Spring and Autumn in the West Highlands

After breakfast we travel south of Oban along the scenic coastal road to Arduaine Garden, which was started in 1897 by James Arthur Campbell, a tea planter, and a friend of Osgood MacKenzie, the maker of Inverewe. It is a splendid site, full of the most magnificent plants, both native and exotic. In spring we will see more rhododendrons and azaleas in full bloom, producing a riot of colour and golden leaf colours in the autumn. It is most rewarding to keep going to the viewpoint which gives an exquisite panorama of the calm waters of Loch Melfort below. 

After an opportunity for lunch (not included) at the adjacent Loch Melfort Hotel we continue south to Kilmartin Glen, where we visit the Kilmartin House Museum, whose audio-visual presentation gives a good introduction to the beauty of the landscape of Mid Argyll and the layers of history and the memories that lie within it. The award-winning exhibition contains ancient artefacts and you can also try out a range of hands-on activities, including quern stones and a stone axe polisher. We will then visit a couple of the nearby Neolithic and Bronze Age sites, to experience at first hand the presence and power of these monuments.

After our full Scottish breakfast the day is free to explore Oban. Worth a visit are the Distillery (admission not included), from where Oban malt whisky is exported all over the world, and the free museum on the Esplanade which tells the story of Oban’s involvement in the Second World War and other notable events. A walk up to the Coliseum-like McCaig’s Folly which dominates the town is rewarded with splendid views over the bay towards the Isle of Mull.

Alternatively, if you would like a closer look at Mull, join our optional excursion to the island, taking the ferry for the scenic crossing of just under an hour to Craignure. From here we continue to Tobermory, the island’s ‘capital’, whose multi-hued buildings lining the waterfront will be familiar from a hundred calendars. There are a number of craft shops and art galleries as well as a distillery, along with a number of options for lunch, including the famous ‘Mishnish’ pub. In the afternoon we will visit Duart Castle, the 13^th century home of the Chief of Clan MacLean. We can explore the dungeons, the state rooms and appreciate the strategic position of the castle from the top of the keep. We return by ferry from Craignure to Oban in the late afternoon.

Following breakfast, we begin our homeward journey, which we break with a visit to Inveraray on the shores of Loch Fyne, where lunch is available (not included).

In the afternoon we visit the gardens of Glenarn, near Helensburgh, reputedly one of the best woodland gardens in Scotland. Glenarn was originally planted by the Gibson brothers, and filled with rhododendrons and other plants collected by Kingdom-Ward, Ludlow and Sheriff on their expeditions to Tibet and China. The garden had been neglected for many years and since it was acquired in 1983 by the current owners they have been gradually restoring it. The mild, damp location supports old plants of Rhododendron tanastyllum, arboreum var. nigagiricum and Magnolia rostrata to mention but a few, and all should be at their best in the spring. In the autumn we can expect a panoply of golden tints.

Following our visit we return to our original pick-up points during the evening.