Lochan Spling - Aberfoyle
Date: 13 January 2024
Leader: Trish
Grade: C
Number on walk: 22
Length 13 km. Ascent 170 m.
Hills climbed: None.
Click here for GPX track of the walk
Our group assembled at the start of the walk in Aberfoyle while our leader describes the walk
Our first stop was Lochan Spling where we admired the modern fish sculpture and the frozen lochan
Duchray Castle – the end point of our walk
An altered rectangular 16th-century tower house. The castle was torched after the Jacobite Rising of 1745, but was restored, extended, and remodelled in the 19th century. The castle was recorded as "in ruins" in 1815 but appears to have been rebuilt in around 1825. The Gothic revival windows and crenellations date from that period, but subsequent alterations through the course of the 19th century and another fire in the mid-20th century have all left their mark on the historic structure.
Before lunch we had a short walk alongside the Duchray Water, a tributary of the River Forth
Lunch on the lawn in front of Duchray Castle
The owners of the castle welcomed us to their property and spent time telling us about the castle’s history. This was much appreciated by the group.
As we left the castle grounds, we saw this friendly dragon
Our group heading back towards Aberfoyle on one of the many forest tracks
A final view looking back to Ben Lomond from above Lochan Spling