Dunollie Museum, Castle and Grounds is a heritage site of national significance situated 1 mile north of Oban, on the west coast of Scotland. It's grounds are part of Argyll's rainforest and connected to Dunollie Woods but as the site has been inhabited for thousands of years, a number a rare plant species from different periods seem to have been planted: from native blooms, to medieval european poisonous plants found only near MacDougall Castle in the region, to wonderful seasonal displays of snowdrops, daffodils, bluebells and rhododendrons and rare 19th century trees such as a Giant Redwood Sequoia and Monkey Puzzle Tree.
As it's name indicates, Dunollie Museum, Castle and Grounds is also home to a castle, which is now ruined but can still be visited and offers some of the best views in the region across Oban Bay and the Inner Hebridean Isles, a museum with a variety of displays made from a vast collection of Highland Social History material as well as part of the Clan MacDougall collection through the ages, including precious textiles and archives. There is also a cafe operating onsite, serving light lunches, home baking and refreshments.
Dunollie is very family friendly, with a number of self-lead trails and activities for children of all ages to take part in. Dogs on a lead are welcome in the Castle and Grounds.

How to find us

By Bus: There are buses to Oban from Glasgow, Edinburgh, Stirling, Fort William, Inveraray and villages in Argyll. These normally stop near the Train Station. Once you arrive, you can choose to walk to Dunollie ( 20-25 minutes ) or take the Ganavan Bus which stops in the same place. If you take the Ganavan Bus, simply mention to the driver you are coming here and he will stop and let you out a the bottom of our driveway. There is no designated bus stop but they are happy to help.
By Train: Trains from Glasgow come to Oban Station several times a day. Once in Oban you can choose to either take the bus (see above), walk ( 25 minutes -see below) and if you have a bicycle or are renting one if town, cycle ( 8 minutes -see below).
By Car: Upon arrival in Oban, follow signs for Ganavan. Dunollie Museum, Castle and Grounds doesn't have a brown/ tourist attraction road sign at the moment but it should be easy to find. We are just 1 mile north of the town which means you'll be here very quickly. Parking is free to our visitors and accessible parking is available too.
Cycling: Once in Oban, follow signs for Ganavan. this should take you north along the seafront (this means right when facing the sea). At the war memorial, especially if cycling with children, we recommend turning right unto the old carriageway, a woodland path which will take you straight to our gates. If you stay on the main road, just turn right at the first opportunity and this will also take you to our gates.
On Foot: Walking from Oban takes about 20-25 minutes. Walk north on the esplanade along the seafront until the Oban War Memorial. (It can't be missed as it has a big statue and the walkway ends there). Then take the old carriageway footpath through Dunollie Woods which starts just across the road and will take you right to our gates.

Location

Awards

Dunollie Museum, Castle and Grounds was proud to be the home of Argyll's champion tree of 2019, the biggest walnut in the region but it was unfortunately brought down by high winds in September 2022.

Guided tours

We have Guided Tours taking place at 11.30am and 2.30pm Monday-Friday (no tours on Sundays). These are free of charge as they are included in the entry price. Our guided tours are more history focused than grounds/ gardens focused due to the nature of our site, although both are intrinsically linked and therefore the gardens do feature importantly within them.

Group visits

We offer 10% discounts to groups of 10+ people. For the best experience possible, please let us know in advance that you intend to visit by phoning 01631570550 or emailing [email protected] . If you have any special requests, would like to visit out of season or arrange a guided tour, please contact us and we will let you know what we can do.

Volunteering / internships opportunites

We are using a pay once visit all year system which means our annual passes are the same price as day tickets: for just £9 for adults, £8 for concessions and £4.50 for children you can visit us as many times as you which while we are open that year.
As we are a small independent charity (Charity No. SC028091) we are very dependent on volunteers and individual donations. If you have any questions about volunteering in our grounds, please email [email protected] and he can arrange a meeting with you and discuss what opportunities are currently available. To support us through a donation, you can contact us on [email protected] to discuss your decision and how you would like us to spend your gift or simply head over to our website and make a donation online: www.dunollie.org/donate .

Promotional Themes

• Autumn Colour
• Bluebell Displays
• Daffodil Displays
• Lilies
• Quiet/Wellness Garden
• Red Squirrels
• Rhododendron Displays
• Snowdrops
• Spring bulbs
• Tree Collection/Champion Trees
• Wild Berries
• Woodland Gardens
• Woodland Wildlife