Three bedrooms: 2 x double, 1 x single. Bathroom with shower over bath, basin and WC. Cloakroom with basin and WC. Kitchen/diner. Sitting room with oil-fired log-effect stove. Snug
Dollar sits at the foot of the Ochil Hills on the road between Stirling and St Andrews. The town is dramatically overlooked by the remains of Castle Campbell, also known as Castle Gloom, and has superb walks up the steep glen to the castle. The early life of the village was fulfilling the needs of the castle’s owners, the lowland seat of the Duke of Argyll, until the castle was burned down in 1654 in retaliation for the Duke’s support for Cromwell. The village recovered in the 18th century with the opening of copper and lead mines in the surrounding hills and with subsequent ironworks enhancing its prosperity. With the opening of the prestigious Dollar Academy at the beginning of the 19th century, the village transformed into the attractive and prosperous town it is today. The town has a mix of shops and cafes and the drive or walk up the glen to the castle provides stunning views as the countryside opens out to the south. The popular tourist town of Stirling is 13 miles to the west with its dramatic castle and monument to William Wallace. Gleneagles and Perth are within easy reach, as is the Fife coast and St Andrews.
Snowdonia National Park, now officially known as Eryri, has a rich diversity of habitats including mountains and hills, rocky crags, upland bog, ancient forests, coastal dunes, and river valleys making it a paradise for bird watchers.
Managed by the RSPB, Coed Garth Gell in the Mawddach Valley is small nature reserve that is home to a good variety of woodland birds. In spring look out for lesser-spotted woodpeckers and hawfinches, while nightjars can be heard ‘churriing’ on still summer evenings.
Nearby Arthog Bog, also managed by the RSPB, is a wetland reserve that’s crammed full of wildlife. Bird species that can be found at the reserve include cuckoos, siskins, and reed buntings.
Another extensive woodland area is Coedydd Maentwrog National Nature Reserve, the remains of a vast Celtic rainforest that once extended down the west of Britain and Ireland. With plenty of walking trails, it’s a beautiful space to spend the day searching for redstarts, pied flycatchers, and wood warblers hiding amongst the oaks.
To the north of the park is Cors Bodgynydd reserve, home to numerous birds of prey including red kites, peregrine falcons, and buzzards. There are plenty of mammals to look out for too; badgers, otters, and foxes all call the reserve home.
Head to Morfa Harlech by the coast to visit one of the few sand dune systems in Wales, which supports a range of rare wildflowers, and where ringed plovers come to nest in the late spring. Skylarks and stonechats also breed on the reserve, while wading birds such as redshanks, oystercatchers, and dunlins come to feed at the shoreline.
If you want to hone your bird watching skills, Rhyd Y Creuau Field Centre set in the heart of the Snowdonia National Park offers a variety of one day and residential natural history courses.
