Please note that the car park is a private car park. The car park is a facility provided by the Scottish Wildlife Trust for the use of visitors to Shian Wildlife Reserve only. The car park is also used by Trust staff, contractors and volunteers and is a utility area for storage and delivery of materials. Staff require unimpeded access at all times. There is no overnight parking.
An ancient wet semi-natural woodland. Shian Wood stands on a low, flattened ridge jutting out of Loch Creran. In spring, the floor is cloaked with wildflowers, enticing many butterflies. The reserve provides an important refuge for many rare moss and lichen species associated with temperate rainforest.
Why visit?
Highlights include:
- Carpets of spring flowers
- Saltmarsh on loch edges
Best time to visit?
- May to Jun for spring flowers
- May to Jul for breeding birds
Visit for:
- birdwatching
- woodlands
- wildflowers
- coasts
- scenery
- mammals
- archaeology
Other information
Woodland birds dart through the trees and breeding birds nest where wet heath merges into reedbeds and saltmarsh near the shore.
The reserve is a wild and wet place. Access around the reserve is by rough track with some sections of aggregate path and boardwalk. The track can become extremely wet in places. Visitors are advised to wear stout footwear.
Please keep dogs on a lead.
As with most damp places in Argyll, sheep ticks are abundant. Please be tick aware.