Invernahyle, Bridge

Explorer Tom Glasdrum Wood climbs above Loch Creran with ash trees, wildflowers and butterflies so busy that my usual woodland lecture can safely take the afternoon off. Its one-kilometre trail is short on a map but steep in places, and there are views across the loch to slow you down. I call that thoughtful route design; my knees call it a negotiation. NatureScot manages this national nature reserve and points to the rare chequered skipper butterfly as one of its special inhabitants. In spring, bluebells, bugle and other flowers colour the ground; summer brings a wealth of butterflies and moths. Old grazing and coppicing helped make open glades where they thrive. People have long helped shape this woodland. My imaginary woodland council would meet beneath an ash and argue for more sunshine. Even outside the bright months, there is plenty to notice. Mosses, lichens and liverworts stand out after the leaves fall, and the pale ash trunks show against darker neighbours. Follow the marked circuit rather than charging uphill after every flicker of colour. NatureScot has benches along the route and a picnic table near the car park. Look closely; butterflies never honour a hurried appointment. The reserve entrance and small car park sit on the north side of Loch Creran, reached by a minor road from Creagan Bridge. There are no toilets at the reserve, and NatureScot warns that sections of the surfaced trail are steep. Wear footwear for woodland ground, take your rubbish away and keep the flowers where they grow. This is a fine place to let the smallest thing win your attention.

Explorer Tom Castle Stalker appears to be floating in Loch Laich, a stone tower that refuses casual callers. From Appin it looks like a storybook dare, but its private owner sets the rules for any visitor who fancies crossing that water. The castle stands on a tidal islet off Scotland's west coast, around twenty-five miles north of Oban. Its surviving tower house grew from the long story of the Stewarts of Appin and later Campbell ownership. Changing owners, repairs and roofless years preceded restoration. Its silhouette has changed over time. It is a rare place where the shape of a fortified home still commands the water around it, even when mist tries to steal the view. The approach is half the drama. You see the castle from shore first, then, on one of the owner's limited guided visits, cross the water to the islet. Imagine the household judging every visitor who arrived with wet boots and a bad excuse; that is Tom's own nonsense. What is certain is that this was a residence as well as a defence, and its setting made access a practical question long before photographs made it famous. The tower also frames Appin's coast and hills. The official Castle Stalker site says the property is privately owned. Its 2026 tours have finished and the castle is closed for winter; future tours are by advance arrangement when dates are released. Admire it from a lawful shore viewpoint until a tour is confirmed, and never try to cross the tidal water independently. Let the castle keep its secrets; Appin awaits beyond the frame.