In Oban Scotland, The Dunollie Woodland Trail, will lead you into The Witches Woods.
The deeper you go into the forest, the older it becomes.
The trees in the forest were twisted over time into witch-like shapes by the actions of fierce coastal winds.
Some of the oaks are over 400 years old.
The Witches Woods surround Dunollie Castle,
which was once home to the most powerful clan in Western Scotland, the MacDougalls.
The remains of the castle and the old manor house can be toured.
I was first scheduled to visit Oban about 30 years ago, but The Queen was doing a walk about, so our plans were changed. I am happy to have finally visited this charming town and the gorgeous Hebrides.
We are home at The Holler now, but it is cheers and BOO to you from misty Oban’s Witches Woods~
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This looks like a wonderful place. One my character should visit!!
They would love it!
Lovely photos Cindy, and such a contrast to the hustle and bustle of my trip to China. …..
China certainly has the numbers to put the hustle into any bustle!
Those trees! Eerie!🙄
Perfect for Halloween.
Awesome shots, Cindy. Thank you. 🙂
Have a wonderful weekend Ranu~
Your words are inviting and so are your pictures.
Awww, so appreciated!
Great pictures, Cindy, but I still feel the damp chill of northern Britain!
Yes, the damp and the misty emerald greens. I wish The Holler could borrow some of their rain.
So beautifully green – marvellous photos. 🙂
Very kind of you, thank you!
All photos are gorgeous, but I especially love the old trees. Lovely.
Aren’t they wonderful and they leafy canopy made the place feel just like an enchanted forest!
It looks beautiful!!! 💕 Why do they call it witches woods 🧙♀️?
Many of the trees in the forest are twisted by the wind into odd shapes resembling witches, hence the name. It feels like an enchanted forest.
Nice! I saw one of the pictures was of a twisted tree and thought that’s what it was. But my imagination got carried away and was wondering if there might be some tales behind the name 🙂
I was wondering the same thing! Are there local legends associated with the place?
I found this: http://haunted-scotland.co.uk/dunollie-castle/
Interesting that the article says you can’t tour the ruined castle. You can, on your own. We clamored into the bowels of it, dark, foreboding, and didn’t linger long. There is a little island close off the coast of the castle, where legend has it a woman thought to be unfaithful was tied to a witches chair by her hair when the tide came in. If she was faithful she would drown, if she wasn’t she would free herself. Her paramour attempted to save her and drowned in the process. I don’t know if her story relates to the woods but I wouldn’t be surprised.
I certainly hope that legend is just a legend. Pretty gruesome.
I hope it is legend too as it is horrifying to think about, but this sort of thing happened too often to women.
These woods look wonderful! Lovely photos!
The Hebrides are just gorgeous.
😊
Reblogged this on dymoonblog and commented:
love this post of Cindy’s
I enjoyed this, I’ve shared it… booooo back at you
Oban would be a most excellent place to celebrate Halloween! 👻👻👻
The Queen beat you out! Oh well, you still have Hallow’een!!!👹👻👁🧙♀️
The nerve of her! We did have one of the most wonderful dinners I have ever had in Glasgow instead though. I still remember it! 👻👻
Gastronomie!
It rules uber alle, at least with me.
Gosh, Scotland would be such an enchanting land to explore. So much history, culture, and nature.
Plus, my maternal grandmother was a proud MacKay. The first time I went to Scotland many moons ago, I shared this widely with people as I traveled, and learned my lesson, when some irate old man told me to leave his family cemetery as our clans had been enemies for centuries. I was 17 and an American, proudly wearing my MacKay tartan. I just assumed it was a lark. To this day, I don’t mention it when there, laughing……
Yikes! 😱
👻👻
Haha, I had no idea that the old feuds were still going strong!
It certainly took me by surprise!
Lovely photos, Cindy. I love the Witches Woods – the name is perfect for an October post and the old trees with their bent and twisted shapes are so interesting.
Scotland is so gorgeous, and you are right, the history fires the imagination and is perfect for witches and enchanted forests and All Hallows Eve…..👻
An enchanting post Cindy. Although I am not a huge fan of the touristy aspect of Oban, it plays its role well. There’s a lot to be dredged up and delved into from ancient times 🎃
There certainly is. The history is living vitally in Scotland. The outer Hebrides were stark and stunning and wild. Wonderful.
What a neat town, and colorful architecture.
The Scots paint things up a bit, which I dearly love!
Beautiful trip.
Yes indeed. My proud Scottish grandmother was at my shoulder the whole time.
I have family that came from there as well 🙂
We are probably cousins Eunice. 🎃
I would not be surprised HUGS
🎃🎃
Interesting post and fun to read, Cindy. Having just finished watching “Reign” and others, I’ve a new fascination for European history.
It certainly is endlessly fascinating isn’t it. All the plotting, deceit, and manipulations. It reminds me of a few people I used to work with….Laughing!
It really does look charming. Enjoyed the images and explanations. 🙂
I am glad you did & thank you.
Great post on Oban, the mystery laden town in Scotland, Cindy! The twisted trees remind of the trees at the wind swept coastal forests at the Pacific Ocean. Best wishes! Peter
Yes, me too. The most intense example I have seen of this was in Ushuaia at El Fin del Mundo in Argentina where the wind whips whole forests into twisted tortured wonders.
FANTASTIC CINDY, CHINA
Thanks so much & I am glad you enjoyed!
Reblogged this on LIVING THE DREAM.
Cheers to you and have a wonderful weekend.
Wonderful, Cindy. And ‘boo’ to you. 🙂
🎃🎃🎃 Thank you & Happy Halloween!
You are welcome! 🎃
<3
Very cool!
Grazie mille!
This looks like a very wonderful place… Especially I love the old tree..enjoyed a lot this post. lovely photos 👏👏👍👍
Thanks much and so happy you enjoyed!
Once again, Cindy–this is wonderful!
Reblogged this on charles french words reading and writing and commented:
Here is another wonderful collection of photographs by Cindy Knoke!
Happy Halloween Charles & thank you for being such a wonderful friend 🎃🎃
I did enjoy my walk in the woods with you, but most of all I was delighted to see the colorful buildings along the tide-washed shore. Also, in my more active social days, I did sample another version of Oban, not knowing anything other than its price and recommendations.
I loved walking in the woods with you too. Isn’t it wonderful we can go there when we choose, and with whomever we wish to walk. I suspect a chunk of my heart rests in Scotland.
Beautiful Country and country. “The best-laid schemes o’ mice an’ men
Gang aft agley,” – R. Burns.
An’ lea’e us nought but grief an’ pain.
Gosh, what interesting looking trees!
Yes, trees talk to us.
Danke Cindy für die Interessanten Informationen über dieses herrliche Land. Leider war ich nie in Schottland, ich mag dieses Land sehr…
Danke Ernst. Du würdest Schottland lieben. Es hat einige Ähnlichkeiten mit der Schweiz, aber jeder Ort ist einzigartig auf seine Art. Ich hoffe du besuchst. Danke dir, mein Freund.
It looks quite friendly for a witches wood. I was expecting something more dark and forbidding.
It was actually truly beautiful and a bit dark, but not forbidding at least to me.
I just LOG in and saw your BOO-tiful post. WITCHES strange, isn’t it?༼✿ ͡◕ д ◕͡ ༽ LOL! Happy Sunday, my friend. WOOD you join me for a cuppa? ₊·*◟(˶╹̆ꇴ╹̆˵)◜‧*･
I would love to join you for a cuppa. Let’s meet at the entrance at sunset. We’ll put those ghostbusters to shame 👻👻
See you at the sunset entrance!
(((*°▽°*)八(*°▽°*)))
🎃🎃
Oh I wish we’d known about this place last year! We arrived in Oban at the correct time for the ferry to Barra, only to discover it was delayed by 8 hours! (Hurricane Ophelia) That meant killing time, driving around the area and wandering the town (McCaig’s Tower is spectacular, you just need the energy to get up there!), but I didn’t spot Dunollie Castle – it would have been perfect.
I’m typing this right now, sitting in a hotel on Skye, having just done Arran, Islay and Mull. It’s raining, but hey, this is the Hebrides. Photos to follow soon 😀
Can’t wait to see your photos. I fell in love with The Hebrides as I suspected I would. Enjoy your time. It sounds wonderful!
Back on the mainland now, though I’d forgotten how beautiful it is to drive back to Inverness from Skye. Now to start sorting photos!
Ahhhh, lucky ducky. I seriously wish I could beam over to places.
😀
was für eine schöne Landschaft, echt toll, heute sag ich mal, bleib oder werde gesund.
Vielen dank und Frohe Sonnentag!
Charming In the daylight! But I bet spooky at night.
Oh yes, I would be spooked 👻👻
I enjoyed the pictures and the read very much, reminded me of Jamie and Claire (The Out lander Series).I am going to reblog this for you.
Reblogged this on Truth Troubles.
Thank you for your thoughtfulness! And, yes much imaginative fiction springs from woods like these!
Fun post Cindy as we move into the season of witches, warlocks and Halloween. You sure do travel to many wonderful places! Thanks for sharing. 🙂
Thank you more for traveling with me Brad & Happy Halloween 🎃
I love the coloured buildings along the bay there Cindy. They must get a heavy winter.
Leslie
Yes, I think they get some cold winds blowing in from the sea.
I bet they do, Cindy.
Leslie
The woods look a bit scary. No surprise for the name..
I love woods like these. They remind me of fairy tales. Great to hear from you & hope all is well.
A fascinating spot and kudos to you for the witch connection!
Thanks Dor & Happy Sunday!
Gorgeous. I love the Oban area and hope to return soon – will check out this walk too! 🙂
I was charmed by Oban and surroundings too. Really lovely.
The overcast day seemed to bring out the colors. Loved the downtown pic.
So happy you enjoyed, and yes, grey skies make a nice contrast to pops of color. Thanks much & cheers~
The Witches Wood is not a place I would like to be caught alone at night.
No. I would hide. 👻👻
What a fabulous place to visit (and very appropriate for this time of year!) I’ve never been to Scotland, but it’s definitely on my list of Must-See places!
Glad it is on your list. It is a wonderful place to visit.
It is fascinating what the wind can do with trees. As we passed through Florida’s panhandle this last week, we saw forests turned to matchsticks by Hurricane Michael and thought we had “seen it all.” But then further along, out of the path of that storm, we saw a pine that went up did a perfect loop and continued to the sky — probably the result of some old storm.
Yes, the most extreme example of this I have ever seen was in Ushuaia Argentina, where the viscous winds completely distort the trees creating a truly surreal forest.
The town looks lovely, and the woods very enticing!
Alison
Where are you going next?????
Montreal for Christmas with family. You?
Santa Cruz to spend time with the twins for Christmas, and today off to the desert to see the birds. I love Montreal and it’s food! Enjoy~
Thanks. You too!
<3
Such a fun post for Halloween time. I love seeing it all.
I am so glad you came along, and are not afraid of the witches and their woods! 🎃