Callander
| Callander Gaelic: Calasraid | |
| Perthshire | |
|---|---|
 Ancaster Square, Callander | |
| Location | |
| Grid reference: | NN628079 |
| Location: | 56°14’39"N, 4°12’52"W |
| Data | |
| Population: | 2,754 (2001) |
| Post town: | Callander |
| Postcode: | FK17 |
| Dialling code: | 01877 |
| Local Government | |
| Council: | Stirling |
Callander is a burgh in Perthshire, standing on the River Teith, which has given its name to this western part of Perthshire; Menteith. Callander is a popular tourist stop to and from the Highlands.
The town serves as the eastern gateway to the Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park, the first National Park established in Scotland. Due to its location it is often referred to as the "Gateway to the Highlands".[1] The former St. Kessog's Church is now the Rob Roy Centre, offering tourist information for the area.
Lie of the land
Dominating the town to the north are the Callander Crags, a visible part of the Highland Boundary Fault, rising to 1,125 feet at the cairn.[2] Local walks include Bracklinn Falls, The Meadows, Callander Crags and the Wood Walks.[3] The town sits on the Trossachs Bird of Prey Trail.[4]
Callander railway station opened on 1 June 1870 and closed on 5 November 1965. The former Callander and Oban Railway line is now part of the National Cycle Network (route 7)[5] and the Rob Roy Way.[6]
Callander achieved prominence during the 1960s as the setting "Tannochbrae" in the television series Dr Finlay's Casebook.
Annual festivals
- Callander World Highland Games (30 - 31 July 2011) [7]
- Trossachs Beer Festival (26 August - 4 September 2011) [8]
- Callander Jazz & Blues Festival (30 September - 2 October 2011) [9]
Trivia
- The second to last person to be tried and imprisoned for the crime of witchcraft in the British Isles was Helen Duncan, from Callander, during the Second World War
- Track from the dismantled Callander and Oban Railway was used in the construction of the transit system for the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City[10]
Outside links
References
- ↑ Gazetteer Link
- ↑ Ordnance Survey - Callander Crags
- ↑ Callander and Local Area walks
- ↑ Trossachs Bird of Prey Trail
- ↑ National Cycle Network
- ↑ Rob Roy Way
- ↑ Callander World Highland Games
- ↑ Trossachs Beer Festival
- ↑ Callander Jazz & Blues Festival
- ↑ History of the Railways of the Scottish Highlands: Callander and Oban Railway v. 4 (Railways of the Scottish Highlands); John Thomas and John Farrington. House of Lochar; 2 Rev Ed edition (May 1990)