On your way to the upper viewpoint, look out for the Trochodendron aralioides (Japanese wheel tree). With its multiple, entwined trunks, this is a Britain and Ireland Girth Champion, boasting a diameter of 302cm as well as a height of 15.8m. You won’t miss it!
The Nepal barberry, an evergreen shrub uncommon in the UK due to its preference for the milder climate of the Himalayas, also graces the hillside of Arduaine. It is a handsome plant, whose berries would be particularly well suited to wreaths, hanging like purple teardrops among foliage.
Emerging from the shelterbelt, the spectacular views up and down this rugged coastline can be breathtaking. To the south-west, the Sound of Jura leads to the open sea, uninterrupted by land until Rathlin Island off the coast of Northern Ireland, some 60 miles away.
Directly ahead is the Isle of Shuna, where the ruins of Shuna House can be made out at the northern end. Behind Shuna is the more stumpy Scarba, separated from the distinctive Paps of Jura by the stretch of water that contains the infamous Corrievreckan whirlpool.
To the west is the low-lying Luing, and to the north-west the towering mountains of Mull.
The shoreline below this viewpoint is not really accessible, and so you may be lucky enough to glimpse a sighting of an otter, seal or (real-life) heron.
