The history of Glen Finglas and its relationship with people goes back thousands of years. Its most famous period was from the early 1300s to the 1700s when Glen Finglas was possibly the most popular of all royal hunting forests. David ii, robert ii, james i, ii, iii, iv and V and many important Scottish Earls hunted here. In particular, James II built a permanent hunting lodge in the glen.
Woodland historians also believe that this is one of the largest collections of ancient trees in Scotland. Hundreds of these veteran trees can be seen close to many of the trails.
John Ruskin was a regular visitor. His most famous portrait was painted at Brig O' Turk. Sir Walter Scott was similarly impressed and wrote poetically about the natural woodland of the area in the 1850s.
More recently, part of the glen was flooded to create a reservoir. A tunnel links it to nearby Loch Katrine. Both provide drinking water to millions of people who live in the city of Glasgow. When the reservoir was flooded the water covered old hay meadows and farmsteads. The remains of field walls can still be seen during periods of low water level.
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