Glamping near the beach in Glasdrum Wood National Nature Reserve

This Celtic rainforest is a favourite among nature lovers with rare butterflies, wildlife, and easy-on-the-eye walks.

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United Kingdom
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Scotland
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Glasdrum Wood National Nature Reserve

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Popular camping styles for Glasdrum Wood National Nature Reserve

2 top beach glamping sites in Glasdrum Wood National Nature Reserve

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(1)

The Charcoal Huts - Isle of Bute

2 units · Glamping8 acres · Scotland

Our Huts are located within the Moss Wood area of Bute Forest - a mixed birch and alder wood that extends up the hillside to the west of the A886 that connects the Rhubodach Ferry to Port Bannatyne and Rothesay. Moss Wood has a range of facilities. Park on the shore-side where the coast can be enjoyed or at the main entrance, and take a walk up through Moss Wood along the Poetry Trail. A steep walk in places, the Poetry Trail is a loop punctuated with places to stop and read, to stop and think. Read nature poetry from throughout the ages, stop at the Blether Stane, or taking the spur to the Viewing Point back south across the Kyles. Moss Wood connects to the West Island Way – take the Poetry Trail and the spur to the Viewing Point – and then take the Stag’s Trod further up (steeply) till you reach the West Island Way. From there, head south towards Port Bannatyne or north along the boundary of the Community Forest. From the viewing point, you can also explore interesting heritage features such as the old WW2 bunker, kayak shelter, Balnakailly settlement, and the SSSI oak woodland.

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(6)

Runach Arainn Glamping

3 units · Glamping1 acre · Kilmory, Scotland

A three-yurt luxury glamping site on the Isle of Arran, steps away from the beach

Glamping near the beach in Glasdrum Wood National Nature Reserve guide

Overview

Sandwiched between the pretty harbor town of Oban and the history-rich Appin peninsula to the north, this wildlife-varied Celtic rainforest is a wonderland of ferns, mosses, and fungi. Where shards of sunlight pierce the oak and ash canopy, otters can be found darting into the shadows and roe deer graze in harmony with skipper butterflies and rarely sighted moths. For more active visitors, the nature reserve’s wild woods are circled by easily navigable trails, while botanists take great delight in some 169 species of lichen, including the wonderfully named Norwegian specklebelly.

Tips for snagging a campsite

Booking is highly recommended for all campsites and caravan parks close to the nature reserve.
Many people use Oban and the Appin peninsula as a jumping-off point for the ferry crossings to the Isle of Mull and Lismore. As a result, campsites are particularly busy from Thursday to Monday and during local holidays.
If travelling in the high summer season, reserve at least four weeks in advance.

When to go

A best-in-Britain place to spot butterflies and moths, Glasdrum Wood is most memorably visited in summer (particularly June) when the beautiful chequered skipper is most active. Throughout the other seasons, the nature reserve reveals its assets in other ways—after autumn rains, mists cling to the slopes of Beinn Churlain, providing a great opportunity for the woodland’s ferns and lichens to thrive, while in spring the forest becomes carpeted in multi-colour wildflowers and thistles.

Know before you go

Public transport is limited. Travelling by car is the easiest option, with the car park located on the north side of Loch Creran, 1.8 miles east of the nearest bus stop at Creagan Bridge.
Entry to Glasdrum Wood is free, but there are no facilities or toilets onsite. For the closest toilets (customers only), visit the nearby Creagan Inn.
The nearest train station to the nature reserve is 5.5 miles away at Connel Ferry. It’s a beautiful, if tiring, cycle there and back along the shores of Loch Creran.