Crianlarich
| |
|---|---|
 Church of Scotland, Crianlarich | |
  Crianlarich Location within theStirling council area | |
| Population | 185 (2001 Census) |
| OS grid reference | NN385062 |
| • Edinburgh | 63 mi (101 km) |
| • London | 384 mi (618 km) |
| Civil parish | |
| Council area | |
| Lieutenancy area | |
| Country | Scotland |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | CRIANLARICH |
| Postcode district | FK20 |
| Dialling code | 01838 |
| Police | Scotland |
| Fire | Scottish |
| Ambulance | Scottish |
| UK Parliament | |
| Scottish Parliament | |
| 56°23′38″N4°37′01″W / 56.394°N 4.617°W /56.394; -4.617 | |
Crianlarich (/ˌkriːənˈlærɪx/ ⓘ;Scottish Gaelic:A' Chrìon Làraich) is a village inStirling council area and in theregistration county ofPerthshire,Scotland, around 6 miles (10 km) north-east of the head ofLoch Lomond. The village bills itself as "the gateway to theHighlands".[citation needed]
The nameCrianlarich is derived probably from theGaelic meaning either "the wasted site" or "theaspen site" (c.f. Gaeliccritheann, "aspen").[1]
The village lies in the valley ofStrath Fillan at the north western extent of theTrossachs, in the shadow of severalMunro peaks, notablyBen More, but alsoStob Binnein andCruach Ardrain. Thus Crianlarich is very popular with hillwalkers. Also the village lies 40 miles (65 kilometres) along the long-distance footpath, theWest Highland Way.
Its location makes Crianlarich a popular stop for tourists and there are a variety of types of overnight accommodation including guesthouses, B&Bs, a youth hostel operated byHostelling Scotland,[2] and aBest Western hotel.
Crianlarich has been a major crossroads for north- and westbound journeys in Scotland sincemedieval times.
In the 1750s, twomilitary roads met in the village; in the 19th century, it became a railway junction on what is now theWest Highland Line; in the 20th century it became the meeting point of the majorA82 andA85 roads. As such, it is designated aprimary destination in Scotland, signposted from as far asGlasgow in the south,Perth in the east,Oban in the west andFort William in the north. In the 1960s there was even a direction sign for Crianlarich at Swiss Cottage at Camden in London. Since 2016 the A82 by-passes the centre of the village to avoid the low railway bridge.
The village is served byCrianlarich railway station located on theWest Highland Line. The routes toFort William/Mallaig andOban diverge after this station. Access to the platform is via a flight of stairs from a subway that runs underneath the tracks, from the car park which is slightly lower than the station itself.
It is also served by a Scottish Citylink coach service up to hourly from Glasgow going on about every two hours to either Oban or Fort William.
In 2001, the village had a population of 185.[3]
In nearbyGlen Dochart liesLochan Saorach, mentioned byThomas Pennant in 1769 on account of thefloating island it once contained.
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