Kirkton Glen and Lochan an Eireannaich
Date: 08 February 2026
Leader: Jack
Grade: C+
Number on walk: 21
Length 12.7 km. Ascent 510 m.
Hills climbed: None.
Click here for GPX track of the walk
Our morning break was taken adjacent to a waterfall on a tributary to the Kirkton Burn
Leaving the trees behind we followed the burn towards the hills and into the clouds
After about half an hour Rob Roy’s Putting Stone emerged from the mist
(Rob Roy’s putting stone is a huge house-sized boulder detached from the craggy hillside above. Local tradition claims the stone was used by Rob Roy for stone putting a test of strength similar to the present sport of shot putting.)
This walk did not involve visiting any summits, so our group photograph was take in front of Rob Roy’s Putting Stone
Our destination for the walk was Lochan an Eireannaich which was partially frozen when we arrived
A member of the group looks on anxiously after another member of the group stepped into a deep hole under the snow and lost his boot – fortunately it was recovered and a temporary repair made so he could return to the start of the walk unaided
Problem resolved, we headed back towards Balquhidder and entered the forest
Finally, at the end of the walk we visited Rob Roy MacGregor’s grave at Balquhidder
(Rob Roy was a Highland cattleman, soldier, outlaw, and later folk hero but neither the pure Robin Hood figure of legend nor the brutish criminal of hostile accounts. He was born in 1671 and died in 1734).