Rob Roy Way

This trip suits regular hikers who are comfortable with longer days on the trail. To get trail-ready, head out on regular hikes before your trip and work a few hills into your routine. It’s also worth checking the daily distances and elevation gain in your itinerary, so you know what each day has in store.

On some days, there’s a lot of hiking on paved roads and gravel forest trails. They’re scenic and easy to cover at a good pace, but the hard surfaces can be tough on your feet.

The difficulty depends on which itinerary you choose. Our 9-day trip is graded easy to moderate, as an overnight stay in Callander breaks up the hike between Aberfoyle and Strathyre. It’s also a great fit for more experienced hikers who’d like to summit Ben Ledi, a side trip between Callander and Strathyre.

Our 8-day trip is graded moderate. Without the night in Callander, you’ll hike straight from Aberfoyle to Strathyre, which makes for a long day on the trail. It doesn’t leave enough time for the side trip up Ben Ledi.

Macs Adventure hand-picks the hotels, inns, guesthouses and B&Bs used on this tour to ensure a high standard throughout - all offer a warm welcome to walkers, traditional hospitality and delicious local food. We'd recommend booking early, as the area is popular and accommodation can fill up quickly, especially in high season. As there's no accommodation in Ardtalnaig, you'll end that day with an included taxi transfer back to Killin.

Yes, solo travelers are very welcome. There will be a supplement because some costs, like transfers, aren't shared. Or if you'd like to book a single room, just ask. These are available for a supplement.

A hearty breakfast is included each morning. Lunch and dinner aren't included, so you're free to choose from the available options. Your accommodation is normally happy to provide a packed lunch on request, which can be booked on arrival, and our app will point out recommended lunch spots along the way. Dinner is available either at your accommodation or at nearby pubs and restaurants - we'd always recommend booking ahead.

You can start the Rob Roy Way on any day of the week between March and October. April and May are traditionally the most popular months, as many walkers find the weather is at its best then. That said, any time from late March to October makes for a brilliant trip.

Your bags will be collected from your accommodation each day and moved onto your overnight accommodation. We ask you to limit your luggage to one bag of up to 20kg/44lbs per person.

It's vital that you adhere to these limits. Heavier bags, or additional items might not be transferred, and you may be charged locally. Airlines may have different allowances, but our luggage handlers do not have the same capacity or equipment, and their health and safety is our priority.

The route is well-waymarked throughout and easy to follow.

Navigation is straightforward using our app which has maps, tracks and daily route info. Simply download the information and tracks for offline use and follow the route on your phone. Once on the trail you do not need signal for the app to work and follow your progress.

Recommended Reading

Although not essential, if you'd like more information on the route please see our recommendation below:

Rob Roy Way 4th edition (Rucksack Reader)

Getting to the Start

Your tour starts in Drymen, a village on the edge of Loch Lomond, around 20 miles north of Glasgow.

Glasgow (GLA) and Edinburgh (EDI) are the easiest airports from North America. Glasgow is the closest, with seasonal nonstop flights from Newark (EWR) and Toronto (YYZ). Edinburgh has the widest choice of nonstop flights, with United, Delta and American Airlines all flying direct, including year-round service from the New York area (EWR and JFK) and seasonal flights from cities such as Chicago (ORD), Boston (BOS) and Atlanta (ATL). Flight times are roughly 6 to 8 hours, depending on where you’re flying from.

Flying into Glasgow? Drymen is around 30 mins from Glasgow Airport (GLA) by taxi.

Flying into Edinburgh? Take the tram into Edinburgh city center (around 30 mins), then the train to Glasgow (around 50 mins) and continue to Drymen from there.

From Glasgow city center, take the train from Glasgow Queen Street to Balloch (around 50 mins), then a short local bus on to Drymen (around 10 to 15 mins). You can also take the bus from Buchanan Bus Station to Balloch (around 45 mins). Prefer a door-to-door option? A taxi from Glasgow city center to Drymen takes around 40 mins.

Planning Your Trip

Need help planning your trip by bus or train? The Traveline Scotland website is the best place to check routes and schedules.

Getting from the End

Your tour finishes in Pitlochry, which sits on the main rail line through the Highlands. Direct trains and buses run to Glasgow and Edinburgh in under 2 hrs.

If you’re flying home, a taxi takes around 2 hrs to Edinburgh Airport (EDI) or around 3 hrs to Glasgow Airport (GLA). Prefer the train? Head to Edinburgh, then take the tram out to the airport (around 30 mins).

Want to keep exploring? Pitlochry is a great base for the Highlands, and trains continue north to Inverness.

You'll need good hiking shoes or boots, comfortable hiking clothes, waterproofs, a daypack, and we recommend hiking poles. A portable charger for your cell phone is essential. On booking, our Tour Info will give you a complete packing list.

For this trip, we’d recommend a comfortable pair of hiking shoes rather than heavy leather boots, as some days include long stretches on paved roads and hard-packed trails.

On certain days you can shorten the route or skip it entirely by using a taxi or public transport.

We highly recommend that you have travel insurance when you book with Macs Adventure. Your policy should cover medical treatment (including repatriation and emergency evacuation by air ambulance or helicopter), injury, death, third-party liability, and trip cancellation