Callander
Trossachs town on the River Teith
Verdict
Go if you want a Trossachs base with walks, shops and cafes close together.
Skip if you want to be on Loch Lomond itself. Read up on Callander car parks and fill times before you drive in.
- Callander car parks. Stirling Council pay and display, Monday to Sunday 8:45am to 5pm. Check the machine for today’s charges.
- All-day parking
- £6
- Pay and display
- 7 days
- Ben Ledi parking
- Free
- Explorer bus
- 4/day
Fine weekends and school holidays are the busy times, and the free Ben Ledi car park fills first. Weekdays and early mornings are easier.
Callander in photos
Is Callander worth it?
Callander is worth it if you want a Trossachs base rather than a loch-shore village. It is a town, set beneath wooded crags on the River Teith, and Ben Ledi is a short drive north. It is not on Loch Lomond. Still choosing? Compare every base around the park.
Go if you want
A Trossachs day with a hill in the morning and lunch in a town. Ben Ledi starts from a free car park off the A84, and Callander is the nearest town for toilets, shops and cafes.
Think twice if you want
The loch shore, or a village with a quiet harbour. Check when to visit before you pick a hill day. Bringing a tent? The park’s permit season runs from 1 March to 30 September, so read camping near Callander first.
Parking & getting there
Callander car parks (Stirling Council)
- Operator
- Stirling Council, pay and display
- Car parks
- Riverside, Station Road and Riverside Meadows
- Price
- 2 hours £3; 4 hours £4; all day £6. Check the machine for today’s rates.
- Charging hours
- Monday to Sunday 8:45am to 5pm. Check the signs.
- Toilets
- The National Park lists Station Road toilets as open 8am to 6pm, seven days, with accessible and baby changing. That page dates from about 2021, so check on the day.
- Ben Ledi car park
- Free, off the A84 (postcode FK17 8HF). Forestry and Land Scotland says it gets very busy on summer weekends.
Last checked 12 Oct 2026
Car-free
The Trossachs Explorer links Aberfoyle and Callander, with four return journeys a day since it relaunched on 29 June 2026. Bus C60 (Stirling Council) runs from Killin to Callander via Kilmahog, Strathyre and Lochearnhead, and Ember E4 coaches between Edinburgh and Fort William stop here too. We have not recorded times, so check Traveline Scotland on the day. For the wider picture, see train, bus and waterbus options.
When it is busy
Editorial estimate of a typical summer day, not measured counts. No fill times are published for these car parks.
| Day | 9:00 | 10:00 | 11:00 | 12:00 | 13:00 | 14:00 | 15:00 | 16:00 | 17:00 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weekday | Quiet | Quiet | Steady | Steady | Steady | Steady | Steady | Quiet | Quiet |
| Saturday | Quiet | Steady | Steady | Steady | Busy | Busy | Steady | Steady | Quiet |
| Sunday | Quiet | Steady | Steady | Steady | Busy | Busy | Steady | Steady | Quiet |
Q QuietS SteadyB BusyF Car park full
Tip: arrive before 10:00 on a fine weekend if you are heading for Ben Ledi, or take the bus. Council car parks charge seven days a week from 8:45am.
Things to do in Callander
-
Ben Ledi
The hill above Loch Lubnaig, reached from the free car park off the A84 north of Kilmahog. The summit has a cairn built in 1887 and an iron cross, with views to Loch Lubnaig, Loch Venachar, Ben Lomond and the Arrochar Alps. Treat it as a proper hill day, and read the Ben Ledi route guide for the path and timings.
-
Bracklinn Falls
A waterfall walk on the edge of Callander. We have no verified distance or time yet, so use the Bracklinn Falls route, parking and timings guide before you set off.
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Ben A’an
A well-known Trossachs summit a drive west of Callander, not on the town’s doorstep. Allow a separate trip, and look at Ben A’an on foot for the route.
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Loch Venachar
The loch lies just west of the town and shows up in the views from Ben Ledi. See what to expect at Loch Venachar for access and the quieter spots.
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Main Street and Dr Finlay’s Casebook
The BBC series Dr Finlay’s Casebook, which ran from 1962 to 1971, used Callander as the fictional town of Tannochbrae. A stroll along Main Street is the easy way to see it.
1 hour, 3 hours or a full day
1 hour
A quick stop (suggested timings)
- 0:00 Park in a council car park. Two hours costs £3, and charging runs seven days a week.
- 0:10 Walk Main Street and the shops.
- 0:45 Back to the car with time in hand on the ticket.
3 hours
Town and a short walk
- 0:00 Park for four hours (£4) so you are not watching the clock.
- 0:15 Walk to the River Teith and back through town.
- 2:00 Lunch on Main Street. Check opening hours before you plan around a meal.
A full day
Ben Ledi and the town
- 9:00 Arrive at the free Ben Ledi car park early. It gets very busy on summer weekends.
- 9:30 Climb Ben Ledi. Check the weather first, and allow a full morning or more.
- 14:00 Back to Callander for food. If you left the car in town instead, all day is £6.
Eat & drink
-
Cafes and restaurants
Expect a range of cafes and restaurants on and around Main Street, but we have not verified names or hours. Our guide to eating out in Callander has more.
-
Shops and picnic
The nearest public toilets, shops and cafes for the Ben Ledi car park are in Callander or in Strathyre to the north. Stock up before a hill day.
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Pubs
Expect a few pubs on and around Main Street. Opening hours change by season, so check before you go.
Where to stay in Callander
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See Callander first
Questions people ask
What was filmed in Callander?
The BBC series Dr Finlay’s Casebook, which ran from 1962 to 1971, was mostly filmed in Callander, which stood in for the fictional town of Tannochbrae. Some scenes were shot elsewhere, including Kilbarchan.
Is Callander on Loch Lomond?
No. Callander is on the River Teith and the A84, west of Stirling, in the Trossachs part of the National Park. For the loch shore itself, choose a village such as Balmaha or Luss.
Where do I park for Ben Ledi?
In the free Forestry and Land Scotland car park off the A84, postcode FK17 8HF, between Kilmahog and the south end of Loch Lubnaig. It gets very busy on summer weekends.
How much is parking in Callander?
In the council car parks (Riverside, Station Road and Riverside Meadows) it is 2 hours £3, 4 hours £4 and all day £6. Pay and display runs Monday to Sunday 8:45am to 5pm, so check the machine.
How do I get to Callander without a car?
By bus. The Trossachs Explorer links Aberfoyle and Callander, bus C60 runs from Killin via Strathyre, and Ember E4 coaches stop on the Edinburgh to Fort William run. Check Traveline Scotland for times.
Does Callander have public toilets?
Yes. The National Park lists toilets at Station Road, open 8am to 6pm seven days a week. That listing is about five years old, so check before you rely on it.
Is there a town called Calendar in Scotland?
No. The Trossachs town is spelt Callander, with two Ls. It stands on the River Teith and the A84, west of Stirling.
How do you pronounce Callander?
Say "KAL-un-der". The spelling is Callander, not Calendar.
Nearby places
- North on the A84StrathyreThe next village north, with the nearest public toilets, shops and cafes to the Ben Ledi car park on that side.
- On the Trossachs Explorer routeAberfoyleThe other end of the Trossachs Explorer bus route from Callander.
- On the C60 bus routeLochearnheadA village on bus C60 between Callander and Killin.
- RelatedWalksMore routes to pick from, from short strolls to hill days.
- RelatedGolfCourses near Loch Lomond, if you want a round between hill days.
- RelatedThe TrossachsThe wider Trossachs area around Callander.