Day 1 – Friday
We depart from our designated pick up points (rail/air travel to and overnight accommodation in Glasgow, Edinburgh or Perth is available on request) and drive to the Ayrshire coast and Largs, from where we make the 10 minute ferry crossing to Great Cumbrae. The main attractions of this little island, with a circumference of only 10 miles, are the delightful township of Millport and, situated in wooded grounds behind it, the Cathedral of the Isles. Designed by the architect William Butterfield for the sixth Lord Glasgow and opened in 1851, the complex comprises a church; college buildings and accommodation; a chapter house and cloister, all of which are used today for their original purposes. The cathedral may be Europe’s smallest, but once inside the attention is immediately drawn to the remarkable height of the ceilings; the excellence of the workmanship; the attention to detail and beauty of the décor. This is particularly evident in the choir, which is intricately decorated with multi-coloured tiling contrasting with dark wood fixtures.
After returning to the mainland we drive north to Gourock for the 20 minute sailing to Dunoon, a pleasant seaside resort with views over the Firth of Clyde and the Argyll hills. We stay for three nights in the Esplanade Hotel, well situated on the town’s traffic-free West Bay Promenade. All rooms are en-suite with TV and hospitality tray.
Dinner will be served in the hotel this evening.
Day 2 - Saturday
After breakfast this morning we drive through the scenic Argyll Forest Park and loop around the Cowal peninsula to Colintraive, where we make the 5 minute crossing of the Kyles (narrows) of Bute to Rhubodach. Our first visit will be to the spectacular gardens of Mount Stuart, which were only opened to the general public for the first time in June 1995. Mount Stuart, the venue for Stella McCartney’s wedding, is one of the largest, most spectacular High Victorian Gothic houses in Britain and yet one of the least known. The 300 acres of stunning woodlands and gardens are a real treasure trove for the garden enthusiast. The temperate effect of the Gulf Stream on Bute ensures that there are always many exotic plants, palm trees and Mediterranean blooms to be seen here. A pavilion glasshouse in the grounds nurtures rare species from the tropical rain forests of south-east Asia, while native British plants thrive in the fertile soils and mild climate.
Thereafter we visit Ascog Hall Fernery. In the secluded and long neglected gardens of Ascog Hall a sunken fernery with beautiful rock work and water pools was found. Even in its dilapidated state, the potential was spotted and it has now been carefully refurbished with an impressive collection of ferns researched by the Royal Botanic Gardens in Edinburgh. Open to the public for the first time only recently, this unique fern house is a joy to behold. It offers a rare opportunity to glimpse a bygone era and is a tribute to the imagination and ingenuity of Alexander Bannatyne Stuart, a former owner of Ascog Hall in Victorian times, whose passion for collecting exotic ferns inspired him in his endeavour to replicate a tiny fragment of sub-tropical jungle on a small Scottish island.
Later we return by ferry to Colintraive and back to our hotel, where dinner is served in the evening.
Day 3 - Sunday
This morning, following breakfast, we cross to Gourock then drive south to Ardrossan for the one hour sailing to Arran. We include a visit to Brodick Castle and Gardens, occupying a splendid position looking east across the Firth of Clyde. The castle contains, among many other artefacts, a large portion of the extraordinary art collection of the colourful and fabulously wealthy William Beckford. The present garden dates from 1932, when the Duchess of Montrose started an ambitious woodland garden with a collection of rhododendrons. From the castle, paths wind downhill towards the seashore and in a shady place there is a fernery and a delightful Bavarian summer house embellished with rustic work and lovely inlaid panels of pinecones. A walled garden, dating from 1710, has been restored and mixed borders on three sides retain the gardener's interest throughout the year.
After some free time in Brodick we retrace our steps back to Dunoon, where dinner will be served on our return to the hotel.
Day 4 - Monday
After breakfast this morning, we travel the few miles north to the Benmore Botanic Gardens, the country annexe of the Royal Botanic Garden in Edinburgh. This splendid garden of 120 acres, in a dramatic mountain setting, has a history dating from the 1820s with the first plantings of conifers. Today it boasts over 300 species of rhododendron; a formal garden; Bhutanese, Chilean and Japanese plantings; superb old specimens of Douglas fir, larch and Scots pine and a spectacular avenue of Giant Redwoods.