Bracklinn Falls: Waterfalls, General Falls and Getting Lost

Not all walks go to plan and todays post is about one of them. This is what happens when you don't follow the map... Enjoy.

We started with the intention of going to Bracklinn Falls, just outside of Callander. The walk is meant to start from a forestry commision car park which is accessed from the East end of Callander. We parked in the main car park, near the toilets and coach stop in Callander so with the help of a local woman got to the Forestry car park after a 15min walk. From here there is a gentle uphill walk to the Falls. This is a simple route that was very busy the day we went with families and dog walkers. We followed the path and shortly got to the beautiful Bracklinn Falls. A bridge has recently been build over the bottom of the waterfall which gives a great vantage point of the river below. There are also large rocks that you can climb on to get closer to the water. Just make sure your shoes are tied tight- we spotted a lost shoe on one of the far out rocks!

From here we crossed the bridge and continued a rough path that followed the curve of the river. The path was close to the edge of the cliff with a lot of plants and tree trunks crossing the route. Then, we got to a dead end. The route leads to a large fence with a farmers field on the other side. We did consider climbing the fence but there was also barbed wire so decided (as we didn't really know where the field would lead, or what it contained) to retrace our steps.

Back on the right side of the waterfall we walked back up the hill and again left the path. This time we took a wild turn into the forest on the left. We wandered through a forest path a while and noticed the route had been recently cleared, and partly changed by a large truck. This is where my memory of the route gets a little fuzzy but at some point we ended up walking through some tress and coming out on the edge of a large ditch. A LARGE ditch. We had come this far so why not try to get down the very steep, very large ditch? Lets just say I got some very muddy trousers...

 

From here we continued the path until we passed a caravan park, some houses, some sheep then back on a straight footpath back into Callander past some newly built houses, and back to the carpark.

We managed to create a circular walk (the sign of any good walk) but there were a few ad-libbed moments, but we enjoyed it and got a good 4 hours of walking done! The weather was also beautiful and we rewarded ourselves with a chippy on the side of the river in Callander. An eventful and amusing Sunday walk!

The Facts on this Walk (around Bracklinn Falls, Callander and some forest):

• Starting point can be wherever you want... we started in the main car park in Callander which you need to pay for. For Bracklinn Falls you can park in the Forestry Commission car park.
• Nearest toilets are in Callander car park which are free.
• Walk is however long you are willing to walk for! I think we done around 6 miles (but it could be a lot more...)
• Time is also variable. We walked for 4 hours.
• Difficult points: deciding what point of the route you want to artistically change to add some excitement.
• Wear: I recommend trousers if you decide to dive some ditches. Maybe something you can tie round your waste to hide the mud marks on your trousers.
• Perfect for anyone with a sense of adventure!