Around Loch Tay

Willie Shand finds a walk to suit everyone in the beautiful Highlands of Perthshire.

- Willie Shand

WHEN the River Dochart meets the River Lochay at Killin, they scarcely have time to make each other’s acquaintance before together they rush onward into Loch Tay.

When their waters eventually leave the loch, not only will they have changed in character but they will also have changed their names. As they escape beneath the five-arch bridge at Kenmore, they proudly take with them the name of the River Tay.

Loch Tay stretches for around 15 miles between Killin in the west and Kenmore in the east and for most of its length it seldom extends to more than a mile wide.

The main road runs above the north shore, tucked between the loch and the high hills of the Tarmachan and Ben Lawers ranges. At 3,983 feet above sea level, Ben Lawers is the highest hill in Perthshire.

Covered in rich calcareous soils, Lawers is a unique hill and supports some of Britain’s rarest Arctic-Alpine plants, among them the Saxifrage Cernia. You won’t find it growing anywhere else within our shores.

Lawers usually takes on a more fertile, greener appearance than the other hills, but not today. Today, nature’s garden lies hidden beneath a layer of snow. Spring isn’t far away, though. A few early daffodils flower by the roadside and wee lambs are beginning to appear in the fields.

This is Perthshire at its best and you don’t have to climb to the top of Ben Lawers to enjoy it, either.

With a road running above its north and south shores, for spectacular scenery, a circular drive around Loch Tay is hard to beat. Just make sure you pick a day you’re not in a rush.

The drive round the loch is barely 35 miles long but don’t be letting that fool you into thinking you can see it all in an hour or two.