The Trossachs and Loch Lomond, Scotland

The Trossachs are in the centre of Scotland, so renting a holiday cottage here will give you access to much of Scotland, and you will have easy access to Edinburgh and Glasgow. The Trossachs are a wonderful combination of lochs, woods, glens and hills, and are an exceptionally beautiful part of Scotland. This was the home of the Picts and the Antonine Wall to the south reminds you of the Roman period in Scotland.

Callander is a busy holiday centre in the summer, in the shadow of Ben Ledi and on the edge of the Trossachs. You can walk up to the Bracklinn Falls where Sir Walter Scott jumped his horse over for a bet. The Trossachs are famous for beautiful scenery and is best explored on foot - there are so many places to walk, both on and off marked routes. It is a great place for autumn or spring breaks in Scotland as it is less busy and the colours in the countryside are fantastic. Walking holidays in the Trossachs are easy to arrange and can include high peaks as well as gentle lowland walks on easy footpaths.

Loch Katrine is the setting for Walter Scott's 'Lady of the Lake' and from May to September you can take a trip along the loch on a Victorian steam boat - a very popular excursion with adults as well as children on holiday in the Trossachs. Aberfoyle is another popular place for renting selfcatering holiday cottages in Scotland. The Queen Elizabeth Forest Park is to the north and has an excellent cafe and shop, as well as lots of information and exhibitions on the trees and wildlife in the Trossachs. There is an excellent network of cycle paths here - many are not on roads so great if you want a cycling holiday in Scotland with children. There are also plenty of riding stables in the Trossachs - pony-trekking through the beautiful Scottish countryside is a very enjoyable pursuit on a cottage holiday in Scotland. If staying near Lake of Monteith then take the boat to Inchmahome Priory - a lovely Augustinian ruin on an island in the loch. The newly-formed Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park will help preserve this unique landscape.

Balquhidder is situated on Loch Voil, north of Callander and this is where Rob Roy Macgregor lived, died and is buried. There are plenty of Rob Roy tourist attractions here, as well as his grave. Balquhidder Church also has lovely music evenings on Sundays during the summer - fabulous music in a beautiful setting. Lochearnhead is popular for the water sports that you can do on Loch Earn - sailing, waterskiing and canoeing in particular. Renting a luxury holiday cottage in the area will give you the freedom to take part in all the watersports available.

Loch Lomond is to the west of the Trossachs and is probably the most popular loch in Scotland, as well as one of the most beautiful. If you can visit Loch Lomond in the early morning and see the sun rise over Ben Lomond then you will have an unforgettable sight. It is a busy part of Scotland and holiday-makers are well catered for. There are a number of cruise boats that can take you on trips on the loch, or you can hire a boat from the many marinas and water-sport centres on Loch Lomond.

This is a popular area of Scotland for holidays so the Trossachs and Loch Lomond have a lot of holiday cottages available for rental - they range from luxury holiday houses by Loch Lomond to small cottages in the Trossachs.