Puck's Glen and Massan Loop Walks
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The Benmore Estate, to the north of the Holy Loch near Dunoon, was once Campbell inverclyde hunting grounds. Forest tree plantations ramblers began in the 1820s. In 1849 John Lamont, who had made his fortune as a sugar planter in Trinidad, bought Puck’s Glen and the estate and built Benmore House, but died in 1850. Massan Loop Puck’s Glen walk A succession of owners made improvements, walks notably the American James Piers Patrick who planted the giant sequoia avenue in 1863, and later Greenock sugar refiner James Duncan expanded the estates and added the Puck’s Glen path between 1870 and 1889. In 1889 the Younger family of Edinburgh brewers took over, then in 1924 they gave the estates to the Forestry Commission and the central gardens to the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, which opened the Younger Benmore House, nestled Botanic Garden in 1929. It was later renamed under the wooded slopes of Beinn Mhòr the Benmore Botanic Garden. Coulport Ardentinny Gare Loch Benmore Loch Long Botanic Ardpeaton Garden A815 Benmore House Uig Glen Massan Rosneath Invereck Blairmore Cove inverclyde Kilmun Clachaig Holy Loch ramblers Strone Kilcreggan Sandbank Hunter’s Quay FIRTH OF We walk every Saturday and Wednesday A885 CLYDE From Benmore, Kirn Glenstriven www.inverclyderamblers.org.uk Dunoon PA23 8QU GOUROCK McInroy’s A770 DUNOON Point The Benmore Botanic Garden car park serves walkers as well as visitors, bus services are more frequent March to October. Access to toilets through Benmore Café & Shop, check www.benmorecafe.co.uk for opening dates and times. The Ramblers’ Association is a registered charity (England & Wales no 1093577, Scotland no. SC039799) and a company limited by guarantee, registered in England & Wales (no. 4458492). Registered office: 2nd floor, Camelford House, 87-90 Albert Embankment, London SE1 7TW. !"#$%&'(")'*%+"$%&&(,)-*%%./012/34%5666$77(777*%+89%:,; %%P0KB%N%3Q%N Benmore Botanic 1. Leave the car park by Pedestrian Exit (‘Access Puck’s Glen – the Eas Mòr stream Puck’s Glen to Forest Walks’), carefully cross A815 main road Garden (Gaelic for big waterfall). In to bus lay-by on the other side. Take the path up the 1870s the Greenock sugar Benmore to the left, then turn right along the quiet lane refiner James Duncan added and Café & Shop and continue south past Uig. a path up the ravine beside 1 the stream so that his guests 9 could enjoy the magical Massan Loop 8 atmosphere of the mossy 9. From car 8. Go left at junction and follow path wooded glen. park, cross the downwards past fallen Silver Fir tree, continue down hill back to bus stop He named it after the walks Benmore House River Eachaig mythological Puck, a character Outdoor Education over road and cross road to car park. in William Shakespeare’s play Centre bridge and turn A Midsummer Night’s Dream. left. Continue 7. Where forestry track River Massan along the track Fast but with the river bends uphill, take the intermittent Upper Puck’s Glen – the ethereal to your left, traffic on the narrow path to left (blue inset marker posts atmosphere intensifies in the Fern House passing the A815 7 less frequented upper path end of the Uig for ‘Big Tree Walk). up the ravine, continuing footbridge and Keep to the right beside the stream past 11. After following ford. Footbridge at the next two more waterfalls. a row of to Uig The Big Tree junctions, pass to electricity See towering conifers 11 Walk, part of the the right of stone including Douglas firs, pylons, turn Big Tree Trail, hut. cypresses and silver left onto Uig goes through an firs. There are benches, vehicle Uig area of Uig Wood sit quietly and you Village Hall planted between track. might see a roe deer 1820 and 1883 or a red squirrel! 10. At minor road, continue ahead over road bridge 12 10 6. Turn right on to 6 across River Massan, then forestry track and turn right down short slope continue downhill. onto narrow but distinct path, Gravelly path, 12. At forest road, turn left for a few near the left bank of river. quite steep metres, then take the first track to the Watch for occasional waymarks, right. Keep to the right of an open area and alternative paths where Puck’s Glen 5 5. At sign near top of ground, and follow the track through Massan Loop the river has eroded the Walk go left down coniferous woodland. Walk edge of the path. ‘Black Gates Trail’. 2 A815 14. Turn right to follow wide 2. At sign track through tall conifers walk down 3 forming a woodland avenue. steps to join 3. Keep left 13. In an open area, ‘Puck’s Glen Puck’s follow the main track 14 Gorge Walk’. at junction Eachaig to continue Glen left to a gate. Past River beside Rough this, turn right along stony path the Glen Massan– stream. with uneven 4 4. Cross forestry track and Invereck road with the stone steps follow signs for ‘Upper Puck’s River Eachaig again on 13 Glen Loop’. (Alternative your left. When the road shorter walk: go left along 15. Turn right along road forestry track to 6). reaches woodland, take a to get back to Benmore rough path down to the left, Gardens, 2km to car park. and continue along the bank of (Alternative option: turn left the river. 15 along road, 1.5km to Invereck Puck’s Glen walk: 3.5 miles (5.6km) and bus stops on each side of A815 main road – cross to other Massan Loop walk: 4.5 miles (7km) side for bus to Dunoon). inverclyde For more information visit Mapping © OpenStreetMap contributors, maps licensed as CC BY-SA. Data is available under the Open Database ramblers www.inverclyderamblers.org.uk/pucks-glen Licence. 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