📌 The Trossachs, Stirling
★★★
I like climbing hills, but this route encircles one in the Trossachs without reaching its summit. 674-metre Meall Cala lies at the far end of lovely Glen Finglas, and is encircled by tracks which makes walking around it straightforward enough. There are excellent views of Glen Finglas Reservoir from the partially wooded first and last sections, giving way to grassy moorland further up with the peaks of Benvane, Ben Ledi and a few higher ones poking out in the distance. The route still involves over 800 metres of ascent and traverses fairly remote terrain over its 15-mile length, so proper hillwalking gear should perhaps still be carried – a hill walk without a hill, if you like.
📷 Chronological photo guide
Viewpoint for Glen Finglas Reservoir 
Gleann nam Meann 
Stob Binnein (zoom) 
Carn Mòr 
Near the top of the pass 
The Mell (right) with Benvane (left) & Ben Ledi (centre) in the distance 
Descent into Glen Finglas 
Crossing the Finglas Water 
North side of Glen Finglas Reservoir 
Allt Gleann nan Meann 
Sunset on the return leg
🌍 Location
📌 Start / finish at minor road end, 0.5 mi north of Brig o’ Turk
🧭 O.S. Grid Reference: NN 529077
🛰️ GPS coordinates: 56.239292,-4.374583
🚌 Trossachs Explorer bus (seasonal) to Brig o’ Turk (0.5 mi)
🚗 Car park
📝 Key info
▶ 24 km / 15 mi | ▲ 850 m | ⌛ 6-7 hr
Features: 💧 Glen Finglas Reservoir ★★★
⬤ Moderate | Clear tracks throughout, but a long route with sustained ascent / descent in places.
Download file for GPS➡️ Anticlockwise “lollipop” circuit: start – track along east side of Glen Finglas Reservoir – Gleann nam Meann – Carn Mòr – head of Glen Finglas – descend through glen to rejoin outward route just beyond bridge over Allt Gleann nam Meann – start
🥾 On our last visit
Wildlife: Cows on the track in Gleann nam Meann, distant sheep. Canada geese, mallards, blackbirds, chaffinches, robins, wrens.
Weather: Around 5°C for much of walk, mostly sunny with a 700m fresh snowline.
November 2025
