Self-catering cottages in the Trossachs and Loch Lomond

The Trossachs are in the centre of Scotland, so renting a Trossachs holiday cottage will give you easy access to much of Scotland so you can explore all that this special part of Scotland has to offer. 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 there are signs of their habitation still to be seen; whilst the Antonine Wall to the south reminds you of the Roman period in Scotland.

Callander is a busy holiday centre in the summer, situated in the shadow of Ben Ledi and on the edge of the Trossachs it has much to offer the holidaymaker. 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 are 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 Sir 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. Loch Katrine is also a great place to hire bikes and cycle off-road around the lake. Aberfoyle is another popular place for renting self-catering holiday cottages in the Trossachs. 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 area. 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 idyllic. If staying near Lake of Monteith then take the boat to Inchmahome Priory - a lovely Augustinian ruin on an island in the loch and a stunning place for a picnic. The newly-formed Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park will help preserve this unique landscape for the benefit of everyone.

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 musical evenings on Sundays during the summer - fabulous music in a beautiful setting. Lochearnhead is popular as there are so many water sports that you can do on Loch Earn - sailing, waterskiing and canoeing in particular. You can also hire jet skis, banana boats and donuts - in fact nearly all kinds of water sports are available on Loch Earn!

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 - plenty of tartan and woollen mills, as well as more individual Scottish craft shops. 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. Self-catering cottages by Loch Lomond are ideally placed in the centre of Scotland so you can explore Argyll and the west coast easily as well as visit Glasgow, Edinburgh and Stirling for the sights of the cities!