The Meadows', a recreation area with convenient car parking located nect to the river Teith. There are walks by the river where a variety of waterfowl may be seen and a 'wetland' area where wildlife abounds. For the children there is a playpark area at a safe distance from the river where parents can enjoy the surroundings whilst the children play in safety.

Close to the Meadows you may notice an old railway signal, a reminder of the days when Callander was served by a railway line which started at Dunblane and passed through Callander, Strathyre, Balquhidder, Lochearnhead and Crianlarich before joining the west coast line at Crianlarich. The railway closed about 45 years ago but now has a new lease of life as a long distance footpath and cycleway leading to Killin at Loch Tay.

If you happen to be a golf addict, Callander has one of the most scenic golf courses in Scotland. I don't know much about golf but I've been assured that it's a course well worth playing. Though I never play, I often visit the course just to admire the views!

So now you have an idea of what makes Callander such a popular destination you can explore this website to find out what you can see and do when you visit Callander.