Inversnaid.

A once popular poem by William Wordsworth called 'To the Highland Girl of Inversnaid', made the hamlet famous in Britain. The poem ends with the words, 'The lake, the bay, the waterfall, And thee, the spirit of them all!' The lake refers to Loch Lomond, and the waterfall refers to the 'Falls of Inversnaid', which are worth a visit.

When Rob Roy took a wife, Mary (Helen) MacGregor who lived with her uncle in the hills above the village, the Clan Chief granted him land at Inversnaid where the young couple settled. When he was outlawed, Rob Roy began his campaign of lifting cattle, stealing rents and returning them to the poor; as well as driving away the factors sent to evict those in arrears through out the area. A mile to the north on the WHW route, is a small cave used by Rob Roy during his hunted years, but many years before, in 1306, Robert the Bruce hid in the same cave. The cave is still used today - by the wild goats. To police the highland clans, the 'Garrison of Inversnaid' was built in 1719 at Snaid Burn ( Snaid Stream ), but the MacGregor’s got into the regular habit of destroying it every few years. Today a farm stands on the site. There is pleasant countryside all around Inversnaid and beautiful views across the Loch to the Arrochar Hills, nicknamed the 'Arrochar Alps', on the western shore of Loch Lomond.

The RSPB has a reserve at Inversnaid where many species of bird can be viewed.

Accommodation info for Inversbaid is on the | Over-night | page.

If this interests you, a related page is at | WHW Towns |


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