Kilmun Arboretum

Summary

Kilmun Arboretum was originally planted with almost 300 different species by the Forestry Commission as a test station in the 1930s, to see which trees would grow well in the conditions here. It is now part of a project run by the Royal Botanic Gardens in Edinburgh to produce seed from endangered species to enable them to be grown elsewhere. This circuit combines the two waymarked trails that explore the arboretum to provide a short walk, with nearly 160 species of tree on view.

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Grade

Bog Factor

3.5/5

Rating

Terrain

Short waymaked trail with steep sections.

Getting there

Start

Kilmun Arboretum car park.

Public Transport

Bus to Kilmun.

Start Grid Ref

NS163823

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Walk Statistics

Distance: 2km / 1.25 miles
Time: 45 mins - 1 hour
Ascent: 122m (Profile)

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OL37 Cowal East

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Walk Description

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Stage 1

Start from the parking area for Kilmun Aboretum, signed from the A880, at the eastern end of Kilmun. This route mostly follows the red trail, but includes an additional loop on part of the blue route. Take the path that begins to the left of the information board; it leads past a wooden sculpture of the creatures of the forest, and then crosses a footbridge before contining through the varied trees, roughly following a line of telegraph poles for a time.

Stage 2

Keep left at a junction, crossing another bridge and beginning to climb. There are some beautiful eucalyptus trees above the trail. The arboretum contains 6 champion trees - judged on height and width of trunk, and 5 of them are eucalyptus. The peeling bark and scented leaves make this an exotic part of the arboretum.

Stage 3

Eventually the path emerges at a track; go almost straight across (diagonal left) to remain on the red trail. This soon swings right and climbs. Ignore a path heading downhill off right. Through gaps in the planting there are good views down over Sandbank and the mudflats at the head of the Holy Loch. There are some fine areas of oak trees on this stretch.

Stage 4

Continue over another footbridge, and along the path contouring the hillsides. Eventually a fork is reached; the red route slopes back to the start by going right here, but to extend the walk slightly take the blue route up left. The path climbs very briefly before passing through a gap in a drystone dyke and winding downhill. When a footbridge is reached, don't cross it but instead continue down the path ahead, soon returning to the start.

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