We had ventured out for the day, organised by the Belleville Community Garden Trust’s In Our Element group, an initiative designed to support people with mental health challenges.

The ferry cut through the choppy waters of the River Clyde, carrying us toward the small town of Dunoon, nestled at the foot of the Argyll and Bute hills. Our destination was Benmore Botanic Garden, set within a magnificent mountainous landscape on the Cowal Peninsula, just across the road from Puck’s Glen. and famed for its iconic giant Redwoods, Douglas firs, Scots pines and monkey puzzled trees.