Crinan Woodland.

Start. Crinan Hotel.

Route. Crinan Hotel - Crinan Canal Basin - Crinan Canal - Crinan Bridge - Crinan Woods - New York - Crinan Canal Basin - Crinan Hotel.

Notes. Far more than a woodland walk, stride out over a lovely section of the Crinan Canal, the salt water of Loch Crinan on one side, the canal, low cliffs and ancient woodland to the other. The moist mild climate in these parts has created a temperate rainforest of ancient Atlantic Oak woods, with rare moss, ferns and lichen. For little effort we enjoyed sweeping vistas across Loch Crinan to remote, romantic Duntrune Castle on the Argyll coast, to the west over the island studded waters of the Sound of Jura, Scarba and the wilderness of Jura itself. Welcome to a short but stunning walk, with yesterdays weather a distant memory.

The Crinan Hotel marked our starting point, there is a small car park behind the canal basin, as we were staying in the hotel the car stayed in the car park. Across the canal basin we wandered, the loch gates allowing safe passage to the canal towpath, along which we strolled. I don't normally relish wandering along canal towpaths but this guided us through stunning coastal scenery. On reaching Crinan Bridge, (a swing bridge) we crossed the canal to access Crinan Woodland.

The steep climb that followed lead through ancient woodland, a relic of Atlantic Oak Woods that once blanketed the coast. Height gained gifted us with staggering vistas over the Sound of Jura, all too soon we crossed a ridge to start the descent. The path then deposited us in a high glen dropping to the north, at the lower end of the glen “New York”, a row of ruined cottages, believed to have been homes for the navvys employed in the construction of the canal, named after the company they worked for.

From this poignant reminder of a past way of life our route traversed a low ridge before descending over steep ground, after crossing a short stretch of tarmac we continued descending, a slippery trod under foot, this path deposited us behind the canal basin a few yards from the Crinan Hotel.

view route map.

home.

What a difference a day makes, here we have a shot over Loch Crinan from the hotel balcony.

Perched on a rocky knoll adorning the Argyll coast romantic Duntrune Castle.

From the final lock on the Crinan Canal views to Creag Mhor and Duntrune Castle.

Early morning views across the Sound of Jura.

Grey rising from the Sound of Jura, Eilean na Cille and Garbh Reisa, capturing the morning sun Jura.

Eilean Glas in very different light than yesterday.

Striding out along the Crinan Canal.

Crinan Woodland, ancient Atlantic oak woods a delight to explore.

From a clearing in the woodland Sue soaks up views over Loch Crinan.

A sun kissed Argyll Coast across Loch Crinan....

....and it keeps getting better, Jura and Scarba split by the world famous Gulf of Corryvreckan, famed for it's massive whirlpool.

Seen over Sgiereag Gaibhre and Eilean Glas, Kilmartin Glen heaven for pre-history buffs.

Breath-taking isn't it, views over the Atlantic oak woods of Crinan.

The sad remains of New York, I counted the walls of five cottages.

Let me take a shot at naming this stunning lichen, Candelaria concolor (Dicks) Stein, I could be completely wrong.

Quiet this time of year, the canal basin.

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