Kilmory Castle sits just south of Lochgilphead, a large baronial house dating from the 19th century that is now the headquarters of Argyll and Bute Council. The building itself is not open to the public, but the wooded grounds — managed as Kilmory Castle Park — are, and they are well worth an hour's wander.
The woodland garden contains one of the finest collections of rhododendrons in Scotland, spectacular in April and May when thousands of blooms light up the canopy. Paths wind through mature trees and around a small loch. There is also a walled garden, restored in recent decades, and pleasant views back across Loch Gilp to the town. The setting is quiet and genuinely attractive in a way that catches visitors off guard — this is not the sort of manicured country-house garden that charges an entry fee, but a free, uncrowded green space that rewards a detour.