Climbing Ben Vorlich from Loch Earn

​Walking Ben Vorlich, cycling National Cycle Route 7 and discovering the Heart of Scotland from Wester Auchraw Croft

Look beyond the water in this photograph and the mountain rising in the distance is Ben Vorlich, one of the great landmarks of Loch Earn.

The photograph was taken while cycling National Cycle Route 7, which passes through Lochearnhead and close to Wester Auchraw Croft. It captures rather beautifully what makes staying here special: you don't necessarily have to drive somewhere before the adventure begins. Step outside and the mountains, loch, cycling and walking are already around you.

The ascent of Ben Vorlich

At 985 metres, Ben Vorlich is a Munro and one of the most rewarding mountain days around Loch Earn.

The principal ascent begins from the south side of Loch Earn near Ardvorlich. From the lochside, the path gradually leaves the wooded lower slopes and climbs into increasingly open Highland country.

As height is gained, the world below begins to unfold.

Loch Earn stretches out beneath you, while the surrounding mountains overlap one another towards the Trossachs and the Highlands beyond. What appears from the loch to be one distant summit becomes a much larger landscape of ridges, burns, open moor and changing light.

The higher sections are steeper and considerably more exposed to Highland weather. On a clear day, reaching the summit brings magnificent views across this meeting place between Lowland and Highland Scotland.

Experienced walkers sometimes continue across to neighbouring Stùc a' Chròin, turning the outing into a much more demanding mountain day. For many visitors, however, Ben Vorlich alone provides a wonderfully satisfying adventure.

Good footwear, appropriate mountain clothing, navigation skills and a careful check of the mountain forecast are essential. Conditions at 985 metres can be completely different from those beside Loch Earn.

See the mountain from Cycle Route 7

You don't have to climb Ben Vorlich to enjoy it.
One of my favourite ways of experiencing this landscape is by bicycle.

National Cycle Route 7 passes through this part of Scotland, giving guests the opportunity to explore directly from Lochearnhead through some extraordinarily beautiful Highland scenery. This photograph was taken while cycling the route, looking across the water towards Ben Vorlich.

There is something rather wonderful about seeing a mountain from a bicycle one day and standing on its summit the next. Slow travel also reveals details easily missed from a car: ferns beside the track, old stone walls, waterfalls after rain, woodland opening unexpectedly onto the loch and constantly changing views of the mountains.

Stay for a few nights – there is far more here than
Ben Vorlich

Wester Auchraw Croft makes a lovely base for three or four nights, rather than somewhere to simply stop while travelling north.

We sit within an extraordinary crossroads of Scotland.
The Heart 200 touring route traverses this wider region, linking many of the historic towns, lochs, castles and landscapes of central Scotland. From Lochearnhead you can head towards Callander and the Trossachs one day, explore Loch Tay, Killin, Kenmore and Aberfeldy another, or simply leave the car behind and walk or cycle from the croft.

Within easy reach you'll find ancient settlements and sacred sites, castles and historic villages, waterfalls, forest walks, wild swimming, Munros and some spectacular stretches of Highland road.

And then there is Loch Earn itself.

Swim early in the morning when the water is still. Cycle beside it during the day. Climb high above it. Then come home and watch the light disappear behind the mountains.

Good food after a day in the hills

A Highland adventure is considerably better when there is a good dinner waiting at the end of it.

We are fortunate to have some excellent places to eat within the surrounding area, from relaxed pubs and cafés to destination restaurants. Lochearnhead, Balquhidder, St Fillans, Comrie and the wider Perthshire countryside offer plenty of possibilities, while places such as Diel's Couldron make it perfectly possible to spend the day on the mountain and finish with a memorable Scottish dinner.

I am always happy to help guests decide where to eat and where to explore according to the weather and how energetic they're feeling.

Make Wester Auchraw Croft your base,

Come for Ben Vorlich, but give yourself time for everything around it.

Stay a few nights at Wester Auchraw Croft in Lochearnhead, enjoy breakfast before setting out, climb a Munro, cycle National Cycle Route 7, swim in Loch Earn, explore the Heart 200 countryside and discover some of the wonderful food being produced and served throughout this part of Scotland.

The beauty of staying here isn't simply having somewhere to sleep.
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It's waking up already in the landscape you've come to Scotland to find.

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