If you go down to the woods today . . . .

. . . . you're sure of a big surprise! Unfortunately we didn't get one! Not such a good day today - dull and rather gloomy with a cold wind a' blowin'!

This morning we all took ourselves off to have a ramble in Dunollie Woods, walking across the top of the town, over the main road and into the trees. 

The MacDougall's of Dunollie were Oban's local family, I suppose, and the old ruined castle still sits on a hill overlooking the harbour. Dunollie Woods, which spread across two hills to the north of Oban, have recently come to be managed by the Woodland Trust, and new trails and steps and interpretation are going in, a lot of cleaning up of dumped rubbish is taking place and plans for more tree planting are in the pipeline.

It has always seemed a pity to me that years ago for reasons that I've not researched, a council estate and school was built in the valley leading up between the two hills and houses encroach upon the woods from all sides, which has taken away a great deal of its charm. This happens all the time here, with new houses being allowed in various of Oban's woodland fragments. The council seems to be more concerned with building houses than preserving woodland!

My Blip today shows us leaving the woodland behind and approaching what is one side of the street which splits Dunollie Wood. From here the route takes walkers down to the path at the back of the Corran Halls and into the town. Ahead of us is the Sound of Kerrera with the island of Kerrera to the right.

Apparently the forecast promised snow today, but all we got was a few drops of rain once we were back indoors!