Enjoying the view from one of our favorite hikes above Loch Katrine.
Welcome to fall!
As we stroll into these soft autumn days, my thoughts turn to one of the prettiest little bodies of water in Scotland, Loch Katrine.
Loch Katrine is a fresh water loch that stretches for eight miles through the heart of the Trossachs National Park. There are some really lovely walks around the loch, and some of the walks can be combined with a steam ship journey which makes for a very memorable adventure.
The loch has a varied and fascinating history—a history that includes artists, writers, tourists, water engineers, cattle thieves, and even British Royalty. One of my favorite historical tales involves Queen Victoria on the day she visited the loch to help inaugurate the Loch Katrine Water Project. The welcoming ceremony for Queen Victoria included a 21-gun salute, and the guns were so loud that they blew the windows out the queen’s lakeside cottage!
While Queen Victoria certainly brought much acclaim to Loch Katrine, it was without question the writings of Sir Walter Scott whose published works The Lady of the Lake and Rob Roy put Loch Katrine on the map. Some people say that Sir Walter Scott “invented modern tourism” because his works generated an unprecedented explosion of tourist traffic to the loch. Loch Katrine can be busy during the summer, but these days it’s the tranquility of Loch Katrine’s shoreline and rolling hills that I enjoy the most.
Autumn is one of my favorite times to explore the lake. I find the lakeside trails and dappled sunlight reflecting off the water incredibly soothing. Overcast days are cozy too. The Steam Ship Cafe located at the pier on the east end of the loch offers a cheery spot to come in out of the cold and warm up on a misty day.
I love misty days. As I wrap my hands around a warm cup of tea and gaze at the historic photos that adorn the walls of the cafe, I’m reminded of the words of Jean-Jacques Rousseau, a Genevan writer, philosopher and composer who tramped around Europe during the mid eighteenth century.
“The wandering life is what I like. To journey on foot, unhurried, in fine weather and in fine country, and to have something pleasant to look forward to at my goal, that is of all ways of life the one that suits me best.”
Enjoy these autumn days!
