Forest bathing at Castle Semple and Parkhill Wood

Castle Semple is part of Clyde Muirshiel Regional Park, at the edge of Lochwinnoch. The loch draws water birds, and a shore walk leads into Parkhill Wood, the old woodland of the Castle Semple estate, with typical woodland flowers and plenty of nesting birds. Among the trees are the Collegiate Church, built in 1505, an ice house and the Cascades, an 18th-century garden water feature.

Start at the visitor centre and follow the lochshore trail into Parkhill Wood, then loop back by the cycle track or down the Johnshill. The wood is quieter than the loch shore and the cycle path. Paths are mostly gravel with woodland trails, and the track near the gate back onto the cycle path can be muddy. A maze is cut through the shrubs and trees, with a signed main path beside it if you would rather keep it simple.