2011 Outing: Attadale gardens
A great day was had by all who joined us for the trip to Attadale Gardens, Strathcarron, Wester Ross. The weather was in our favour with sunshine throughout the day. The journey began with a beautiful drive along Loch Ness, then the coach followed the river Morriston, past Cluny Dam, then Loch Duich with the imposing ruins of Eilean Donan Castle and finally up and over the hills to Loch Carron and Attadale. The first stop was for a welcome lunch of soup and sandwiches at the Strathcarron Hotel. We then spent the afternoon exploring Attadale. The walk in takes you along the Water gardens, a series of pools created by enlarging the old mill stream and planted with a colourful range of bog-loving plants which form the backdrop for the different sculptures in each pond. At the end of this walk you can climb up to the viewpoint looking out over the hills to the Ske hills. Other delights included the Old Wood with its Fernery in a geodesic dome, the Kitchen garden, the sunken garden with its giant sundial and the Japanese garden. The journey back took us along Glen Carron and Strath Bran to Beauly for an excellent High Tea at the Lovat Arms before returning to Nairn.