There is a walk which holds many festive memories and was an annual staple for our family.

Visits to Ballaugh plantation have become more sporadic in recent years, but it still screams ‘festive’ to me.

It was the place we would go to each year to find a Yule log which would take pride of place on the fireside of my granny and grandad’s home. I remember staggering with, or dragging, this huge log back to the car.

There is a lovely circular walk, perfect for shaking off the cobwebs and burning off some of the excesses of the festive period, whether Christmas or New Year. It is quite short but rewarding.

For the more serious walkers, there are tracks heading off in all directions towards Druidale and the Glen Dhoo nature reserve.

I went back there just before Christmas on a rare dry and rather sunny day. However, after a sustained period of rain, it was rather boggy in places.

To get there you simply turn down Ballaugh Glen Road, past the Raven pub, and keep going to the end, where you turn into a car park.

Walking through, you soon come to local artist Nick Barlow’s raven sculpture, which was carved from a western hemlock felled at the plantation.

I then turned down to the left. There is a ford you can normally jump over or use stepping stones, but it was much wider due to the recent rain, so I had to wade through.

While I got my feet a bit wet, it was still shallow. Of course, there are other routes you can take to avoid getting wet.

You then walk up the other side of the stream and it widens out, giving an impressive view of a line of large firs or pines, standing like soldiers in formation.

After a while, you can take a sharp right onto the path. Just to extend the walk slightly, I carried on up the track for a short while until I reached an opening before doubling back.

The path takes you on a delightful little stroll through woodland with two amenity ponds. After recent stormy weather there were a couple of small trees down, but you can easily climb over them.

Just a note to say this walk is relatively easy, but not one for prams or those with mobility issues.

The path is largely well maintained and runs alongside the meandering stream, with a number of little waterfalls as you walk down.

You then come to the most scenic part of the walk, the two pools containing crystal-clear water which are a haven for aquatic insects and small brown trout.

You can walk around the ponds and there is also seating. There is then a zigzag boardwalk which brings you back out to where you started.

All in all, this is a short walk which should not take more than 30 to 40 minutes, but there is a lot to see and it is perfect for getting some fresh air on New Year’s Day.