The bluebells are out across Argyll, and there can be no better time to visit.

From roadsides to riversides, gardens and glades, the county is studded with beautiful blue – and where the flashes of colour become a carpet, there’s also a sprinkling of magic.

And it’s all the more captivating because in a fortnight or so it will all be over.

Wherever there are trees and shade, you have a good chance of finding bluebells if you’re out and about this month, but below are our favourite places to step into the fairies’ kingdom, and enjoy the best of the blues.

Inveraray Castle, Inveraray

The woodlands around the Inveraray Castle‘s well-kept estate are bursting with bluebells, and though the castle itself may be busy, you don’t have to stray far from the paths to find yourself alone with the bluebells in a shady glade.

The flowers have become such a fixture here that the town’s annual music festival (Bluebell Music Festival, Friday 27^th to Sun 29^th May) takes their name.

Around Inveraray the colour isn’t just restricted to the woodlands, look out from Loch Fyne on a good day, and you will see entire hillsides that appear to have been painted blue.

Temple Wood, Kilmartin Glen

A visit to Kilmartin Glen is bound to evoke thoughts of the past, and you feel certain that children will have been playing among the bluebells in Temple Wood for centuries.

The woodland here is most famous for its standing stone circles, thought to have appeared in their first incarnation as early as 3000 BC. They are striking anyway,  but even better when framed with blue.

It may be that the bluebells have been part of the landscape and livelihoods here since even then – it’s believed that Bronze Aged people used glue made from bluebell roots to attach the feathers to their arrows.

Bluebell Island, Dalmally

If you’re looking for solitude and carpets of uninterrupted blue, look no further.

This little island is accessible only on foot, via a (usually dry) riverbed, from the shinty field next to Dalmally Auction Mart.

The shady, tumbledown woodland is perfect for bluebell photography, particularly when shafts of sunlight brighten the glades.

The Twin Beaches, Isle of Gigha

If there’s one scene more appealing than a field full of bluebells, it’s a field full of bluebells framing a beach – or how about two beaches?

Gigha’s fabulous Achamore Gardens already make it a prime destination for anyone with an interest in horticulture, but there is less managed floral beauty to be enjoyed on the island’s twin beaches, which benefit from a breathtaking backdrop of bluebells in May.

Bridgend Woodlands, Islay

Once part of the Islay House Estate, these woodlands are known for their wild flowers all year round – also boasting magnificent snowdrops in early spring. The main entrance is a gate opposite Islay House Square. You’re guaranteed a blue-tinged feast for the eyes, whether you roam at will, or follow one of the interesting planned walks.