Walk: Autumn at Achray

📌 The Trossachs, Stirling
★★★

Natural woodland, forestry plantations, frothy burns and views to high hills – this short stroll packs in a lot of variety despite not featuring a specific objective. The first part shares the popular route to Ben Venue, coming close to the foaming Achray Water, which is the outflow from nearby Loch Katrine. Look out for the attractive waterfalls where the path crosses the footbridge. Just as the going gets steep and you start to wonder whether you’ll be climbing Ben Venue itself, a handy left turn appears. This takes you down quieter tracks to Loch Achray and the undistinguished rear of the Loch Achray Hotel, before a short stretch on tarmac provides the link back to the start. Visit during mid autumn for spectacular colours (ideally a little later in the year than our most recent visit in late September).

📷 Chronological photo guide

🌍 Location

📌 Start / finish at Ben Venue car park, A821 just north of Loch Achray Hotel

🧭 O.S. Grid Reference: NN 506069

🛰️ GPS coordinates: 56.230915,-4.412061

❌ No public transport within 1 mi

🚗 Car park (charge)

📝 Key info

▶ 4 km / 2 mi | ▲ 140 m | ⌛ 1.5 hr

Features: 🌊 Achray Water & waterfalls; 💧 Loch Achray

⬤ Easy | Clear tracks and paths with a couple of short steep sections. Road for final stretch.

➡️ Anticlockwise circuit: start – footbridge over Achray Water near Pass of Achray – path junction at 🧭 NN 494060 (signposted to Ben Venue until this point) – Loch Achray Hotel – start

Download file for GPS

🥾 On our last visit

Wildlife: Dippers on the Achray Water, Highland Cows by Loch Achray Hotel.

Weather: 6°C at start, sun and patches of cloud following overnight rain, light wind.

September 2020