Book data
Rob Roy Way
Jacquetta Megarry
03 January 2022
UK price £13.99
80pp,
130 x 220mm,
180g
978-1-913817-04-6
Rob Roy Way
Walk or cycle from Drymen to Pitlochry (4th ed)
£13.99
In stock
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"Robust, waterproof, comprehensive and enjoyable: an essential companion" - Undiscovered Scotland
The Rob Roy Way is one of Scotland’s Great Trails and is very popular with both walkers and cyclists. It runs through many places linked with Scotland’s most famous outlaw, Rob Roy MacGregor (1671-1734). The route starts at Drymen (near Glasgow) and ends at Pitlochry in the eastern Highlands, so it takes you away from the crowds following the West Highland Way to some of Scotland’s finest lochs and glens. Its main spine runs for 79 miles (127 km) and is waymarked. There is an optional extra 17 miles if you take the wilderness extension through Glen Almond and Glen Quaich. Most walkers complete it in 6-8 days and most cyclists in 3-4 days.
The route goes through Loch Ard forest to Aberfoyle; heads east and north beside Lochs Venachar, Lubnaig and Tay; and passes through superb scenery, with interesting aqueducts, viaducts and a 3600 year-old stone circle. The terrain is a mixture of forest tracks, cycleway, disused railway trackbed and moorland footpaths. The Way passes through a succession of friendly villages with welcoming pubs and B&Bs.
Our fourth edition has more content, with full coverage for cyclists and detailed description of the Glen Quaich alternative. It is now longer, 80 pages in place of 64, with 111 colour photos, many of them fresh. However it is 10 grams lighter than the previous edition. This book is in our lighter, more pocket-friendly format, with perfect binding instead of concealed wiro-binding.
Closure alert May 2023: Sadly the disease Phytophthera ramorum has spread to Malling Forest and essential felling work is under way in Malling Forest from 10 May for 4-6 weeks. (This follows similar work on infected trees in Braeval forest in April.) The only feasible alternative to the Rob Roy Way through the Menteith Hills is to follow Cycle Route 7 from Aberfoyle to Callander, which adds 6 km to the distance, but a shortcut can reduce that. For detailed information and a map, click on Route updates below.
This guidebook contains all you need to plan and enjoy the Rob Roy Way:
- details of distance, terrain and food/drink for walkers and cyclists
- eight-page section for the extension via Glen Quaich
- visitor attractions, side-trips and mountains to climb including Ben Ledi
- planning information for travel by car, train, bus or plane
- concise biography of Rob Roy MacGregor
- background on pre-history, heritage and wildlife
- detailed mapping on 18 pages at 1:50,000
- in full colour, with 111 colour photos
- rucksack-friendly and on rainproof paper.
Click on the thumbnails below to view sample pages from the book "Rob Roy Way" in standard PDF format.
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Contents
Extract from Part 1 planning
2.1 Rob Roy and the Jacobites
3.2 Aberfoyle to Callander
From an online review on Undiscovered Scotland
The new edition … brings route directions bang up to date, and is the first to have been published since the route was waymarked in 2012. To summarise, this book is robust, waterproof, comprehensive and enjoyable: an essential companion for anyone wanting to tackle the Rob Roy Way.
See Undiscovered Scotland for full review
Excerpt from 5-star review at Amazon.com
The Rob Roy Way is located along the trails and areas frequented by Rob Roy during his daring adventures. The trail also includes stops at Rob Roy’s grave and at the Rob Roy Visitor Center. Moreover, various archeological and historical sites from early prehistory through historical sites can also be enjoyed while undertaking this trail. However, the high point of this tour is the breathtaking highland scenery as well as the beautiful flora and abundant fauna.
The Rob Roy Way outlines not only the background story of Rob Roy and the various stops along this walking trail (including waterproof full color maps) but also details various long walking and hiking fundamentals. These details include what types of equipment the participant should bring to complete the walk, how long the various legs of the journey will take, and how weather and seasonally may potentially affect the trail. There are also helpful tips especially for novices about daily mileage, feet, weight, and the right gear.
Read the full review by Tami Brady of Calgary, Canada at Amazon.com
Excerpt from the Clan Gregor Society Newsletter, Winter 2002
A route of dramatic and ever-changing landscapes steeped in history and tradition, it follows paths and tracks well known to our forebears, most notably Rob himself. Since there are numerous access points, this is a walk which can readily be done in stages …
From Newsletter no 54, page 15
Email from a Canadian reader
“The books arrived yesterday. They look great: pertinent, well illustrated, informative and tough. I look forward to buying more in the future!”
Peter Outridge, Quebec, Canada
Excerpt from tgo (The Great Outdoors) review October 2002
… The guidebook is very clear and concise. It looks like a good route for those who prefer a soft bed at night, and the guide tells you everything you’d want to know.
Cameron McNeish, Editor
GPX route file
The serious disease Phytophthora ramorum (which affects 150 plant species including larch trees) has spread to Malling Forest, and a Statutory Health Protection Notice is enforcing essential felling work there, north of Aberfoyle, from 10 May for 4-6 weeks. The only feasible alternative to the Rob Roy Way is to follow Cycle Route 7 from Aberfoyle to Callander, adding up to 6 km to the distance. The shortcut shown above reduces the extra distance to just 2.5 km: follow Cycle Route 7 to the forest road junction at NN 539 037, then make a right-left dogleg to follow the forest road east, then north-east past a small lochan and Culnagreine to rejoin the Way at Invertrossachs (mile 17.4). Please don’t attempt to ignore the closure notices: the disease is an airborne contaminant and your boots or clothes could spread it. The closure is expected to last for 4-6 weeks and we will update you once it is lifted.
For more on Cycle Route 7 see this route card or visit this Sustrans page.
