Ardentinny

Cowal's longest sandy beach

Explore stunning woodland on routes once the preserve of Ardentinny’s foresters who nurtured seedlings here. The beach is washed by the waters of Loch Long, familiar to Viking fleets, Gaelic raiders, wartime Commando assault boats and nuclear submarines. A 4.75-mile (7.6km) path leads to Carrick Castle.

Walking trails

Ardentinny route card (PDF)

Walking

Riverside Trail

Enjoy a gentle stroll along Glenfinart Burn to the Arched Bridge beneath exotic monkey puzzles, cypresses and firs.

Firm tarmac and gravel surface throughout, with some loose stones. Generally flat with one short fairly steep ramp or adjacent steps. Look out for vehicles along the access road.

¾ miles / 1.3 km

Allow ½ hour

More information

Along the way you'll pass the old walled garden of Glenfinart House and in springtime a gorgeous range of snowdrops, daffodils and bluebells.

Walking

Birchwood Trail

A short walk that climbs through native birch and oak woodland above the crags of Lover’s Leap, before returning down Grotto Burn.

Firm but uneven surface, with grassy and rocky sections that are narrow and potentially muddy in places. Long steep slopes for 400m and some steps.

1 miles / 1.6 km

Allow ¾ hour

Walking

Laird's Trail

A varied route around the attractive shoreline at Finart Bay. Climb through the larch forest to the Laird’s Grave for great views across Loch Long.

Wide, firm tarmac and gravel surface, with some loose stones and a slightly uneven section. Some fairly steep slopes. Includes two openings 0.9m wide and a section along the road.

2 miles / 3.3 km

Allow 1 hour

More information

The Laird's Grave dates from 1860 and is that of Archibald Douglas, Laird of Ardentinny. In the sunny fields below, a Forestry Commission nursery raised thousands of seedlings for forests throughout Scotland.

Facilities and access

Cycling

Picnic area

Toilets

Walking

Parking (charge)

There are public toilets at the picnic site open fall year round. Toilets are also available in Ardentinny village.

Car parking information

The charges to park at Ardentinny are:

• £1 for up to 1 hour – all vehicles
• £3 for all day – car (up to 7 seats)
• £14 per minibus or coach all day
• Blue badge holders park free. Please display your Blue Badge clearly.

Payment can be made using RingGo.

Please park with care and consideration. In particular please park in designated parking areas only and do not block entrances or gates. Nearby car parks with free parking can be found in our Forest Search, marked as a 'P' without the £ symbol.

Annual parking pass available:

Available in advance by downloading the application form and emailing to the Regional Office. Please read our Annual Pass terms and conditions (PDF) before applying.

More about parking

Getting here

Head north from Ardentinny village. The car park is on the right after 1 mile, just beyond the entrance to Glenfinart Caravan Park.

Using SatNav?

PA23 8TS is the nearest postcode.

Public transport

Local buses run from Dunoon to Ardentinny village. You can access the beach from the north end of the village. Plan your journey at Traveline Scotland.

Get directions