It doesn’t matter whether you visit England, Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland, every part of the UK has areas that are wonderfully beautiful; parts of the country that make you simply stand and stare in awe at the natural landscape, the quietness and the stillness of the area.
And yet although the Lake District in England, Brecon Beacons in Wales and the Causeway Coast in Northern Ireland are all without doubt gems in their respective country’s crown, the Trossachs in Scotland is without question one of the most serene and stunning part of the whole UK, trouncing its competitors in various respects.
Woodland and Water
A woodland and water area in the southern part of Scotland. the Trossachs is now encompassed within the Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park, covering over 700 square miles. The area itself is situated between Ben A’an to the north, Loch Achray to the east, Ben Venue to the south and Loch Katrine to the west, making it fully encompassed by complete natural beauty.
Full of wildlife and enough development to make it a fantastic place to stay, but refined enough that the development doesn’t impact upon the natural wonder of the area, the Trossachs is a place that Queen Victoria once expressed such delight for that a holiday house was built especially for her (although it was never used for its intended purpose – he building came to be used by employees of the Scottish water system).
Popular with everyone from walkers and photographers to artists and simply those looking to break the monotony of busy, stressful, everyday life, the Trossachs laid somewhat dormant, unvisited and unknown by many except the immediate local population until the start of the 19th century.
Lady of the Lake
Already famous at the time, Scottish writer Sir Walter Scott published his popular ‘Lady Of The Lake’ poem in 1810 and essentially promoted numerous locations within the Trossachs, helping to raise the profile of the area tremendously.
A visit to this part of Scotland, particularly with an early morning or early evening trip outside, will make you soon realise why the area is such a beloved one in Scotland – it’s simply so peaceful.
It’s a popular destination with tourists because of its beauty, and one that’s happily respected by visitors – there never appears to be loud crowds disrupting the peace or masses of tourists causing each other headaches.
It’s the same when it comes to its more modern popularity in terms of film and TV, too, as the Trossachs and the surrounding areas are well known as popular locations for programme and film shooting for films such as Monty Python and the Holy Grail. Despite this, it’s always a quiet and relaxed location and one of those parts of the world that can take you away to another time.
Which is arguably why it’s such a famed part of Scotland. The Trossachs is important in terms of historical myths and legends, with an abundance of stories gripping old and young alike, from the infamous Rob Roy Macgregor (often seen as Scotland’s own Robin Hood) to the Battle of Bannockburn of 1314, one of the most famed Scottish battles of all time.
The Trossachs is beautiful. It’s otherworldly and it’s gloriously stunning -there are simply no two ways about it!
Is it the most serene part of the UK? We certainly think it could be, but the only way you can find out for yourself is to make a trip – and that’s something we’d strongly recommend anyone does.
Sharon writes for Cottages and Castles, which offers accommodation for holiday cottages in the Trossachs.
