Travel has only been open again for a couple of weeks, and we’ve already been making the most of it. (Partly because of being stuck in Glasgow for so long, and partly because we’re now permanently worried we’ll be locked down again in Scotland so need to escape while we can!) Two nights away in Aberdeen came first and then last weekend it was the turn of a wee night in Killin.
Killin is definitely up there in my top five list of villages in Scotland (now, I don’t officially *have* a top 5 list of Scottish villages sorted out, and maybe one day I will sit down and work this out, but Killin would definitely feature in it). We’ve stayed there now five times and I’ve loved it every time. It’s a gorgeous wee place surrounded by mountains and water, and my favourite part is the beautiful Falls of Dochart which pretty much runs right through the middle of it, with an incredibly instagrammable bridge spanning the width of the falls.
There’s many walks you can do in the area, and you also have Ben Lawers just a short drive outside the village too, as well as a good few places to eat and drink, so there is plenty to occupy your time here. But on Saturday afternoon we settled for a walk from where we were staying at Killin Hotel, up to the falls and back, followed by our first outside alcoholic drink in an AGE outside our hotel (mostly in the rain)! We could even order our drink via our phone which made it the whole process even easier!
On Sunday, as we didn’t have much time we decided to pop along for a quick visit to Finlarig Castle, which is on a road off to the right when you’re just about to leave Killin to head towards Kenmore.
Finlarig is castle ruins and while I find ruined castles far more interesting than the fancy well maintained type, it’s also a pretty . . . dark place to visit. Right next to the castle, for example, is a beheading pit. I remember seeing that for the first time and just thinking “oh my god!”
This time I wandered around, taking some photos and videos so I could do an Instagram reel, while the boyfriend disappeared off into the wood behind. Only at this point did I become how quiet it was and alone it felt next to these eerie ruins. Two seconds later, I heard a rustle in the trees near where the boyfriend had disappeared into and what I am pretty sure must have been a mountain hare came bounding out, about twenty feet away from me, and got the heck out of there. It was pretty cool, but I’m just glad I wasn’t in its path.
One wee note: when I say the castle is in ruins, I’m not exaggerating. While nothing is stopping you from visiting, a sign does warn that the castle is dangerous, so you may wish to take your pictures and explore from afar, and not get too close. Better safe than sorry after all!
I would definitely recommend a visit to Killin, you don’t have to be an avid hill-walker to enjoy it, even lazy gals like me love it!
Have you visited?
The Lazy Gal's Guide to Scotland 