From Bridge of Allan we took a walk down along the Allan Water. There's a great little path that winds through the wooded eastern bank and up & over a couple of tributaries. Rudy loves this sort of path where he can run ahead and back without anyone worrying that he'll get lost.
Ben Gunns Cave
Bridge of Allan has been a tourist destination from the very beginning of the railway. Robert Louis Stevenson visited the spa town as a child in the 1860s and his journals recount walks along the Allan Water. And that is why, Rudy was able to visit a little bit of Treasure Island! The cave here is said to be the inspiration for Ben Gunns Cave in the 1883 novel about pirates, buccaneers and buried gold. If Rudy looks a little anxious it's because someone teased him that pirates might steal his treats. He's never needed an x marking the spot to find buried treasure though!
The Darn Road
The Darn Road is an old pathway from Bridge of Allan to Dunblane that runs along near the Allan Water. It varies from a "behind the houses" alley, a countryside path, a woodland trail, and a stretch along the edge of Dunblane New Golf Course. The most interesting section is the best preserved of the old paved road bounded by dry stane dykes. It's a little tougher than we expected with lots of ups & downs and many overgrown & uneven stretches. And that's the excuse we used for a pub lunch at the Village Inn before the train home!
