Balquhidder Travel Guide - Scotland

Balquhidder is a charming district situated at the eastern end of Loch Voil in the Glen of Balquhidder, settled by the MacLarens in the ninth century on land considered holy by ancient Celts.

Today the glen is best known for its ties to Rob Roy, a hero of the MacGregor clan and fierce enemy of the MacLarens. The scene of some of Rob Roy's exploits lie in the Balquhidder environs, and after his death in 1734 he was buried in Balquhidder Kirkyard along with the graves of his wife and two of his sons.

Around these famous grave sites one can find the foundations of the Medieval church which once stood at the site. Further west lie the ruins of a second, seventeenth century church and then to the north stands the current church, completed in the nineteenth century.

The glen is overlooked in the west by the mixed terrain of the powerful Braes of Balquhidder at the head of Loch Vail. The area is celebrated for its natural beauty, good fishing and a magnificent on-high view from famed Creag on Tuirc. West of the village an exquisite winding single-track road runs through the woods, meandering along the northern shore of the Loch of Voil and then onward to Loch Doine beyond.

Balquhidder is widely considered to offer some of the best quality of life in the area, a perfect balance of modern amenities and unspoiled tradition.