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Short Break by Loch Etive

Promise of a good spell of weather decided us to escape the garden and head off for a couple of days.  Living as we do in the centre of  Scotland we tend to go westwards when mist and rain are forecast for the east. We left the Tay valley wondering if our decision was right, especially as the hills were increasingly swathed in cloud. First destination was Dunstaffnage Castle to which I had wanted to make a return visit. We ate our picnic lunch in the sun by the nearby Marine Laboratory, before the short walk to the castle situated at the end of a promontory.  What a splendid strategic position for a defensive structure, with access to the Hebrides, the Firth of Lorne and Loch Linnhe!

First views of Dunstaffnage reveal an almost square, stone-built structure appearing to grow out of a massive rock, with a thick curtain wall and crowned by three slightly projecting towers in varying states of ruin. The castle was probably built by Duncan MacDougall , Lord of Lorne, in the middle of the 13th century.  Duncan was a grandson of Somerled, Lord of the Isles, and he wielded considerable power in the surrounding country and islands. The castle’s history is full of legends connected with Dalriada and the Stone of Destiny. It seems there was an earlier structure on the rock, but it is not easy to disentangle fact from fiction. 

In 1309 the castle was captured by Robert the Bruce from the Lord of Lorne, and was held by the monarch until the 15th century. Tenants included  MacDougalls, Stewarts and finally Campbells. In 1409 the first Earl of Argyll was given permanent tenure, and installed a fellow Campbell as Captain of Dunstaffnage.

In 2007 this title still exists, though the building is now in the care of Historic Scotland. The castle has been guesthouse, barracks, law courts and a prison. Despite the often turbulent times, there were peaceful periods when the owners enjoyed their home and would  entertain royalty. A less willing visitor was Flora MacDonald, taken to the castle after Bonnie Prince Charlie’s escape to Skye after the Battle of Culloden.

The gatehouse was rebuilt and enlarged in the 15th century, becoming the home of the Captain. Its height above the curtain wall is an unusual feature of the castle‘s facade. The last captain to reside there moved out in 1810 when the gatehouse was gutted by fire.  Climb up onto the curtain wall;  with excellent visibility we had views of mountains to the north and east, with boats bobbing at their moorings beneath us.

A short walk takes one to the chapel, now a ruin but with highly sophisticated early Gothic windows. Finding such skilled work carried out in remote places like Iona, Orkney and Dunstaffnage leaves one pondering the dedication of craftsmen centuries ago.  Later, over a delicious fish dinner at the Wide-mouthed Frog we admired views of the castle amongst the trees.

The following morning was peerless, with a calm Hebridean Sea and a clarity of light which defined every feature on the surrounding mountains. With the warm weather encouraging early flowering of spring trees and shrubs, we visited Achnacloich, a spring garden enchanced by its glorious setting above Loch Etive.

This year the garden celebrates 50 years of being open to the public under Scotland’s Gardens Scheme. On our arrival we were lucky to meet the owner, Mrs Nelson who told us a little of the property’s history. The house, in Scottish Baronial style, was built in 1885 and has been owned by the Nelson family since the beginning of the 20th century. It stands high above the south shore of Loch Etive giving marvellous views to the north. Looking inland between the trees one can see the fine peak of Ben Cruachan.

Beside the house is a massive cedar; this is the starting point of tempting pathways through the grounds which cover 35 acres. With this year’s early spring many of the camellias, azaleas and huge rhododendrons were covered in flower, and with the promise of more to come. The Nelsons have made several ponds where water-loving plants such as Gunnera manicata and skunk cabbage are already well established.

 The garden has more formal areas but is essentially a tamed ’wild’ garden. In its springtime garb it is particularly fine, and complimented by the great views across the loch. The gardener commented to us that visitors increasingly seem to prefer wandering through gardens such as Achnacloich. We certainly did and look forward to a spring visit another year.

Gillian Hull