Killin

Why base here

Killin is a village of about 740 people at the western head of Loch Tay, inside the Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park and administered by Stirling Council, according to Wikipedia. The Falls of Dochart run through the west end of it, crossed by the narrow multi-arched bridge that carries the A827 into the village, and Wikipedia names Meall nan Tarmachan and the Ben Lawers range as its backdrop. The case for sleeping here is distance. The National Trust for Scotland’s car park for Ben Lawers is about 6km north-east of the village in a straight line, against about 27km from Aberfeldy, and the Trust itself sends visitors to the public toilets in Killin or Kenmore before the hill because there are none at the car park. The case against is the map: there is no station, and the walks listed here both start from a car park.

On foot versus by car

Ben Lawers is a drive. The Trust puts its car park two miles up a hill road off the A827 north of Loch Tay, and Walkhighlands, which gives the round with Beinn Ghlas as 11km and 942m of ascent, lists no public transport to the start. The Trust does describe a pedestrian way up from the A827 beginning about a mile west of the hill road, at NN 614361, but that point is itself some 5km from Killin in a straight line, so a walker from the village covers that distance along the A827 before the path begins.

Ben Vorlich is the other hill in range, and it lies on the far side of Glen Ogle. Its start at Ardvorlich, on the minor road along the south shore of Loch Earn, is about 11km south-east of Killin in a straight line, but the road goes round by the A85 through Glen Ogle, which Wikipedia puts at 7 miles from Lochearnhead to Lix Toll, and Ardvorlich House is about 3km east of Lochearnhead. Walkhighlands lists no public transport to the start, though buses do run to Lochearnhead. The site’s other base for that hill is Callander.

Practicalities

The railway closed on 1 November 1965, per Wikipedia, and the Trust names Crianlarich or Pitlochry as the nearest mainline stations, with some connecting buses. Stirling Council runs the C60 between Callander and Killin through Kilmahog, Strathyre and Lochearnhead, Monday to Saturday, with four return journeys a day on the timetable published by Your Stirling; check it before relying on it, and Traveline Scotland carries the rest. Wikipedia puts the A827 journey from Edinburgh or Glasgow at about 90 minutes. Main Street is the A827, and Stirling Council lists free parking at the car park next to the McLaren Hall.

With children

Nothing on this site’s list for Killin is a child’s walk: Ben Lawers is 942m of ascent and Ben Vorlich 1,145m on the full round. The nearest thing is on the Ben Lawers car park itself. The Trust’s Edramucky Trail runs 1 mile, about 1.6km, in around an hour and a half beside a burn, and the Trust publishes a Caterpillar Trail version for younger visitors; the 0.9-mile Morenish Woodland Trail takes 45 minutes and passes a waterfall. Both start from the Ben Lawers car park, according to the Trust, and neither goes near a summit. In the village, Stirling Council’s Breadalbane Park has a children’s play area suitable for all ages, off Main Street.