Visiting & Exploring

How to Find the Garden

The Garden is situated just east of the village of Arisaig, in Lochaber, 35 miles west along the A830 from Fort William, and 8 miles south and east from Mallaig. Approaching from the east, immediately before reaching Arisaig, a track turns south (on the left) into the Garden through a large stone-pillared gateway beside the first village lamp-post as the stone walling commences. Both the main track gate and a side pedestrian gate are signed Larachmhor Garden.

Visitor Access

Visitors are welcome to enter and explore Larachmhor Garden in daylight hours, every day.

Parking: please do not block the garden gate. A roadside layby is provided 50m beyond the entrance; an introductory garden map panel is displayed there.

A pedestrian pathway leads from centre of Arisaig village, ½ mile away, where additional parking is available, beside the shop and also at the Land Sea and Islands Visitor Centre. Run by local volunteers, the excellent displays include further introductory information about Larachmhor.

Arisaig Station is served by the West Highland Railway line, which runs from Fort William (with links to Glasgow and beyond), to Mallaig. Arisaig Station sits in the upper part of the village, ½ mile from the Garden entrance.

Visitor Conduct

Well-behaved visitors are most welcome to explore the Garden and enjoy its fabulous collections and tranquil setting.

All are encouraged to respect this special environment, its plantings, wildlife and overall fabric, as well as the estate’s surrounding livestock. Similarly well-behaved dogs (and their owners) are also permitted, but should always be kept under close control.

All visitors, including those with dogs, are asked to remove any rubbish generated (including canine) from the Garden. A range of bins are available to receive this in the village, adjacent to the shop.

The nearest toilet facilities will also be found in the village, just beyond the shop.

Advice to Visitors

In wet weather the paths can become quite muddy; stout, waterproof footwear is recommended. Special care is advised on the steeper ground.

Only the main hard-core surfaced tracks, which have been significantly improved in recent years, can be negotiated (with care and a sense of adventure) by users of rough terrain wheelchairs, buggies and even mobility scooters.

For your own safety, please do not venture into the old abandoned building.

In common with the surrounding area, Ticks are present around the Garden and potentially active at almost any time of year. They can readily attach themselves to passing visitors, volunteer workers, and pets. Appropriate precautions and post-visit checks are recommended.

Midges are also inevitably present in the summer months and, subject to the prevailing weather conditions, can be a nuisance, especially around dawn and dusk. (They begin to appear in later May and fade from early September).

GARDEN PLAN &

suggested tour route

Download a PDF

version of the plan

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