Arduaine Garden – Sea Views and Woodland on Loch Melfort
A few hours.
The route
Arduaine Garden fills 20 acres on a headland above Loch Melfort, south of Oban.
It's known for its rhododendrons in spring, but autumn brings colour in the trees and borders. There are sea views, and red squirrels in the woods. Allow a morning or an afternoon.
Before you go
Book accommodation nearby
If you are staying over: here are ours nearest where the day starts and ends.
The day
Arduaine
A walk round the garden on its marked routes, as long or short as suits: 15 minutes to two and a half hours.
About two and a half hours
Arduaine Garden
An attraction
Arduaine Garden is on the A816 between Oban and Lochgilphead, beside the Loch Melfort Hotel. From its car park a smooth, gently sloping path leads about 275 yards to the garden, with a seat halfway. It's open every day from 16 March to 31 October 2026, 10am to 5pm with last entry at 4pm; check the National Trust for Scotland's Arduaine page before going. Entry is £10 an adult, £7.50 concessions, £5 a child, £25 a family, and free to members. Two marked routes, green and blue, take from 15 minutes to an hour, and the whole garden about two and a half hours; paths are 3 to 6 feet wide, with a way round the steps. In autumn there's colour in the trees and borders, and red squirrels in the woods. Toilets, one fully accessible, are near reception. There's no café in the garden: the Loch Melfort Hotel next door serves food: ring 01852 200233 to check before planning lunch. Ask before bringing a dog.
If it rains
The garden is outdoors; the paths are firm, but on a wet day keep to the shorter green route.
Photographs by Ed and John Inglis via Google