Forest bathing in Argyll and Bute

Argyll's rain makes for woodland found almost nowhere else in Britain: Atlantic oakwoods thick with moss, ferns and lichen. Taynish, near Tayvallich on the Knapdale coast, is a national nature reserve of old oak running down to the sea, and Glasdrum Wood at the head of Loch Creran is another, climbing steeply from the shore. In Cowal the Argyll Forest Park holds Puck's Glen, a mossy gorge of Victorian conifers near Dunoon, with Benmore Botanic Garden and its redwood avenue next door. Ardkinglas Woodland Garden at Cairndow has some of Britain's tallest trees.

Wet woodland is good for this. A session in woods like these is a small group for two to three hours, often barely moving along a shore or burnside path, with long stops to listen to water and watch the light shift; waterproofs matter more than boots. Dates and prices are on each guide's profile.

If you're new, Puck's Glen has a Forestry and Land Scotland car park on the A815 and a well-built path up the gorge, and Benmore next door has parking, a cafe and level garden paths. Taynish has a small car park and is far quieter.