ROB ROY WAY | Rucksack Readers hiking guide

HIKING GUIDE

The Rob Roy Way is one of Scotland's Great Trails and very popular with both walkers and cyclists. It runs through many places linked with Scotland's most famous outlaw, Rob Roy MacGregor (1671-1734). The route starts at Drymen (near Glasgow) and ends at Pitlochry in the eastern Highlands, so it takes you away from the crowds following the West Highland Way to some of Scotland's finest lochs and glens. Its main spine runs for 79 miles (127 km) and is waymarked. There is an optional extra 17 miles if you take the wilderness extension through Glen Almond and Glen Quaich.

Most walkers complete it in 6-8 days and most cyclists in 3-4 days. The main route goes through Loch Ard forest to Aberfoyle, beside Lochs Venachar, Lubnaig, Earn and Tay and through superb scenery, with interesting aqueducts, viaducts and a 3600 year-old stone circle. The terrain is a mixture of forest tracks, cycleway, disused railway trackbed and moorland footpaths. The Way passes through a succession of friendly villages with welcoming pubs and B&Bs.

Our fifth edition is published to celebrate the 25th birthday of this popular route. It includes additional fresh images and updates based on extensive fieldwork in 2025/26, with detailed route information for both walkers and cyclists. This guidebook contains all that walkers and cyclists need to plan and enjoy the Rob Roy Way:

• details of distance, terrain and food/drink for walkers and cyclists>
• eight-page section for the extension via Glen Quaich
• visitor attractions, side-trips and mountains to climb including Ben Ledi
• planning information for travel by car, train, bus or plane
• concise biography of Rob Roy MacGregor
• background on pre-history, heritage and wildlife
• detailed mapping on 18 pages at 1:50,000 in full colour, with 120 colour photos.