Local Walks

The celebrated oakwood of Ariundle actually carries the name of the ground beyond the trees. When the local Gaelic speaking people grazed cattle on the hill land in Strontian Glen, they called this place Airigh Fhionndail – ‘the shieling of the white meadow’. The cattle herders have long gone, as have the woodsmen and charcoal burners who used the trees to fuel the white heat of industry in the Bonawe furnace. Now Scottish Natural Heritage cares for this vintage reserve, as modern guardian of an ancient place, where both wildlife and people have deep roots.

A fantastic walk taking in the beautiful oakwoods of Ariundle, the rugged open moorland with fine views of the surrounding mountains, and the lead mines which once employed 600 miners on these moors




The Strontian Community Woodland Coille Choimhearsnachd Sròn an t-Sìthein is a very special place and home to over 60 different species of trees. Known as “Policy Woodland”, the woods here were orginally planted by the Riddell family at the beginning of the 19th Century. Cultivating their own woodland was common practice amongst the landed gentry at the time. It was seen as status symbol, as well as a recognition of their wealth, to have their own woodlands with exotic varieties of trees from all around the world.

More recently, the Community Council has encouraged the development of the network of paths frith-ròidean that were originally carved out by the Riddell family in the early 1990s. The paths were completely overgrown and access round the woodland was impossible. A programme of clearing Rhododendron ponticum began and thanks to careful management, you can now take the same route that the Riddell family did over 100 years ago.

Phemies Walk

Starting just across the bridge in the centre of the village this  woodland walk  takes you through large conifers and lets you see the grandeur and remoteness that this area can provide. Overlooking Loch sunart and the village itself.