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An excellent base for walking,
cycling, sailing and fly-fishing, Aberfoyle, which
sits on the upper reaches of the Forth, is the
southern gateway to The Trossachs. It sits close
the forest of Loch Ard, the Queen Elizabeth Forest
Park and the Lake of Monteith.
It was little more than an isolated Highland
village until the end of the 18th century but was
made famous through the novels of Sir Walter Scott
who stayed at the Old Manse and saw most of the
surrounding countryside from horseback.
At one time the town was a key
centre for slate quarrying. At its peak more than
one million roof slates were produced each year.
A ferry takes visitors to the
island of Inchmahome where a ruined Augustine
priory sheltered the young Mary, Queen of Scots,
as she fled for her life in 1547. To the north is
the Duke's Road, which takes travellers over the
hills to Loch Achray and into the heart of The
Trossachs. Built by the Duke of Montrose around
1810, it was only opened to the public in 1931.
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