Forest bathing at Kilmun Arboretum

Kilmun Arboretum sits on the hillside at the western end of Kilmun village, looking over the Holy Loch. Since the 1930s foresters have planted hundreds of species here to see how they grow and what timber they produce, and more than 150 remain, set out in separate groves rather than mixed together. Walking from one grove to the next, the light, scent and texture under your feet change, which makes it a good place to slow right down.

All three trails start from the car park. The John Jackson Trail is the shortest, wide and easy at first with a few short steep slopes on the return. The Conifer Trail and the Eucalyptus Trail climb higher on uneven gravel and grass, with long steep slopes and views over the loch. Summer is when the scents and colours are strongest. There are no toilets on site; the nearest are in Dunoon or at Benmore.