Park Stories

Centuries of Stories in Loch Lomond & Trossachs

An important element in the Gaelic culture that once dominated the upland areas of the National Park was its oral traditions –the songs and stories that were handed down through the generations and helped define the clan, the community and even the landscape itself.

Every island on Loch Lomond, every hill pass through the Trossachs, every headland on the sea-lochs to the west had its own associations and tales. Though some are lost there are still echoes of old stories: tales of, for example, the water-bull of Loch Katrine; the fire-worship practiced in Glen Finglas that survived, some say, till modern times; or the secret ways used by the whisky smugglers and even the derring- do of Rob Roy’s escapes from the authorities. All these have their part still in the special cultural heritage of Scotland’s first National Park.

Click links below to learn about just a few of the events and stories that have helped shape the cultural heritage of the Loch Lomond and Trossachs area.