Heather’s Treks: Sutherland’s

Heather Thomas-Smith runs Heathery Heights, an outdoor adventure and discovery company based in Lochgilphead, offering guided walking adventures, outdoor activities, training, and experiences. She has travelled and trekked throughout the world, walked across Scotland numerous times, climbed many of its peaks and now lives in Argyll amongst the scenery she loves. All her walks can be booked as bespoke guided experiences. www. heatheryheights.co.uk

Sutherland’s Grove offers several woodland walks for a range of abilities, making it a good spot for families.

Walks include an easy access route meandering through the towering Douglas fir and a series of paths and tracks by the waters and gorges of the Abhainn Teithil (believed to mean a warm or glowing river) leading to the reservoir and Gleann Dubh (black glen) beyond.

Many of the huge Douglas fir were planted in memory of Lord Sutherland.

Born in Inverness in 1865, John Sutherland initially studied law and became a partner for a solicitor’s firm in Oban.

Here his interest in forestry began and continued throughout the First World War, with various jobs including as executive officer of the Home Grown Timber Committee (H M Steven, John Donald Sutherland: An appreciation, Forestry: An International Journal of Forest Research, Volume 26, Issue 1, 1953).

Lord Sutherland went on to help set up the Forestry

Commission in 1919 and held the position of assistant commissioner (for Scotland) then chief commissioner until 1942.

Douglas firs themselves are native to North America and can grow to immense heights of 100m or more given the right conditions.

They gained their British name when the botanist David Douglas brought samples to Britain in 1827, where they are well suited to Scotland’s damp mild west coast conditions.

To enjoy the area, we have included a longer walk up Gleann Dubh, as well as two shorter options, the river walk and one up to the reservoir. Conveniently the walks are 2, 4 or 8km.

After 400m you will reach a crossroads in the path. Take the right path down steep steps to the gorge where you can get a good view of the falls as they tumble down below you.

You now have a choice. For the Gleann Dubh and reservoir walks, continue over the bridge, but for the river walk you will need to return up the steps and turn right (see note 1 below).

Once over the bridge, follow the blue marker posts for nearly 600m. The path initially heads south before a steep bend left leads up to a forestry road. Here views start to open out over Loch Creran.

Turn left on to the road and continue for just under 400m to a T-junction.

Turn left and follow the road down to just before the bridge (the continuation of the forestry “Troll Route” marked by the blue markers). Instead of crossing the river, turn right at the signpost marked “reservoir”