What are the Trossachs?
The Trossachs are one of Scotland’s many beautiful National parks. Made up of areas of woodland and many lochs, the national park is ideal for scenic walks, hikes, climbs and cycles through the park.
Trossachs National Park and Loch Lomond Scotland
What is there to do in Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park?
Throughout the park there are many walkways and paths for scenic strolls around the national park. Whether it’s a stroll by a lake or through the vast woodland, or a hike up a mountain, its all possible in the Trossachs national park. with many of Scotland’s most popular hiking paths located with the park, its an ideal location for any hike walk or run. If its cycling your after Trossachs is home to a number of cycling path that range from low difficulty suiting the less experienced riders, moving up to very difficult paths for the more experienced riders.
The Trossachs National park is home to 22 lakes and 39 miles of coastline offering many water based activities such as boat rides out onto the lakes to experience the scenery that surrounds the lakes. On the coastlines of the lochs activities such as canoeing, windsurfing and paddleboarding are available. Within the woodland areas there are adventure parks such as GoApe and TreeZone, who both have treetop aerial courses, appropriate for adults and older children to experience. Scattered around the national park are small towns and villages with B&Bs, pubs and campsites, making them a perfect place to visit.
Through the year a number of events festivals are hosted as well as the year round farmers market, where you can find fresh produce. Within and surrounding the national park there are a number of championship standard golf courses, some of which are open to the public. the most popular being the Carrick Golf Course.
Much of the land within Loch Lomond and the Trossachs national park is under a nature reserve meaning it is home to a wealth of nature, being home to the highland cow. The iconic cows can be found in fields all around the national park. As well as the highland cow animal such as the Scottish wild Cat, Scottish red Squirrel, Deer, Scottish Osprey and white fronted geese can all be found in the national park. Within the national park the 22 lakes are home to a vast variety of fish including species of Trout, Carp, Sticklebacks, Eel and Salmon. As well as the variety of wildlife, the park is home to vast woodlands, mountains and lakes many of which is protected under the nature reserves that are in place within the nature park.
Trossachs National park was established in 2002, however there are sites all around the park that pre date this. Historic sites such as the statue of Colonel Sir David Stirling, DSO, OBE, Inchmahome Priory the hiding place of Mary queen of Scots, The Moss Lairds, the Famous Pistol Factory at Dune. Moiranich Longhouse as well as many more in and around the Trossachs area. All of these sites are open to the public, however some are only open during summer seasons, making them extremely popular with tourists during these months. The Trossachs was one of the first areas in Scotland to be recognised as an official tourists destination due its easily accessible location and incredible scenery, which is said to be a down scaled microcosm of the greater Scottish highlands.
Where are the Trossachs?
Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National park is made up of 1,865 kilometres of land comprised of a variety of woodland areas, lochs and mountains. The Trossachs Scotland, are located east of Ben Lomond in the Stirling council area of Scotland. Being located near city centres such as Glasgow and Stirling make the National Park exceptionally popular with tourists, with around 4 million tourists visiting the national park a year.