THE pub where legendary Scottish outlaw Rob Roy enjoyed a drink is on the market for £285,000.
Keeper’s Cottage in Balquhidder, Perthshire, dates from the 17th century and is situated in the town where the ‘Scottish Robin Hood’ lived and died.
Rob Roy MacGregor joined the Jacobite rising with his father, Donald, when he was just a teenager and was later considered a hero in the highlands for stealing cattle from lowland areas during a period of starvation.
His story was immortalised by Liam Neeson on the big screen and told in Sir Walter Scott’s famous 1817 novel, ‘Rob Roy’.
Now, his ‘local’ is on sale and has been renovated into a four bedroom cottage which comes with its own private garden through which the nearby Kirkton Bank flows through.
The cottage was originally the local inn for the Stronvar Estate but has been a residential property for many years and comes with family comforts such as a double garage and utility room.
It also boasts stunning views of the Loch Lomond & Trossachs National Park which is connected to the house via a footbridge over the Kirkton Burn.
A feature stone wall has been built in the enclosed garden which also contains a ‘drying green’ and rear porch with private decking area.
There are also solar panels on the roof to provide the cottage with additional hot water.
The Duke of Montrose captured Rob Roy in in Balquhidder in 1717, however, the outlaw made his escape on the River Forth as he was taken to Stirling Castle.
He was eventually captured again in by the Duke of Atholl and imprisoned in Logierait but again escaped.
He then moved to Balquhidder in 1720 and remained there until his death in 1734, aged 63.
His grave remains at Balquhidder Church Cemetery to this today, alongside those of his wife and two sons, and is visited by thousands each year.
Chris Hall, the selling agent for Retties who are advertising the property, said: “Unless Rob Roy was teetotal, he’ll have been in there for a drink.
“It was the local inn in those days, right in the place where he lived.”
A spokeswoman for Retties said: “To this day, his name is associated with wild romantic exploits and Rob Roy can still evoke passion.
“Now a property that this ‘Scottish Robin Hood’ may have visited is for sale in the Perthshire village where he lived and died.
“Keeper’s Cottage is a deceptively spacious old house on the banks of the Kirkton Burn,which dates from the 17th century, has a large living room, a kitchen which is semi open plan to the dining room, utility room, two bedrooms and a bathroom on the ground floor.”
Rob Roy MacGregor later became a respected cattleman but later lost his money and cattle and defaulted on a loan, for which he was made an outlaw.
He died in his house at Inverlochlarig Beg, Balquhidder, on December 28, 1734.
The story of his life has been told in numerous films including a 1953 film created by Walt Disney Productions and a 1995 film called Rob Roy which starred Liam Neeson.
