Loch Lomond and the Trossachs, Aberfoyle and Stirling, Scotland

Stretching across central Scotland from east to west, the landscapes of Loch Lomond, The Trossachs, Stirling & Forth Valley are wonderfully diverse. With towns and villages scattered across coast, country, mountains and glens, and the historic city of Stirling thrown in for good measure, it’s no wonder that there are a host of things to do and places to explore in the area

Aberfoyle is a popular holiday village with an attractive main street and well served with individual shops, cafés and restaurants. Learn more about the area’s natural beauty and history at the Trossachs Discovery Centre. The Scottish Wool Centre relates the full story of wool, from sheep to the shops, through live sheep shows and hands-on demonstrations of spinning and working sheepdogs.The village is an ideal base to explore the Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National Park. Nearby your will find Loch Ard, which boasts exciting activities including water sports, many walking trails such as the Loch Ard Sculpture trail, fishing opportunities with permits available locally as well as Loch Katrine where you can hop on-board the the SS Sir Walter Scott . The Lodge Forest Visitor Centre is located to the north of Aberfoyle. The impressive visitor centre allows you to get up close to a wide range of wildlife with live CCTV viewing. The Forest Park is encompassed within Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National Park and combines conservation and recreation with timber production. The mixed woodlands provide a beautiful setting for over 60 miles of forest walks.

Stirling is a wee with a big history, Stirling punches well above its weight for historic attractions and spectacular scenery, not to mention shopping, places to eat. The area is not just steeped in legend, folklore and history – it’s alive with it. Walk the same paths as the outlaw Rob Roy did 300 years ago on the Rob Roy Way, stop by Stirling Castle to see the Royal Apartments, once home to Renaissance kings and queens. Get your bearings by looking out from the hill-top esplanade at Stirling Castle and take in views of the city and surrounding areas, just as kings and queens of Scotland have done before you.

Spot the winding River Forth and the prominent National Wallace Monument on the edge of the rolling Ochil Hills before looking north east for the mountain peaks of Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National Park. If shopping is an integral part of your holiday, then you’re in luck. Browse independent boutiques in the historic surroundings of the Old Town and the Victorian Stirling Arcade. Head to The Thistles shopping centre for top brands and high street retailers. Unusually, the centre was built around a 16th century jail cell, known as the Thieves Pot. Take a look inside and hear the tales of times gone by for free!