Forest bathing in Western Isles

The Western Isles have almost no natural woodland; wind, salt and centuries of grazing saw to that, and most of the islands are moor, machair and rock. What there is was planted. The Lews Castle Grounds in Stornoway, laid out by Sir James Matheson in the 1850s, are the largest woodland in the Outer Hebrides, a mix of sycamore, beech, pine and rhododendron on the hill above the harbour. Aline Community Woodland, on the road between Lewis and Harris at the head of Loch Seaforth, is a younger wood of conifers and native trees with a loop path. Smaller shelter plantings sit at Garynahine and a few other spots.

Forest bathing here is a different thing, and honest about it. A session is two or three slow hours with a small group, and the trees are sheltering you from a lot of weather; the contrast with the open moor outside is part of it. Each guide's profile lists their dates and prices.

Lews Castle Grounds are the obvious start: a short walk from the ferry and town centre, a cafe at the Woodlands Centre, and miles of paths that begin level beside the water.