Roderick Dhu Lookout Tower at Loch Katrine

Opened in August 2024, the Lookout Tower at Roderick Dhu stands as a testament to four years of careful planning and a meticulous vision. This bespoke structure, conceived with a commitment to minimising it’s environmental impact, draws inspiration from the storied legacy of the original Roderick Dhu watch tower. Nestled at the head of Loch Katrine, this location once served as a vantage point for the legendary outlaw and clan chief Rob Roy MacGregor, who used it to surveil the advancing Redcoats.

The year 1810 marked a pivotal moment in Scottish history with Sir Walter Scott's *Lady of the Lake* written in homage of Loch Katrine and the surrounding landscape. These acclaimed works put Loch Katrine on the map, with huge visitor numbers flocking to the site to witness it’s beauty for themselves, which is now considered to be the birth of Scottish tourism.

Project Development

Our brief for this project was to create a sensitive and appropriate tribute to this rich narrative while adhering to the strict conservation requirements of the unspoiled landscape.

Embracing the ethos of the National Scenic Routes initiative, the vision for the structure aimed to harmonise with the landscape, enhancing its inherent beauty. The structure respects the delicate ecology of the National Park, fostering an environment where visitors can engage with its historical and natural significance, with minimal impact on the surrounding environment.

“So wondrous wild the whole might seem, the scenery of a fairy dream.”

The poem and its historic link to Loch Katrine were a constant inspiration and guideline throughout the process. 

Following example of the architecturally led precedent projects in the wider National Park and beyond, a clean and contemporary form allows the structure to blend into the natural environment, aiming to enhance rather than detract from the landscape. The design incorporates scorched timber to honour Roderick Dhu’s Gaelic name, ‘Dhu,’ meaning ‘black, whilst the simple cylindrical form echoes the Victorian paintings of the original Watchtower, elegantly responding to the undulations of the hilltop. 

The main body of the tower nestles into a low hollow allowing users to journey up through the structure to access higher, more exposed areas of the site. It is both a visual and experiential reward for those that have ventured up the reinstated Victorian pathway, providing not only a stunning vista over Loch Katrine and the Trossachs, but also a magical place for some quiet contemplation.

Construction of The Tower

Onsite construction commenced with a carefully coordinated helicopter airlift of all of the materials needed to form the foundations and complete the initial site preparation.

Given the sensitive environment, we took great care throughout the project to protect it. A second airlift carried all of the steel segments and the timber skin of the new scenic viewing tower to the summit from a nearby field next to the adjacent Loch Achray. The steel frame itself was lowered into place by the helicopter, before being assembled and honed in-situ by our CAP.CO team over the preceding weeks.

The Lookout Tower is freely accessible from Trossachs Pier car park via a newly instated 200m hand-built stone pathway. Although the ascent is steep, the breathtaking views of Loch Katrine and the Trossachs await those who make the journey, offering a moment of contemplation amidst the site of significant Scottish heritage.