Scotland Off the Beaten Track

East Ayrshire | Muirkirk | Half day walk | ★★

It's true: mainland Ayrshire really does have some decent hills. Cairn Table reaches nearly 600 metres above sea level, giving excellent views over southwest Scotland and as far as Galloway, Arran and even Ben Lomond in clear conditions. Broad, heathery slopes, isolation from other high hills and massive summit cairns make the summit comparable to Tinto (visible to the east), but here the similarities end. Unlike Tinto, the direct hill path here is marred by seemingly bottomless bogs. The odd duckboard is laughably inadequate, as the photo above shows. The westerly alternative is drier, but if planning a circular route you may as well get the worst bit out of the way first. An interesting quirk is that the last leg passes the ruined residence of Springhill: once belonging to local entrepreneur John Loudon MacAdam, a pioneer of tarmac (short for Tarmacadam). The track here comprises some of his early road surfacing experiments in the 17…

Perth & Kinross | Comrie | Historic building | ★

The village of Comrie sits at a triple confluence of the River Earn, Glen Artney and Glen Lednock, with sandbags by house doors standing guard against potential flooding. A tiny 1870s stone building - dramatically labelled on Ordnance Survey maps as Earthquake House - contains one of the UK's earliest seismometers. But why here? The clue lies in the geology (probably), with the Highland Boundary Fault passing close by. Earth tremors (of significant magnitudes for the UK, but small by global standards) have long been a feature of this area, resulting in the settlement's nickname: The Shaky Toun. Visitors can peer through a window to see the old seismometer, alongside more modern equipment which still records any movement.


📌 Earthquake House (Comrie) ★
Off minor road 10-min walk southwest of Comrie village centre, G.R.: NN 765218 ///juggles.belt.ended
Always viewable (exterior only) | Free

Perth & Kinross | St Fillans | Rock art | ★

"The Crocodile and The Frog" sounds like something out of Aesop's Fables, but they're actually two comically painted rocks close to the A85 just east of St Fillans. The crocodile is by far the larger of the two and actually has a little history: painted over a century ago (possibly by local youths) to the delight of rail passengers passing on the now dismantled railway, and evidently still given regular new coatings. It's also visible from passing cars if you know exactly when and where to look, as is the roadside frog nestling amongst vegetation by the entrance to the village. Access on foot (particularly for the crocodile) is a little more difficult - see notes below - but they make a quirky addition to a visit to Loch Earn or St Fillans village.


📌Crocodile Rock ★
Off the A85 a mile east of St Fillans village centre, G.R.: NN 710238 ///testy.coughed.salmon
Always viewable | Free

Anything else? No parking nearby Croc…

Stirling | Lochearnhead | Waterfall | ⛔
❔ We believe this waterfall is no longer accessible - reports welcome

This idyllic and impressive waterfall is less than 100 metres from the road along the south side of Loch Earn, but being completely unsigned and hidden from view, it's missed by most passing cars. The parking arrangements are slightly unfriendly but the road widens immediately to the east of the bridge over the Burn of Ample, so there should be ample plenty of space to leave a single car without blocking the passing place. After picking your way down to the base of the falls, the only thing sharing your view of the 60 foot cascade is Edinample Castle: a fairytale (private) tower house built in the 16th century and restored in recent decades.


📌Falls of Edinample ⛔
By minor road over the Burn of Ample, a mile southeast of Lochearnhead, G.R.: NN 602225 ///flips.curls.those

Stirling | Lochearnhead | Loch | ★★★

The peaceful and fish-rich waters of Loch Earn stretch nearly 7 miles, from St Fillans at the east end to Lochearnhead in the west through lush central highlands scenery. Neither village really deserves more than a quick visit; this is more just a part of the country just to drive through, pausing briefly at the various lochside laybys to take in the views. The sinuous A85 along the north bank can carry unnervingly fast traffic, making it difficult to pull over at the last minute - especially if you're travelling eastbound, when you have to cross oncoming vehicles. An alternative is to take the narrow road along the south bank, with equally good scenery (including the Falls of Edinample and the start of the hill path to Ben Vorlich) and a slower pace of life.


📌Loch Earn ★★★
Between Lochearnhead & St Fillans, G.R.: NN 644238 ///league.landscape.stuns

Stirling | Trossachs | Half day walk | ★★★

Good paths, a general lack of bog and the short distance make Beinn Each one of the more straightforward Corbetts in good conditions; it's also only an easy 15 mile drive or so from the motorway. The walk begins by the banks of Loch Lubnaig and the climb starts immediately. The loch doesn't actually feature in the views, but Ben Ledi is soon well seen, followed by a superb western panorama dominated by Ben More and Stob Binnein as height is gained. Beinn Each is a decent objective on its own, but Stuc a' Chroin beckons to the north if you're looking for a tougher extension.


📌 Walk: Each on its own ★★★
Start / finish at layby on the A84 3 mi south of Strathyre, G.R.: NN 583137 ///scary.dolls.digs

▶ 7 km / 4 mi | ▲ 690 m | ⌚ Half a day | ⬤ Tough
Summits: Beinn Each (813 m, Corbett)
Terrain: Clear paths and tracks throughout, often steep. Briefly boggy at Eas an Eoin.

Route & map

Layby - signposted path to Glen Ample - signpost a…