Top 10 Astonishing Facts about The Trossachs

Top 10 Astonishing Facts about The Trossachs

The Trossachs generally refers to an area of wooded glens, braes, and lochs lying to the east of Ben Lomond in the Stirling council area of Scotland. They form part of the Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park, which was established in 2002.

It is a place of contrasts, from rolling lowland landscapes in the south to high mountains in the north, and has many lochs and rivers, forests and woodlands. The Trossachs has long been visited by tourist, making it a landscape which has been influenced by people for generations.

Much of the Trossachs area is protected by various different conservation designations, including the Great Trossachs Forest National Nature Reserve.

Below, are the top 10 astonishing facts about the Trossachs;

1. The meaning behind its name

Wooded area of the Trossachs and Loch Katrine – Wikipedia

The name Trossachs involves the Brittonic root trōs meaning “across” perhaps conserving the compound trawsfynydd meaning “cross-hill”. Also suggested, Trossachs is a derivation from a Gaelic word for “bristly”.

Strictly, the Trossachs refers to that part of the glen between Loch Achray and the lower end of Loch Katrine. However, today the name is used generally to refer to the wider area of wooded glens and braes with quiet lochs, lying to the east of Ben Lomond.

2. The fourth-largest national park in the British Isles

Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park – Unsplash

Scotland has a long history of recommendations that national parks be established, however no action was taken until the establishment of the Scottish Parliament in 1999.

The Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park was designated as such under the National Parks (Scotland) Act 2000, which was one of the first pieces of legislation to be passed by the Parliament.

Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park is a national park in Scotland centred on Loch Lomond and the hills and glens of the Trossachs, along with several other ranges of hills.

It is the fourth-largest national park in the British Isles, with a total area of 1,865 km2 (720 sq mi) and a boundary of some 350 km (220 mi) in length.

3. One of the first parts of Scotland to become a recognized tourist destination

A 1943 view of The Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park – Flickr

Scotland is generally seen as a destination with beautiful scenery combined with thousands of historic sites and attractions.

The Trossachs were one of the first parts of Scotland to become a recognised tourist destination due to the area’s position on the southern edge of the highlands. It is only 27 km from the centre of Glasgow, 21 km from Stirling, 40 km from Perth and 70 km from Edinburgh.

To add to its popularity, it’s the quality of the scenery, which may be considered to represent a microcosm of a typical highland landscape.

4. Representation in literature

19th century panting of a Jaunting car similar to that used by Dorothy, William and Samuel – Wikipedia

The Great Trossachs have attracted and inspired artists, writers and musicians for hundreds of years.  Their subsequent writings have arguably changed forever how people looked at and enjoyed landscape.

In 1803 three great English writers explored the Trossachs. They were William Wordsworth, his sister Dorothy and fellow poet Samuel Coleridge. They were captivated by the area’s landscape and aura of romance, with Dorothy publishing an account of their visit in Recollections of a Tour Made in Scotland in 1803.

Sir Walter Scott visited the Trossachs several times, and then set his bestselling Lady of the Lake in and around Loch Katrine. Published in 1810, the epic poem brought the history and majesty of the Trossachs into readers’ homes.

5. The Great Trossachs Forest National Nature Reserve

Achray Forest in the southern park of the Great Trossachs Forests – Wikipedia

The Great Trossachs Forest is a project that aims to deliver a 165 km2 forest in the heart of the Trossachs in order to develop a wide range of habitats for invertebrates, mammals, birds and other wildlife.

This reserve project is considered to be a “forest in the making.” The project aims to deliver a varied landscape that provides habitats for species that are otherwise rare in Britain, including black grouse, golden eagle, osprey, wildcat, pine marten, red squirrel, water vole and otter.

The Great Trossachs Forest National Nature Reserve is managed jointly by Forestry and Land Scotland, RSPB Scotland and Woodland Trust Scotland.

6. Conservation designation

The Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park – Flickr

The National Park was designated in order to conserve and enhance the natural and cultural heritage, promote more sustainable use of the natural resources, promote understanding and enjoyment of the special qualities of the area by the public, and to promote sustainable social and economic development of the communities

Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park is classified as a Category v protected area by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. The area has 73 designated special nature conservation sites and 60 Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs).

7. The Trossachs is habitat to different species

Roe Deer – Flickr

The Trossachs is located within the central belt of Scotland, and straddling many uplands, lowland, freshwater and coastal habitats makes it important, not only to species and habitats, but also to many of Scotland’s human population.

Birds found in the woods of the Trossachs include black grouse, capercaillie and goshawk. Mammal species include red and roe deer, red squirrel and pine marten. Species of fish found in the lochs of the Trossachs include brown trout, perch and pike, and the lochs are also a habitat for osprey and otter.

The more farmed areas of the Trossachs provide areas of marshland that are habitat for wildfowl and waders, with both wintering and breeding species recorded.

8. Queen Elizabeth Forest Park in the Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park

Queen Elizabeth Forestat the Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park – TripAdvisor

Queen Elizabeth Forest Park is a 19,665-hectare forest park in the Scottish Highlands which extends from the eastern shores of Loch Lomond to the mountains of Strathyre. Most of the upland areas are bare and uncultivated, while much of the lowland is densely forested.

The forest park is one of six such parks in Scotland, and was established in 1953, the year of the coronation of Elizabeth II.

Queen Elizabeth Forest is owned and managed by Forestry and Land Scotland.

9. Royal Cottage at the Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park

Royal Cottage at the Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park – TripAdvisor

The former Glasgow Water Works Corporation built Queen Victoria a holiday house overlooking the loch to accommodate her when she officially opened the Loch Katrine Water Scheme in 1859.

Queen Victoria never stayed in the house, named Royal Cottage, as during the official opening, a 21-gun salute marking the occasion shattered the house’s windows and made it unfit for her to stay in. The cottage later became accommodation for the employees of Scottish Water.

The C-listed Royal Cottage, is surrounded by extensive grounds and a range of traditional outbuildings, including a cart shed, former laundry house, stores and generator shed. The property also includes A-listed railings along the perimeter of the land near the loch shore.

10. Ben Lomond National Memorial Park in the Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park

Ben Lomond National Memorial Park – Flickr

The Ben Lomond National Memorial Park was officially designated a war memorial in 1995, and is dedicated to all those who have fallen in conflict.

The National Memorial Landscape includes the land in the care of the National Trust for Scotland, and the adjacent land in the care of Forestry and Land Scotland, which totals approximately 4,000 hectares.

A 3 m-high circular stone and granite sculpture, designed by Scottish artist Doug Cocker, stands by the lochside at a scenic viewpoint, just a short walk from the Rowardennan car park.