You do not have permission to edit this page, for the following reasons:

This IP address has been blocked from editing Wikipedia.
This does not affect your ability to read Wikipedia pages.
Most people who see this message have done nothing wrong. Some kinds of blocks restrict editing from specific service providers or telecom companies in response to recent abuse or vandalism, and can sometimes affect other users who are unrelated to that abuse. Review the information below for assistance if you do not believe that you have done anything wrong.

The IP address or range 54.163.0.0/16 has been blocked (disabled) by ‪Blablubbs‬ for the following reason(s):

The IP address that you are currently using has been blocked because it is believed to be a web host provider or colocation provider. To prevent abuse, web hosts and colocation providers may be blocked from editing Wikipedia.
You will not be able to edit Wikipedia using a web host or colocation provider because it hides your IP address, much like a proxy or VPN.
We recommend that you attempt to use another connection to edit. For example, if you use a proxy or VPN to connect to the internet, turn it off when editing Wikipedia. If you edit using a mobile connection, try using a Wi-Fi connection, and vice versa. If you are using a corporate internet connection, switch to a different Wi-Fi network. If you have a Wikipedia account, please log in.
If you do not have any other way to edit Wikipedia, you will need to request an IP block exemption.

How to appeal if you are confident that your connection does not use a colocation provider's IP address:
If you are confident that you are not using a web host, you may appeal this block by adding the following text on your talk page: ((unblock|reason=Caught by a colocation web host block but this host or IP is not a web host. My IP address is _______. Place any further information here. ~~~~)). You must fill in the blank with your IP address for this block to be investigated. Your IP address can be determined here. Alternatively, if you wish to keep your IP address private you can use the unblock ticket request system. There are several reasons you might be editing using the IP address of a web host or colocation provider (such as if you are using VPN software or a business network); please use this method of appeal only if you think your IP address is in fact not a web host or colocation provider.

Administrators: The IP block exemption user right should only be applied to allow users to edit using web host in exceptional circumstances, and requests should usually be directed to the functionaries team via email. If you intend to give the IPBE user right, a CheckUser needs to take a look at the account. This can be requested most easily at SPI Quick Checkuser Requests. Unblocking an IP or IP range with this template is highly discouraged without at least contacting the blocking administrator.

This block will expire on 17:28, 10 March 2024.

Even when blocked, you will usually still be able to edit your user talk page, as well as email administrators and other editors.

For information on how to proceed, please read the FAQ for blocked users and the guideline on block appeals. The guide to appealing blocks may also be helpful.

Other useful links: Blocking policy · Help:I have been blocked
Your IP address is in a range that has been blocked on all Wikimedia Foundation wikis. The block was made by ‪Jon Kolbert‬. The reason given is Open proxy/Webhost: See the help page if you are affected .
- Start of block: 18:27, 12 November 2023
- Expiry of block: 18:27, 12 November 2028
Your current IP address is 54.163.179.242. The blocked range is 54.163.0.0/16. Please include all above details in any queries you make. If you believe you were blocked by mistake, you can find additional information and instructions in the No open proxies global policy. Otherwise, to discuss the block please post a request for review on Meta-Wiki. You could also send an email to the stewards VRT queue at stewards@wikimedia.org including all above details.

You can view and copy the source of this page:

((Use dmy dates|date=January 2023))
((infobox UK place
| country                          = Scotland
| static_image_name                = Main Street, Aberfoyle.jpg
| static_image_caption             = The main street in Aberfoyle
| coordinates                      = ((coord|56.179|-4.385|display=inline,title))
| official_name                    = Aberfoyle
| gaelic_name                      = Obar Phuill
| population                       = ((Scottish locality populations|name|POP=Aberfoyle))
| population_ref                   = (((United Kingdom statistics year|ScotSettlement)))<ref>((Scotland settlement population citation))</ref>
| civil_parish                     = Aberfoyle
| unitary_scotland                 = [[Stirling (district)|Stirling]]
| lieutenancy_scotland             = [[Stirling and Falkirk]]
| constituency_westminster         = [[Stirling (UK Parliament constituency)|Stirling]]
| constituency_scottish_parliament = [[Stirling (Scottish Parliament constituency)|Stirling]]
| post_town                        = STIRLING
| postcode_district                = FK8
| postcode_area                    = FK
| dial_code                        = 01877
| os_grid_reference                = NN518012
| edinburgh_distance_mi            = 49
| london_distance_mi               = 366
))

'''Aberfoyle''' (((lang-gd|Obar Phuill))) is a village in the [[Shires of Scotland|historic county]] and [[registration county]] of [[Perthshire]] and the council area of [[Stirling (council area)|Stirling]], [[Scotland]]. The settlement lies ((convert|27|mi|km|abbr=off)) northwest of [[Glasgow]].

The [[Civil parishes in Scotland|parish]] of Aberfoyle takes its name from this village, and had a population of 1,065 at the [[2011 United Kingdom census|2011 census]].<ref name= KS101SC_1>Census of Scotland 2011, Table KS101SC – Usual Resident Population, published by National Records of Scotland. Website http://www.scotlandscensus.gov.uk/ retrieved Apr 2018. See "Standard Outputs", Table KS101SC, Area type: Civil Parish 1930, Area: Aberfoyle</ref>

== Geography ==
The town is situated on the [[River Forth]] at the foot of [[Craigmore (hill)|Craigmore]] (((convert|387|m|ft|abbr=on|disp=or)) high). Since 1885, when the [[Duke of Montrose]] constructed a road over the eastern shoulder of Craigmore to join the older road at the entrance of the [[Trossachs]] pass, Aberfoyle has become the alternative route to the Trossachs and [[Loch Katrine]]; this road, known as the Duke's Road or [[Duke's Pass]], was opened to the public in 1931 when the [[Forestry Commission]] acquired the land.

[[Loch Ard]], about ((convert|2|mi|km|0|abbr=off)) west of Aberfoyle, lies ((convert|40|m|ft|-1|abbr=on)) above the sea. It is ((convert|3|mi|km|0|abbr=on)) long (including the narrows at the east end) and ((convert|1|mi|km|abbr=on|round=0.5)) broad. Towards the west end is Eilean Gorm (''the green isle''), and near the north-western shore are the falls of Ledard. The loch's northern shores are dominated by the mountain ridge of [[Beinn an Fhogharaidh]] (((convert|616|m|ft|abbr=on|disp=or))). ((convert|2|mi|km|0|abbr=off|spell=On)) northwest of Loch Ard is Loch Chon, at ((convert|90|m|ft|abbr=on|-1)) above the sea, ((convert|1+1/4|mi|km|0|abbr=on)) long and about ((convert|1/2|mi|m|abbr=on)) broad. It drains by the Avon Dhu to Loch Ard, which is drained in turn by the Forth.

== Toponym ==
Aberfoyle supposedly originates from the [[Brittonic languages|Brittonic]] [[Celtic languages|Celtic]], ''aber poll'' or ''aber phuill'' ([[Scottish Gaelic]], ((lang|gd|Obar Phuill))), meaning (place at the) mouth of the Phuill Burn (the Pow Burn enters the River Forth at Aberfoyle). Historically, alternative spellings such as ''Abirfull'', ''Aberfule'', ''Aberfoill'' and ''Aberfoil'' have been recorded before the current spelling became accepted by the 20th century.<ref>((cite thesis | type=PhD | last=McNiven | first=Peter E. | date=2011 | title=Gaelic place-names and the social history of Gaelic speakers in Medieval Menteith | publisher=University of Glasgow | url=http://theses.gla.ac.uk/2685/1/2011mcnivenphd.pdf |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/http://theses.gla.ac.uk/2685/1/2011mcnivenphd.pdf |archive-date=2022-10-09 |url-status=live))</ref> The river-name is from either Gaelic ''poll'' or Brittonic ''pol'', both of which mean 'pool, sluggish water'.<ref name=":0">((Cite book|last=Grant|first=Alison|url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/759569647|title=The Pocket Guide to Scottish Place-Names|date=2010|publisher=Richard Drew Ltd|isbn=978-1-899471-00-3|editor-last=Macleod|editor-first=Iseabail|location=Glasgow|pages=24|oclc=759569647))</ref>
[[File:Milepost on A81 - geograph.org.uk - 988577.jpg|thumbnail|An old milepost near Craigmaddie House. Notice the spelling of Aberfoyle.]]

==Industry==
The [[slate]] [[Quarry|quarries]] on Craigmore which operated from the 1820s to the 1950s are now defunct; at its peak this was a major industry. Other industries included an ironworks, established in the 1720s, as well as wool spinning and a lint mill.

From 1882 the village was served by [[Aberfoyle railway station]], the terminus of the [[Strathendrick and Aberfoyle Railway]] which connected to Glasgow via [[Dumbarton]] or [[Kirkintilloch]]. The station closed to passenger traffic in 1951, and the remaining freight services ceased in 1959.

The above industries have since died out, and Aberfoyle is supported mainly by the forestry, industry and tourism.<ref>((cite web| url = http://www.undiscoveredscotland.co.uk/aberfoyle/aberfoyle/index.html| title = Aberfoyle Feature Page on Undiscovered Scotland))</ref>

==Tourism==
Visitors were first attracted to Aberfoyle and the surrounding area after the publication of ''[[Lady of the Lake|The Lady of the Lake]]'' by [[Sir Walter Scott]] in 1810. The poem described the beauty of [[Loch Katrine]]. Aberfoyle describes itself as ''The Gateway to the Trossachs'', and is well situated for visitors to access attractions such as [[Loch Lomond]] and [[Inchmahome Priory]] at the [[Lake of Menteith]]. A tourist information office run by [[VisitScotland]] sits in the centre of town, offering free information, selling souvenirs and acting as a booking office for many of the local B&B's and hotels. Aberfoyle Golf Club was built in 1860 and is located just south of town near the Rob Roy restaurant. Aberfoyle is also part of the [[Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park]].<ref>((cite web| url = http://www.perthshire-scotland.co.uk/aberfoyle2.htm| title = About Aberfoyle| access-date = 25 December 2007| archive-date = 29 October 2008| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20081029023510/http://www.perthshire-scotland.co.uk/aberfoyle2.htm| url-status = dead))</ref>

Aberfoyle is also home to the largest [[Go Ape]] adventure course in the [[United Kingdom|UK]], featuring the longest [[zip-line|death slide, or 'zip-line']], in the UK.

==Historical figures==

((refimprove|section|date=May 2023))

[[File:The Old Kirk Graveyard in Aberfoyle.jpg|alt=Visit the grave of the Rev Robert Kirk at the The Old Kirk in Aberfoyle|thumb|220x220px|Visit the grave of the Rev Robert Kirk at the Old Kirk in Aberfoyle]]
Aberfoyle has connections to many historical figures such as [[Robert Roy MacGregor|Rob Roy]] and [[Mary, Queen of Scots]]. Robert Roy MacGregor was born at the head of nearby Loch Katrine, and his well-known cattle stealing exploits took him all around the area surrounding Aberfoyle. It is recorded, for example, that in 1691, the MacGregors raided every barn in the village of Kippen and stole all the villagers' livestock.<ref>((cite book|last=Hood|first=John|title=Old Aberfoyle, Thornhill and the Forth Villages|year=2000|publisher=Stenlake Publishing|location=Catrine, Ayrshire|isbn=9781840331103|page=3|url=http://www.stenlake.co.uk/books/view_book.php?ref=129|access-date=5 July 2013|archive-date=4 February 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140204043655/http://www.stenlake.co.uk/books/view_book.php?ref=129|url-status=dead))</ref> There currently stands a tree in the village that MacGregor was reputed to have climbed and hid in to escape the clutches of the law. Also, Mary, Queen of Scots, visited nearby Inchmahome Priory often as a child, and during her short reign. She also used the priory during her short reign, particularly in 1547, where she felt safe from the English Army.

However, the most local historical figure is the Reverend [[Robert Kirk (folklorist)|Robert Kirk]], born in 1644. It was the Rev. Kirk who provided the first translation into [[Scottish Gaelic]] of the [[Metrical Psalms]] and then the whole [[Christian Bible]],<ref>((cite web|url=http://www.scottish-places.info/parishes/parhistory617.html|title=Parish of Aberfoyle|publisher=Gazetteer for Scotland|access-date=1 July 2014))</ref> however, he is better remembered for the publication of his book ''"The Secret Commonwealth of Elves, Fauns, and Fairies"'' in 1691.<ref>((Cite book|last=Kirk|first=Robert|title=The Secret Commonwealth of Elves, Fauns, and Fairies|publisher=New York Review of Books Classics|date=30 November 2006|edition=hardcover|isbn=1-59017-177-2))</ref><ref>((cite web|url=http://www.sacred-texts.com/neu/celt/sce/|title=The Secret Commonwealth of Elves, Fauns, and Fairies|last=Hare|first=John Bruno|date=27 February 2004|access-date=14 August 2009))</ref> Kirk had long been researching [[Aos Sí|fairies]], and the book collected several personal accounts and stories of folk who claimed to have encountered them. It was after this, while Kirk was minister of Aberfoyle parish, that he died in unusual circumstances.

Kirk had long believed that the local Doon Hill was the gateway to the "Secret Commonwealth", or the [[Celtic Otherworld]]. It was a place that Kirk visited often, taking daily walks there from his manse. The story goes that the Fairies of Doon Hill were angry with the Rev. Kirk for going into the domain of the Unseelie court, where he had been warned not to go, and decided to imprison him in Doon Hill&nbsp;— for one night in May 1692, the Rev. Kirk went out for a walk to the hill, in his nightshirt. Some accounts claim that he simply vanished, however he suddenly collapsed. He was found and brought home, but died soon afterwards. He was buried in his own kirkyard, although local legends claim that the fairies took his body away, and the coffin contains only stones. The huge pine tree that still stands at the top of Doon Hill is said to contain Kirk's imprisoned spirit.

Kirk's cousin, Graham of Duchray, was later to claim that the spectre of Kirk had visited him in the night, and told him that he had been carried off into the [[Celtic Otherworld]]. Having left his widow pregnant, Kirk told Graham that he would appear at the [[Christian baptism|baptism]] of his unborn child. Graham was to throw an iron knife at the apparition, which would set Kirk free from his imprisonment by the fairies. However, when the Minister's spectre appeared at the baptism, Graham of Duchray, similarly to [[Orpheus]], was too shocked to throw the iron knife, and Kirk faded away forever.

Today, visitors to Doon Hill write their wishes on pieces of white silk, or other white cloth, and tie them to the branches of the trees for the [[Aos Sí|Good People]] to grant.

==Use in fiction==
*Aberfoyle was used as the location and [[Artistic inspiration|inspiration]] for the adventure novel "[[The Child of the Cavern|Les Indes noires]]" (English title: The Child of the Cavern) by [[Jules Verne]].
*The "Clachan of Aberfoil", then (in 1715) a small hamlet, plays a significant role in the second Volume of the novel [[Rob Roy (novel)|Rob Roy]] by [[Walter Scott]].
*Aberfoyle is where two grandfathers grew up in ''Shadow Land'' by [[Adam Wright author|Adam Wright]]. The grandfathers are the ancestors of two sub-characters who are related to [[Shellycoat]]s. In the book, it is surmised that people from Aberfoyle have a hint of the faerie in their blood.

==See also==
*[[List of places in Stirling (council area)]]

==References==
((reflist))

==External links==
((Commons category|Aberfoyle, Stirling))
* ((Cite EB1911|wstitle=Aberfoyle))
*[http://www.trossachs.co.uk/aberfoyle.php Read more about Aberfoyle and its history]

((Stirling Towns & Villages))

((authority control))

[[Category:Villages in Stirling (council area)]]
[[Category:Trossachs]]
[[Category:Highland Boundary Fault]]

Pages transcluded onto the current version of this page (help):

Aberfoyle, Stirling (edit)
Template:Ambox (view source) (template editor protected)
Template:Authority control (view source) (template editor protected)
Template:Auto link (view source) (template editor protected)
Template:Cite EB1911 (view source) (template editor protected)
Template:Cite book (view source) (protected)
Template:Cite encyclopedia (view source) (protected)
Template:Cite thesis (view source) (template editor protected)
Template:Cite web (view source) (protected)
Template:Cite wikisource/make link (view source) (template editor protected)
Template:Commons category (view source) (template editor protected)
Template:Convert (view source) (template editor protected)
Template:Coord (view source) (protected)
Template:DMCA (view source) (template editor protected)
Template:Dated maintenance category (view source) (template editor protected)
Template:Dated maintenance category (articles) (view source) (template editor protected)
Template:Delink (view source) (protected)
Template:Endflatlist (view source) (protected)
Template:FULLROOTPAGENAME (view source) (template editor protected)
Template:Find sources mainspace (view source) (template editor protected)
Template:Flatlist (view source) (protected)
Template:Fraction/styles.css (view source) (template editor protected)
Template:Gbm4ibx (view source) (template editor protected)
Template:Gbmappingsmall (view source) (template editor protected)
Template:Hlist/styles.css (view source) (protected)
Template:Infobox (view source) (template editor protected)
Template:Infobox UK place (view source) (template editor protected)
Template:Infobox UK place/dist (view source) (extended confirmed protected)
Template:Infobox UK place/local (view source) (template editor protected)
Template:Infobox UK place/styles.css (view source) (template editor protected)
Template:Lang (view source) (template editor protected)
Template:Lang-gd (view source) (template editor protected)
Template:Location map (view source) (template editor protected)
Template:Main other (view source) (protected)
Template:More citations needed (view source) (template editor protected)
Template:Navbox (view source) (template editor protected)
Template:Nobold (view source) (template editor protected)
Template:Nobold/styles.css (view source) (template editor protected)
Template:Ns has subpages (view source) (protected)
Template:Pagetype (view source) (protected)
Template:Plainlist/styles.css (view source) (protected)
Template:Refimprove (view source) (template editor protected)
Template:Reflist (view source) (protected)
Template:Reflist/styles.css (view source) (protected)
Template:Replace (view source) (protected)
Template:SDcat (view source) (protected)
Template:Scotland settlement population citation (view source) (semi-protected)
Template:Scottish locality populations (view source) (semi-protected)
Template:Short description (view source) (protected)
Template:Short description/lowercasecheck (view source) (protected)
Template:Side box (view source) (template editor protected)
Template:Sister project (view source) (template editor protected)
Template:Sp (view source) (template editor protected)
Template:Startflatlist (view source) (template editor protected)
Template:Stirling Settlements (edit)
Template:Stirling Towns & Villages (edit)
Template:Template other (view source) (protected)
Template:Unbulleted list (view source) (template editor protected)
Template:United Kingdom statistics year (view source) (semi-protected)
Template:Use dmy dates (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:Arguments (view source) (protected)
Module:Authority control (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:Authority control/config (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:Category handler (view source) (protected)
Module:Category handler/blacklist (view source) (protected)
Module:Category handler/config (view source) (protected)
Module:Category handler/data (view source) (protected)
Module:Category handler/shared (view source) (protected)
Module:Check for unknown parameters (view source) (protected)
Module:Citation/CS1 (view source) (protected)
Module:Citation/CS1/COinS (view source) (protected)
Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration (view source) (protected)
Module:Citation/CS1/Date validation (view source) (protected)
Module:Citation/CS1/Identifiers (view source) (protected)
Module:Citation/CS1/Utilities (view source) (protected)
Module:Citation/CS1/Whitelist (view source) (protected)
Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css (view source) (protected)
Module:Convert (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:Convert/data (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:Convert/helper (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:Convert/text (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:ConvertNumeric (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:Coordinates (view source) (protected)
Module:Coordinates/styles.css (view source) (protected)
Module:Delink (view source) (protected)
Module:Disambiguation/templates (view source) (protected)
Module:EditAtWikidata (view source) (protected)
Module:Exponential search (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:Find sources (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:Find sources/config (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:Find sources/links (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:Find sources/templates/Find sources mainspace (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:Infobox (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:Infobox/styles.css (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:InfoboxImage (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:Lang (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:Lang/ISO 639 synonyms (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:Lang/data (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:Language/data/iana languages (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:Language/data/iana regions (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:Language/data/iana scripts (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:Language/data/iana suppressed scripts (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:Language/data/iana variants (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:List (view source) (protected)
Module:Location map (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:Location map/data/Scotland Stirling (edit)
Module:Location map/styles.css (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:Math (view source) (protected)
Module:Message box (view source) (protected)
Module:Message box/ambox.css (view source) (protected)
Module:Message box/configuration (view source) (protected)
Module:Namespace detect/config (view source) (protected)
Module:Namespace detect/data (view source) (protected)
Module:Navbar (view source) (protected)
Module:Navbar/configuration (view source) (protected)
Module:Navbar/styles.css (view source) (protected)
Module:Navbox (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:Navbox/configuration (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:Navbox/styles.css (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:Ns has subpages (view source) (protected)
Module:Ordnance Survey coordinates (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:Pagetype (view source) (protected)
Module:Pagetype/config (view source) (protected)
Module:Pagetype/disambiguation (view source) (protected)
Module:Pagetype/setindex (view source) (protected)
Module:Pagetype/softredirect (view source) (protected)
Module:SDcat (view source) (protected)
Module:Side box (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:Side box/styles.css (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:String (view source) (protected)
Module:TableTools (view source) (protected)
Module:Tabular data (view source) (semi-protected)
Module:Template wrapper (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:Unicode data (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:Unicode data/scripts (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:Unsubst (view source) (protected)
Module:WikidataIB (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:WikidataIB/nolinks (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:WikidataIB/titleformats (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:Wikitext Parsing (view source) (protected)
Module:Yesno (view source) (protected)

Return to Aberfoyle, Stirling.

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aberfoyle,_Stirling"