Benmore Gardens

Today we decided to use the local bus service to visit Benmore Botanic Garden. It is only about 5 miles from our base at Sandbank on the shores of Holy Loch. The gardens themselves were far better than we had expected and even Ann managed to find a number of plants that she had not previously seen. They had the largest (in more ways

than one) collection of giant redwood trees and magnificent array of 300 species of rhododendron set in 120 acres of mountainside gardens. With many interesting shrubs such as a handkerchief tree. You never knew what you were going to find around the next corner.

After lunch in their café we again took the bus and rumbled along to Dunoon. There are two regular ferry services operating from there to the mainland. The locals seem to treat the ferries as an extension of the roads and plan their journeys accordingly.