The stunningly beautiful Taynish peninsula is a National Nature Reserve. One of the largest original oakwoods remaining in Britain, the reserve offers a bit of everything; peaceful loch shores, woodland, wildlife and views.
Good woodland paths and tracks with some ascent. The walk can be made easier by omitting the detours.
None to start - nearest bus Tayvallich 2.5km from start.
Taynish NNR car park.
From the south end of Tayvallich take the minor road signed for Taynish and follow it (with care - it is rough in the later stages) to the small nature reserve car park. Our route combines the three waymarked trails; it can be made easier by omitting the Barr Trail. To include them all, begin the walk by heading back along the road the way you drove in. There are views over Lochan Taynish to the right, with waterlillies in summer. Pass the house at Duntaynish, and shortly beyond (1km from the start) turn left onto the red waymarked trail. This heads into the beautiful native oakwoods, and later begins a sustained ascent with lots of steps.
Eventually the path reaches the top of this narrow, long ridge which gives superb views over the whole reserve and beyond. Follow the ridge path. Pollen research suggests that people grew crops and grazed livestock here for thousands of years. Towards the far end of the ridge is a wooden seat marked B3; from here the oulook takes in the Paps of Jura as well as countless miles of coastline and woodlands. Beyond, the path descends.
Continue down to a track (where the Woodland trail joins in from the left). Turn right here. The track passes a bench and, later on, through a gap in a drystone dyke or wall. Pass some storage buildings (seen on the right), and a short distance beyond a detour can be made at a signed junction, to visit two points on the coastline of the reserve. To make this diversion, turn right and follow the path to a second junction. The right hand branch leads to a nearby bit of shoreline. The left branch continues through the woods, bearing right at one point, and then reaches another junction. You can visit the ruins of the piggery to the left here, otherwise cross open ground to reach a tiny hide overlooking the sea. If you are lucky, you might spot otters from here, swimming in the tidal rapids at the tip of the peninsula. After making both these detours, return to the track and turn right to continue the main route.
The track now climbs slightly to reach a gate into an open grassy field, with Taynish House visible in the distance. Built in 1650, the house is still privately owned; the octagonal building to its left is a dairy. Immediately on the far side of the gate turn left on the marked path through the field. Eventually it reaches a gate where the woodland is entered once more, with a bench enjoying the first views of the southeastern side of the Taynish reserve.
The path now turns to the left, following the fence at first before heading more deeply into the woods, passing through a gap in a wall. The path ascends and runs along a low ridge. A second wall is reached with two stone pillars; this is part of the original road to Taynish House. The near side of the wall was grazed until 1975 but as part of the reserve in recent years it has begun to flourish once more.
The path now continues through the finest part of the woodland, one of the most extensive remnant of Britain's Atlantic oakwoods - often compared to the rainforest for the variety of species, such as mosses, liverworts and lichens, that it supports. It eventually descends and becomes a little rougher; where it seems to fork by some rocks keep to the right and descend a few steps. Here is Taynish Mill, where local crofters would have brought their corn; the building is in ruins but has a fine waterfall and location. Just beyond the mill is a picnic area; you can divert down to the shore to the right. When you've explored enough, turn left to follow an easy path back to the car park.
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