This short and easy taster of Gigha goes through Achamore Gardens (entrance fee) where you can spend more time exploring the semi-tropical planting before it climbs to the top of a small hill with great views and then returns to Ardminish and the ferry terminal.
Summary
Paths, farm tracks and fields (can be muddy) and minor road.
Terrain
Users'
rating
1. From the ferry terminal follow the road along the coast and slightly uphill. Just past the lane to the left which leads to the Boathouse cafe bear left past a large cairn made from visitor's stones and head into the field by the signpost. Follow the grassy path across the field and over a stile to emerge on the main road opposite the Gigha Hotel. The island was the subject of a community buy out in 2003 and since then the community has run the hotel, Achamore Gardens, as well as undertaking major housing and windfarm projects. Turn left along the, usually quiet, road and follow it past the houses at Ardminish until a sign for Achamore Gardens indicates a right turn.
2. Turn left and just before the village hall take the path to the left which leads into Achamore Gardens. The gardens were built by Sir James Horlick (of the before-bed beverage fame), who bought the whole island in 1944, and are home to an impressive rhododendron collection as well as more exotic species which thrive in the mildness of the Gulf-stream here. Since community ownership of the island, the garden has been the subject of an on-going restoration programme. There are two overlapping trails (yellow and red) marked out through the garden which take approximately 1 and 1.5 hours so you can add to this walk considerably by exploring the gardens thoroughly. Alternatively once you have paid the entrance fee you can return to explore them anytime before they close at dusk - there is an honesty box if the booth is not manned.
3. This route follows a fairly direct route up past the house to the walled garden so you can pick it up at any point if you want to explore the garden further. For this walk, cross the main driveway and follow the Servant's Walk by turning right along a made-up path. Cross the driveway again, with good views of Achamore House, now offering bed and breakfast, and follow the track up to the right of the house and go through the gateway into the walled garden. Leave the walled garden by the gateway on the far side and follow the red-waymarked steps up the steep bank opposite which leads to a viewpoint. At the bench and picnic table here there are fabulous views over the Gigha coastline, the small island of Craro and further out the larger islands of Islay and Jura.
4. Retrace your steps down and turn left along the mossy path behind the walled garden. The path narrows and reaches a gate, go through this and to the left of a house to reach a track. Turn right and follow the track for a short distance passing a house on the left. Just after the house, and before the cemetery, turn left onto a track heading uphill and go through a kissing gate next to a farm gate. Immediately afterwards climb up through the gorse to the left to visit the Ogham stone, an ancient standing stone with inscriptions that no one has been able to decipher. Return to the farm track and continue uphill, keeping the woods on your right and heading for the highest ground once the track peters out.
5. At a mere 69 metres this is the highest point in the south of Gigha and has great views all around, it is also a good spot to watch birds of prey circling the, seemingly endless, skies above. From the top head downhill to the right heading for the point where the stone wall meets the forestry. There is a stile here, climb it and keep straight on above the gorse bushes to eventually go through a gap in the next stone wall into the following field. Now take a diagonal line across the field heading for the new housing and then bear right to climb a gate onto a path.
6. Turn right onto the path and turn left after the children's play area to reach the road just before the craft gallery and the Hotel. There is a shop and Post Office if you turn left and follow the main road. To return to the ferry terminal take the path over the stile opposite the Hotel and once over the field walk down the road, passing the bike hire shop to reach the ferry.
Have you found an error or is any information wrong or missing?
Please let us know by using the error report form.
