Crarae Woodland Garden

Crarae Garden is a Himalayan-style glen on the shore of Loch Fyne, ten miles south of Inveraray, planted from 1912 by Grace Campbell of Succoth and her son Sir George around the rocky gorge of the Crarae Burn. Wooden bridges cross the burn as it tumbles through waterfalls between thickets of rhododendrons, azaleas, maples, birches and conifers, including champion trees and a Red-listed Serbian spruce, and the National Trust for Scotland, which took the garden on in 2002, keeps the paths open through the seasons for spring blossom, bluebells and autumn colour. A Neolithic chambered cairn stands in the grounds. Reviewers praise the cafe's coffee and scones and the sense of wildness, and warn that the upper paths are hilly. Tips from visitors: the garden stays open in winter with an honesty box when the visitor centre is shut, the lower garden suits pushchairs, dogs are welcome on leads, and the Citylink bus will stop on the A83 at the garden road end.