Loch Fyne and Crinan - part two

For a very short break, we seemed to pack a lot into our time away, so, as a follow-on to part one, here's part two of our stay in Argyll :)














We stayed in a cottage (found through AirBnB) in the village of Minard, on Loch Fyne, (above) just down the road from the National Trust for Scotland's Crarae Garden, which I very much wanted to visit while we were staying so close by.













It's not a formal, flower-bed sort of garden, and doesn't feel planned and designed, but it is.












A steep-sided Scottish glen has been transformed resemble a Himalayan valley.with paths wandering back and forth across the burn as it cascades down the hillside.













































There are rhododendrons, eucalyptus trees, bamboo, and Japanese maples, but everything seems so completely at home in this setting that it's hard to remember that most of these plants and trees aren't native.

We'd fortunately stumbled on one of those wonderful sunny West Highland days when the sea lochs reflect the blue of the sky. and the scene from the viewpoint was breath-taking.

It's not a long walk round but it was certainly the hilliest of the weekend, so cake was needed before we left. This delicious slice was the last of a courgette and avocado cake - not something I've tried before, but definitely would again.

It was onwards then, down a wriggly road beside Caol Scotnish, one of those fingers of sea that cuts deeply into the land round here, to the village of Tayvallich. There are lots of forest walks around here but we weren't really equipped for them, so headed just south of the village to Taynish Nature Reserve.








Here there's again a variety of walks but we chose the shortest - to Taynish Mill and back - and discovered it to be the site of a series of outdoor art installations.



































































The mill itself is now a ruin, but the burn which once fed its machinery falls prettily down rocks, and not much further on the path reaches the sea - Loch Sween this time

I didn't manage to photograph dragonflies on our walk the previous day at Loch Barnluasgan, but on the return to the car at Taynish we spotted several sunning themselves on a bench.

We definitely didn't have time to see and do all we wanted to, but these few days have got me back into the mood of holidaying, and spending time away from home. Next year I'm sure we'll be back for longer

Loch Fyne and Crinan - part one

After our brief stay in Edinburgh we picked up our youngest daughter from the train and headed west. While so many tourists in Scotland are heading off round the North Coast 500 route, or tracking down Outlander locations, we headed off the beaten track, to Argyll, specifically the narrow strip of land where the Crinan Canal cuts through the Kintyre peninsula to provide an easy passage from Loch Fyne to the open sea of the west coast.

Find the Mull of Kintyre on a map and head north where the land looks ripped to ribbons, with long fingers of sea reaching between - that's where we were.

We stayed in a cottage next to Loch Fyne, waking each morning to views out across the water - sometimes cloudy, sometimes gloriously blue.






The shoreline was pebbly, so I gave up on the idea of paddling there, but on our last evening my daughter persuaded me to swim! After a day of sunshine, the water was lovely and warm, and I realised how much I've missed swimming.










It's a quiet area, with lots to do outside. There are strenuous walks and cycle routes through Knapdale Forest but we settled for short gentle strolls, looking for dragonflies and beavers near Loch Barnluasgan, along the Crinan canal, through the Taynish nature reserve, and (the most strenuous) in Crarae gardens.

I seem to have taken a tremendous amount of photos - as usual - so I think it's best to split this post into two - Loch Barnluasgan and Crinan now, the others to follow.




Loch Barnluasgan - This is a place where the air is so clean lichen grows freely on trees, giving a fairy-tale feel to the woodlands around the loch, and also the site of a beaver re-introduction project.

We didn't spot the beavers, though they have a den not far from the place below, but did see signs of their tree-felling activities. 

There used to be a dragonfly trail here, with boards explaining which types you might see etc.

Although the boards have gone, we still spotted dragonflies in the dappled sunlight under the trees. They just wouldn't stay still long enough for a photograph.

Crinan Canal - I could spend days, maybe even weeks, pottering around Crinan, watching the boats coming through the locks, walking along the canal, gazing out to sea and the islands - oh, yes, and eating at the conveniently situated Coffee Shop with a view of all the comings and goings.

I'm a bit of a lazy walker, so canals always appeal because of their reliable flatness. Crinan is special though as the canal path also affords a view out to sea in one direction, or across the tidal expanse of Loch Crinan in the other.










































One day I might decide to walk the full distance from Ardrishaig on Loch Fyne through to Crinan - or cycle as that would be quicker - but I'd need to be fitter! Time to get started on my exercise plan ready for next summer!!