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Inveraray walks - Our three favourite feel-good Inveraray walks with stunning views
Our three favourite feel-good Inveraray walks
When we’re not making organic skincare or running our wee Inveraray shop, there’s nothing we love more than a walk. We may stay close to town on a peaceful forest trail or lochside walk, or head into the nearby mountain range for a more gruelling challenge – it all depends how energetic we’re feeling! Whatever route we choose, Inveraray’s mix of natural beauty and historic sites always makes it a beautiful and interesting place to hike. So, pull on your walking boots, fill that flask with tea and get yourself out to see what Inveraray has to offer.
Here are three of our favourite Inveraray walks for you to explore:
The Inveraray forest circuit (easy)
This is a marvellous circular walking trail that starts and ends in Inveraray’s town centre and takes you past many of Inveraray’s main sites of interest. You start off at the car park (just off the main street), with beautiful views of Loch Fyne and the historic Dùn na Cuaiche tower. The walk then takes you up past Inveraray Castle before heading through an idyllic riverside forest track with waterfalls, via some lovely ornate bridges. As you walk uphill you get views of Loch Fyne, and on your way back down you walk through peaceful woodland. On your return journey you can head straight back or walk via the historic Inveraray Jail.
Here’s the walking route we recommend you use: walkhighlands.co.uk/argyll/inveraray-forest.shtml
Once you’re back, you have Inveraray town centre to explore! We recommend our neighbours at The Chocolate Box for some delicious sweets. Or The George if you’re looking for a great place to eat with a focus on local produce. And of course we’ll be delighted if you pop in to see us and our organic skincare – we’re just at the top of Main Street West.
Dun Na Cuaiche woodland walk (fairly easy)
Dun Na Cuaiche is a hill and monument overlooking Inveraray. It is a wonderful walk if you’d like to get your body moving, get some height and enjoy uninterrupted views of Loch Fyne, Inveraray town and the castle. You’ll want appropriate footwear as this is a fairly steep climb via forest tracks. But, we promise, it’s well worth it! The climb always gets our blood flowing and we find walking through the aromatic woodland incredibly relaxing. As Inveraray walks go, this is one of the best short routes – it’s about 3 miles and should take you between 1.5 and 2.5 hours. Be sure to give us a wave when you get to the top…
Here’s the walking route we recommend you use: https://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/argyll/dun-na-cuaiche.shtml
The Cobbler, Arrochar Alps (moderate)
Here’s one for the adventurers among you…
Just outside of Inveraray, you’ll find the Arrochar Alps mountain range – a group of 5 Munros and other peaks, including the famous Cobbler (also known as Ben Arthur). The Cobbler is a challenging but immensely rewarding walk, with spectacular views of Loch Long, Loch Fyne and the rest of the mountain range from the top. It generally takes 4-6 hours up and down – we took the full 6, of course! It is well worth the effort. We recommend starting early if the weather is hot, as the final climb up the ‘staircase’ or the more challenging ‘scramble’ is a real sting in the tail at the end of a long and gradual climb up the range.
Here’s the walking guide we recommend you use:
https://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/lochlomond/the-cobbler.shtml
We hope you enjoy these three Inveraray walks as much as we do, and feel good for getting outside and hiking in nature. Just to remind you, the weather here on the West Coast of Scotland can be changeable, so be sure to pack your waterproof! You’ll also want plenty of water and healthy snacks to keep you hydrated and fuelled. And, if it’s summer, don’t forget your midge spray. You can get some at Purdie’s if you don’t have any.
Want to pick up some organic, cruelty-free skincare while you’re in Inveraray? Come visit us.
Christmas Cheer
Christmas Cheer
As Christmas draws ever nearer, our brains will start to focus on tracking down thoughtful and suitable gifts for our loved ones. At Purdie’s we can solve some of those concerns and put together bespoke selection of beauty products with the added bonus that with every purchase over £25 you will also get a plush blue Purdie’s embossed gift box. Boxes come in small or large size; see images below for examples of small gift boxes for men and women:
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As 2019 draws to a close, we, at Purdie’s, are delighted to launch a new Man’s Range of Beard Oil, Face Moisturiser, Shaving Soap and Beard & Hair shampoo Bar. If you are struggling for something for that special man in your life, why not give choose from this range. You could drop a hint on growing some facial hair by gifting our Beard Oil made with a combination of certified organic oils that include Argan, Sweet Almond and Avocado.
It is always a very busy time of year, not only at work but also socially. It is therefore doubly important to make some time for yourself to relax and recharge those batteries. We recommend a long luxurious bath soak with our very own Dead Sea Salts made with Shea Butter and carefully selected essential oils. Why not also pamper your skin with our Body Butters made with a blend of Beeswax, Shea & Coconut Butter and Flaxseed Oil:
Try our Lavender & Neroli Bath Salts and Body Butters to give our skin that totally relaxed and spoiled feeling just before bed to help you sleep more deeply.
Here are a few more tips to get you into that Christmas spirit:
- Take some time out to watch one of those old Christmas movie classics: Who can turn down ‘It’s a Wonderful Life with James Stewart, or the sheer merriment of ‘Elf’ with Will Ferrell or the eternal beauty of Irving Berlin’s music including White Christmas in Holiday Inn with Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye.
- Add some Christmas treats to your shopping trip such as mulled wine and mince pies
- Visit a Christmas Market: We really love Edinburgh Princess Gardens Market at this time of year and we are lucky to be visiting a few in Europe over the festivities – more on that to come in the next blog
- Burn a candle: We at Purdie’s have a large selection of candles to choose from and one that ticks all those boxes at Christmas is our ever-popular Ginger & Cinnamon candle. It looks great and the scent is just wonderful.
- Read a Christmas themed book: Check out Jeanette Wintersons ‘Christmas Days’ for great stories and recipes that will really set you up for Christmas
All of us at Purdie’s of Argyll would like to take this opportunity thank you so much for supporting the company throughout 2019 and we wish each and every one of you a fantastic Christmas. Let us hope that 2020 is better than the last.
Transitioning into autumn
With the clocks going back and as we transition into autumn and shorter days, now is the optimum time to review and renew your skincare routine. The arrival of colder days and the need to turn up the central heating can have an impact on your skin. Using a richer moisturiser can help to counteract this. Purdie’s new Facial Moisturiser is a lush organic cream made with Raspberry Seed Oil, a well-known anti-inflammatory, and Rosehip Oil, rich in Vitamin A to guard against wrinkles. Click on https://www.purdiesofargyll.com/shop/organic-skincare/organic-face-cream/ for a complete list of ingredients and benefits.
The application of a Face Serum is a further skin enhancing addition to your daily skincare routine at this time of year. Purdie’s Serums contain Argan Oil which is packed with omega fatty acids to hydrate the skin. Apply the serum before you use your daily face cream and before bed for extra hydration. Click on https://www.purdiesofargyll.com/shop/organic-skincare/organic-facial-serum-rich-night-time-use/ for more details.
Darker autumn days and the lack of sunlight mean that it’s worth thinking about whether you need to top-up your Vitamin D levels. Vitamin D is needed to maintain good bone health and to support the immune system. There are a multitude of supplements on the market but we particularly like the Vitamin D sprays supplied by Better You. See https://betteryou.com/vitamin-d-oral-sprays?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI792k45zY5QIVxbHtCh2YuAvIEAAYASAAEgKIlfD_BwE
It can also be tricky getting moving in these dark mornings, but we have found that a great way to help you wake up gently is by using a Lumie clock that rouses you with a sunrise. We have been using this clock for years. See https://www.lumie.com/collections/wake-up-lights
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