Favourite Walks - 5 Stronafian Community Forest

A five minute drive from Loch Riddon Bothy will bring you to the southern entrance (one of three) to the Stronafian Community forest.  The entrance boasts a wooden sign on one side and an information board on the other.  It is easy to drive over the cattle grid and up the forestry track to find somewhere to park which won’t interfere with any other road users.

It’s a wonderful walk on a clear day as there are magnificent views south down Loch Riddon to the Isle of Bute and Arran beyond.  The walk is linear but if you follow the track for an hour or so it links up to another track.  Depending on which way you turn at this point you can explore St Modans Well, a chambered cairn or see the site of recent excavations of the ancient village of Auchategan.  The walk from the start point to the chambered cairn will take two hours.  Most of it is on forestry roads but the final 500m is rough ground.

Looking Back towards Loch Striven

The walk starts by winding upwards through a mixture of planted spruce and ancient woodland.  Looking back there are also tremendous views towards Loch Striven.  The first chance to look down Loch Riddon comes quite quickly.  There is a picnic bench so a good chance to relax and take pictures.  With the low, winter sun out, it is difficult to take pictures of this view as it is literally right into the sun.

Looking south down Loch Riddon to Bute and Arran beyond. Shot taken right into the sun! Picnic bench in the foreground

A little further on and views north towards Glendaruel open up.  The green fields of the glen look very inviting.

The view north towards Glendaruel

The track continues and you are unlikely to meet anyone but there are signs of wildlife all around.  We saw two separate buzzards skimming over the trees, heard a myriad of birdsong and spotted plenty of hoof marks (deer) as it has been quite wet recently. 

Deer hoof mark

After half an hour or so the track forks.  If you follow the left hand fork the track soon ends but what a view from here!  Another great place for a picnic though there is no table here.  Making your way back up to the main track, turn left to continue north through more forest.

View south to Bute and the mountains of Arran beyond. Photo taken straight into the sun again!

Just decide when you have walked far enough and retrace your steps back to the starting point.