The Smart Explorer Argyll Coastal Route

The Argyll Coastal Route starts off at arguable one of Scotlands most beautiful spots, Tarbet is situated at the north of Loch Lomond where you can sit and look south all the way down the 26 miles of this amazing body of water, or just look up to your left and Ben Lomond is standing towering over you.

This stunning route is 129 miles long and again as with many of Scotlands recognised tourist routes wonderfully hugs the dramatic west coast shoreline giving you as many spectacular views as you can possible handle.

My main recommendation while travelling this beautiful area of Scotland is to always have your camera at the ready, as well as having some of the best views you are every likely to see every time you turn another corner, this area is boasts many of the amazing native wildlife Scotland has to offer, from otters sitting in amongst the sea weed eating trout to Golden eagles and White-tailed Sea Eagles circling high up in the mountains above.

This unbelievable route continues up the west coast through some of the most rugged and exciting coastlines to your left with the most amazing mountain ranges you are every likely to see to your right, it truly is a must.

I honestly can’t recommend this coastal route enough, it has absolutely everything and then some, if you like your seafood then you certainly won’t be disappointed when you stop off for a quick bite to eat.

National Trust for Scotland

"Save our Scotland"

From coastlines to castles, art to architecture, wildlife to wilderness, we encourage people to connect with the things that make Scotland unique while protecting them for future generations.

Oban

• Embark on a world tour as you explore the exotic garden.

• Admire the spectacular array of colourful plants including rhododendrons, azaleas, magnolias, giant Himalayan lilies and forget-me-nots.

• Discover the secret path to the coastal viewpoint.

• Soak up the breathtaking views over the Sound of Jura.

Isle of Mull

• Leave the car behind and get your walking boots on – Burg can only be reached on foot.

• Clamber down an iron ladder on the side of a cliff to access the beach.

• Marvel at MacCulloch’s fossil tree – a 50-million-year-old imprint of a tree trunk in the cliffs.

• Look out for golden eagles, feral goats, red deer and otters.

• Pay attention to any tiny flutterbys – Burg is home to the rare slender Scotch burnet moth.

Canna Island

• Take your binoculars – Canna is a bird sanctuary and the island’s coastline supports over 20,000 breeding seabirds.

• Seek out the Punishment Stone, where unruly islanders had their thumbs wedged into the hole.

• Discover the amazingly rich archaeological landscape – from prehistoric fortifications to early 19th-century abandoned settlements.

• Step through a beautiful tunnel of escallonia in the walled garden at Canna House into a bee-friendly sanctuary of lush lawns, flower-filled borders and fruit trees.

Inveraray

• Discover Britain’s finest example of a Himalayan-style garden - although no yetis have been spotted to date!

• Explore this peaceful paradise with its gorge, rippling burn, waterfalls and cliffs .

• Enjoy spectacular year-round displays as each season brings new blooms.

• Relax in this living horticultural museum of Edwardian tastes.

Cardross

• Explore this delightful 200-year-old garden on the banks of the River Clyde.

• Enjoy the carpet of dazzling colours inside the walled garden in summer.

• Look out for the gunnera, or giant rhubarb – its leaves can grow as large as an eagle’s wing span.

• Buy produce from the extensive kitchen garden.

• ‘Hobbit hole’ play area and floral mini-maze for children.

Helensburgh

• Be inspired by the unique building, interiors and collection designed by Charles Rennie Mackintosh and Margaret Macdonald Mackintosh in the ‘Glasgow style’.

• Find out about the Blackie family, who called the Hill House their home.

• Admire Margaret Macdonald Mackintosh’s Sleeping Princess gesso panel.

• Ask questions about the Hill House Box and the National Trust for Scotland’s pioneering approach to caring for this building.

• Explore inside the Box and see the Hill House and Helensburgh like never before from the walkways around the house and over the roof .

Isle of Mingulay

• Admire some of Scotland’s finest coastal landscapes on these 3 uninhabited islands.

• Marvel at the beautifully carved Pictish stone on Pabbay, one of only two in the Western Isles.

• Wander around the ghost village.

• Look out for seabirds! The spectacular cliffs house internationally important breeding colonies.

Isle of staffa

• See the famous hexagonal rock columns, formed millions of years ago by volcanic eruptions.

• Follow in the footsteps of Queen Victoria, J M W Turner, Sir Walter Scott and William Wordsworth.

• Listen to the astonishing acoustics of Fingal’s Cave, which inspired Mendelssohn to compose his Hebrides Overture.

• Enjoy a puffin-spotting picnic on the top of the island in summer.

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The Seafood Trail

"A Culinary Journey"

If you are a seafood lover then there is nowhere better to go than following the Seafood Trail, here you will find some of the most mouthwatering hotels and restaurants serving up the best Scottish fresh seafood which they would have probably only caught this morning.

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Tourist Routes

"Other beautiful routes to explore"

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