Contact Info
Kenmore Hotel
The Square
Kenmore
PH15 2NU

Opening Hours
Breakfast: 0800 - 1000
Lunch: 1000 - 1800
Dinner: 1800 - 2145

Credit cards accepted
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Contact
Telephone:
01887 830 205
Fax:
01887 830 262
E:mail
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Set in the heart of Scotland, deep within Rob Roy country, there are many tales of this area – glorious victories, gruesome murders and mysterious happenings. These are some of the tales that enriches the Scottish Highland soil…

Robert Burns' Poem
In 1789 the famous Scottish Bard "Rabbie Burns" visited Kenmore and Kenmore Hotel. According to folklore he was so overcome by the breathtaking beauty of the area, and the excellent refreshments of the hotel, he felt the need to translate his thoughts into poetry. And to honor Kenmore Hotel, and the village, he wrote the poem on the chimneybreast of our resident's bar. That's why the bar is called The Poet's bar.

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Old Yew Tree
The old yew tree at Fortingal has played a large role in history. In the Middle Ages soldiers would break branches off to make bows. Later, once the bows were not longer used in battle, the local tradesmen would use the wood of the tree to make handles for tools.

An ancient pagan custom of lighting the Beltaine fire at its roots caused the trunk to split apart and the gap widened. In 1769 it was noted that the middle part was joined at 3 feet. At the end of the century "you could drive a coach and four through the middle".

People came from near and far to see this great tree and began to take bits of the tree as souvenirs. In the end a wall was built around it to preserve it and you can still see the tree today in Fortingall churchyard. It is the oldest tree in Europe and is believed to be older than Christianity at 3000 years old.

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The Old Woman of Cailliche
Glen Callich is known as the old woman's glen. She is a mystical woman who never grows old but seems to be blessed with eternal life. Every year when the folk arrived up the glen with their cattle, the first thing they would do is thatch her cottage before starting on their own. When October came around they would seal up all the holes in her roof to make the cottage cozy for her over the winter month. If she was displeased, the crops failed and disease among the cattle uncannily seamed to happen. Even after people began to move out of the glens over to Canada, America and New Zealand, the remaining folk would still re-thatch her cottage and make sure she was happy.

You can still go and see her today She has five children at the present time, one for every hundred years. The baby is still very small but the local people are sure it is growing. That alone is surprising as they are stone, heavy stones in a weird dumbbell shape. The old lady is the biggest one and in a certain light you could almost swear she takes on a human form.

Still to this day, the family are brought out of the cottage in the summer and put back in the cottage in the winter.

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Rob Roy McGregor
The most famous of all the McGregors is Rob Roy McGregor He lived near Killin and the foundations and a sturdy gable of his house is still visible eight miles west of Killin. He was born in Glen Dochart at Portnellan and was "a huge man with long arms".

He was a formidable swordsman and Graham of Killearn the Duke of Montrose's factor found out to his shame. He went to arrest him at the inn at Crianlarich and locking the outside door he sent his mounted guards inside to get him. But he had miscalculated because only one soldier could get through the door at a time and when he got through the doorway himself, he saw five wounded men lying in a heap.

He was a great one for practical jokes. Once while at the inn in Tyndrum, whilst the hunt for him was at its highest, he dressed as a beggar and offered to help the soldiers search for the infamous Rob Roy. He led then up the glen and proved to be a most considerate guide as he carried them two at a time across the Dalrie ford. When he got to Crianlarich he warned that in order to get into Mcgregor's house they should approach with care and only go two at a time. He said he would go ahead to make sure that all was peaceful. The soldiers arrived two by two and he disarmed them as they arrived. They stayed over night in his house and in the morning he gave them a hearty breakfast before sending them home without their weapons.

In 1734 he died in Inverloch Larig Beag six miles east of Balquidder church. On his deathbed he renounced all his wicked deeds and even after much urging from his priest, forgave his enemies. By even as he forgave them he hissed to his son Robin Og: "Look you to them!". Robin Og was later hanged in the Grassmarket in Edinburgh, but it was not through getting even with his father's enemies, it was for that Highland Pastime, he helped abduct a girl...

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