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The view from the Ardyne hillside over young birch and spruce to the Firth of Clyde, the Isle of Bute across the water and the peaks of Arran on the skyline under a big sky of white cloud.
Argyll and Bute

Ardyne Trail

Forestry and Land Scotland's waymarked hill loop at Ardyne, in the Argyll Forest Park.

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Welcome

The Ardyne Trail is a short, steep climb with a big reward, at the quiet southern tip of Cowal.

From the car park the path heads up through young birch woods, and as you climb, the Firth of Clyde opens out below you, with Bute across the water and the hills of Arran on the skyline. Pause at the top, catch your breath and take it all in. A little detour from the waymarked route finds the Chinese Ponds, once part of the Castle Toward estate and now left to nature. Wear good boots. Bring a flask, and finish with a coffee in Innellan or Dunoon on the way home.

A short drive awayCastle Hill, Dunoon17 min by roadSee itCastle Hill, Dunoon
Before you go

A waymarked trail with no closures listed.

Getting there
From Dunoon, head south to Toward and follow the main road round the bottom of the peninsula, about 9 miles and 15 to 20 minutes. Occasional buses run from Dunoon to Castle Toward, half a mile away.
Parking
Free.
The trail
A mile and a half, or 2.6 km, allow an hour. Graded strenuous: mostly firm gravel, with uneven grassy sections, muddy patches and steep slopes.
Toilets and cafés
The nearest are in Innellan, 4 miles away, and Dunoon.

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Where it is

Ardyne car park, two miles west of Toward Point and half a mile past Castle Toward, on the right. PA23 7UH for a satnav.

Close byToward, Dunoon and Cowal.
  1. The ruin of Toward Castle from the air: its ivy-covered tower and the roofless walls of the courtyard among spring woods, the Firth of Clyde blue beyond.Toward CastleThe ruined tower house of the Lamont chiefs on the Toward shore of Cowal, raised around 1475 and left in ruins by the Campbells in 1646.2 miles 5 min by road
  2. The front of Rock Cafe on West Bay in Dunoon, painted with a big ROCK sign, a caveman carrying a tray and a stone wall, bunting along the roof.Rock CafeA café on West Bay in Dunoon looking across the Clyde, for breakfasts, lunches, cakes and Argyll Coffee Roasters coffee.9 miles 16 min by road
  3. Mist on the hills above the still water of the Holy Loch.Holy LochA short sea loch in Cowal named for Saint Munn, home to American nuclear submarines from 1961 to 1992 and quiet again now.12 miles 23 min by road
  4. St Munn's Church at Kilmun in sunshine, its square tower and tall windows above the sloping churchyard and its stone wall, the ruined medieval tower beside it and the wooded hill behind.Historic KilmunThe old church of Kilmun on the Holy Loch, open for guided tours from April to the start of November.15 miles 28 min by road
  5. The avenue of giant redwoods at the entrance to Benmore.Benmore Botanic GardenThe Royal Botanic Garden's mountainside garden in Cowal, entered by an avenue of redwoods planted in 1863.15 miles 29 min by road
  6. Pines on a point, mirrored in the still water of Loch Eck.Loch EckA long, quiet loch in the Argyll Forest Park, with red squirrels on its shores and the rare powan in its depths.19 miles 35 min by road
Directions
Glenstriven House, a white Victorian house with grey stone corners, at the top of a gravel drive between lawns, with a wooded hill behind.Argyll and ButeGlenstriven HouseSleeps 15 · 6.6 miles
Castle House in Dunoon, a turreted sandstone villa with battlements, above a rocky bank of rhododendrons in flower, steps climbing the lawn beside it and the Castle Hill flagpole on the left.AttractionsCastle House Museum8.8 miles
Walkers follow a path through moss-covered pine trees and fernsAttractionsPuck’s Glen14 miles
Loch Long at Blairmore under a blue sky of high cloud, the white rails of Blairmore Pier and its Saltire on the left and the far shore low across the water.CafeThe Blairmore17 miles

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The Daily for 22 October, from Scotland with love. An aerial view of the Kylesku Bridge curving across a sea loch at sunset, Sutherland

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Stay nearby

Places to stay near the trail, and when each is next free.

Glenstriven House, a white Victorian house with grey stone corners, at the top of a gravel drive between lawns, with a wooded hill behind.Glenstriven House
  • Sleeps 15
  • In Argyll and Bute
  • 6 miles from the Ardyne Trail
Free 25–27 OctThe Hollies, Argyll and ButeThe Hollies
  • Sleeps 18
  • In Tighnabruaich
  • 9 miles from the Ardyne Trail
Check datesA stone cottage with a slated roof sits nestled among dense woodland, two paddleboards resting on the lawn in front.Red Squirrel Cottage
  • Sleeps 6
  • In Lochgoilhead
  • 19 miles from the Ardyne Trail
Check datesSeal Cabin, Argyll and ButeSeal Cabin
  • Sleeps 2
  • In Lochgoilhead
  • 19 miles from the Ardyne Trail
Check datesPlaces to stayEvery stay in Argyll and ButeAll our places to stay nearby, to search by date and by who is coming.See them all
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