Arduaine Gardens, Argyll

Fine today, and I needed exercise having been stuck because of weather conditions for what seems like an age. Hermione and I set off for the Loch Melfort Hotel to lunch on west coast scallops. Well I had the scallops, Hermione of course, took up her usual position in the car park. Their starter portion has a generous 7 scallops. Nuff said. Delish. The hotel's bar has one of the best west coast views but today it was dim and distant, and I took my book.

More entertaining though was a couple dining near me who were squeaking audibly as an osprey took up position to strike. Not the thing some people want to watch while they dine on perhaps the same kind of fish. Audible sighs of relief as it made off without ever diving . Next the lady spotted Hamish, one of the 3 pet highland cattle who was placidly letting the hens perch all over him as he sat chewing his cud. Camera aimed and ready, she snapped him from a distance of about a quarter of a mile. That will need the delete button, I thought. Then she discovered the story of Hamish and his two friends. They were on their way to the slaughter house in a cattle truck, but when the truck arrived the place was on fire and they had no alternative but to take the three back. Having had a reprieve, the cattle were not put through another ordeal, and now they are pets of the hotel. Awwww, nice.

After that I was even more in need of exercise than before. The 20 acres of Arduaine Gardens are situated on the peninsular beside the hotel. Even in the greyness of this wet autumn, it is a magical place. Fair amount of colour, both in flowers and turning leaves, bird song and you are never far from the sound of the sea.

Although the gardens were in existence long before, it was in 1971 that Edmund and Harry Wright purchased and developed them as we see them today. In 1992 the gardens were donated to the National Trust for Scotland and they became a visitor attraction.

Arduaine means Green Point, on the face of it a most tranquil place. But there is now a sign posted by the two previous owners saying that they no longer support the Trust because the Trust is ' guilty of ignoring the deed of conditions under which the garden was gifted, of discourtesies and of mismanagement.' Can't help wondering what's behind that!

The photograph is in the rather ordered part of the gardens, but there are lots of wild and wet atmospheric places there too, just not so photogenic on a dull day.