Cruachan

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Stroll through the shadows of tall trees

Wander down to the quiet lochside and take a closer look at an ancient loch-dwelling or crannog. Remains of these watery homes are found all along Loch Awe. Then visit MacKenzie's Grove, a group of towering conifers, planted by us over 80 years ago and now amongst the tallest in the west of Scotland.

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Take time to recharge

The nearest public toilets and places to eat are in Dalavich.

Walking trails

Tall Trees Trail

Walk along the shore of Loch Awe to discover an Iron Age crannog at Carn Mhic Chealeir and some towering Douglas firs and spruces in Mackenzie’s Grove.

Mostly loose gravel tracks, with sections of uneven grassy path that are narrow and potentially wet in places. Includes some long steep slopes.

2 ¼ miles /
3.6 km
Allow
1½ hours

More information...

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Follow the trail to the lochside to see the remains of a crannog, where an Iron Age family once lived in a house on stilts over the water. Then enjoy a stretch through mature woodland to a small gorge where ferns, mosses and lichens grow in the moist conditions. This is MacKenzie's Grove, where a group of conifers survived the storm of 1968.

Cycling trails

Mountain biking trails

Survivors of the storm

A devastating storm hit Scotland in January 1968, destroying 300 houses in Glasgow and flattening vast areas of forest. While many of the trees here crashed to the ground, the conifers in MacKenzie's Grove survived the storm. Now they're amongst the tallest in Scotland's west and we're leaving them to grow as big as they like.

Contact: West Argyll Forest District

Address: Whitegates, Lochgilphead, Argyll

Postcode: PA31 8RS

Telephone: 0300 067 6650

Email: westargyll@forestry.gsi.gov.uk

How to get here

From Lochgilphead take the A816 north and turn right onto the B840 about a mile (1.6 km) after Kilmartin. At the red phone box in Ford, turn onto the unclassified road and follow it for 6 miles (9.6 km). You'll see the Cruachan car park on your right at grid reference NM 955 103.

Using SatNav?

PA35 1HL is the nearest postcode. Following the directions above, you will pass the car park before you reach it.

Nearby places

There are nearby forest walks at Glen Nant and Barnaline and more trails at Crinan and Knapdale. Our guide maps to The Forests of North Argyll and The Forests of Mid Argyll and Kintyre will help you discover more wonderful woodlands.

The Oban-Campbeltown National Cycle route runs through here - for details see NCN 78 map.