Glen Grant  (Rothes)

Glen Grant Webpage for Gardens

At the end of the nineteenth century, Major Grant created a 22 acre open

woodland garden with several ponds in the narrow valley behind his

distillery.  At one time it employed as many as eleven gardeners, but was

neglected for much of the twentieth century before being restored to its

former glory in the 1990s.  At its best when the Rhododendrons are out, but

a pleasant place to stroll around at any time.  If you are only going to visit

one distillery and don’t want one of the in-depth tasting tours, the gardens

certainly tip the balance in favour of Glen Grant.

Open from April to October Mon-Sun from 9.30-5.00 and Sundays from

12.00-5.00

Contact  01340 832118

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Knocknagore  (Knockando)

Scotland's Garden Scheme Webpage for Knocknagore

A private garden open under the Scotland’s Garden Scheme.  Begun in

1995, this is a series of hillside gardens created from rough pasture and

moorland.  The open garden areas with their trees, rockery and herbaceous

borders have stunning views over the surrounding countryside, but what

really makes you envious is the courtyard garden which is crammed not

only with permanent planting but with lots of large potted plants.  The

passion and work that must go into this garden is quite astonishing.

Open one Sunday in April and one Sunday in July, but also at other times

by arrangement with the owner.

Open on the afternoons of 19th April and 19th July 2009

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Abernethy Gardens Tour

Held each year on a Sunday in June a tour of about ten private gardens.

In 2009, this will be the 21st June from 10 am to 6 pm.

Entrance charge donated to a local charity or organisation.

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Inshriach Nursery  (near Aviemore)

Inshriach Nursery Website

A specialist nursery for Rock and Alpine plants set in a most beautiful location.

The demonstration gardens were originally laid out in the 1940s and are

gradually being renovated and extended.

They also have an excellent Tea Room – I haven’t tasted the tea yet, but the coffee is excellent and the home-made cakes are fabulous – well worth a visit in its own right even if you don’t like gardens!  There are windows all along one wall looking out into the branches of a pine forest where feeders bring masses of birds and red squirrels for you to watch.

Open daily from daily except Wednesdays from 10 to 5 pm from March to October

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Inverness Floral Hall and Gardens

Inverness Floral Hall Website

Given that the area under glass is tiny compared with the national botanic gardens, this is a fabulous place - a real paradise.  The main glasshouse contains a wide range of subtropical plants with a large display of interesting potted plants.  The use of space is wonderful with very naturalistic planting.  There's a pool with an amazing colour range of Koi carp - usually fed around 11am and 3pm, but they come up to the edge of the pool whenever you approach.  Apparently there also used to be a range of vivariums that housed a small range of exotic insects and reptiles, but no longer.  The neighbouring cactus house shows a beautifully tended, award winning range of succulents from all over the world with many of the specimens provided and maintained by experts from the Inverness Cactus & Succulent Society.  The outdoor gardens are again relatively small, but beautifully laid out and maintained - again a wonderful use of space and lots of colour even in October with Acers, Parottia, Dogwoods and Gentian.

Almost all areas of the Floral Hall and Gardens are accessible to persons with

disabilities. A wheel chair is available on request from Reception.

Coffee shop with displays of paintings by local artists.

Opening times (last admission 30 minutes before closing)

Easter - October: daily 10.00-5.00

Nov-March: 10.00-4.00

Closed two weeks at Christmas and New Year

Best to check all entry times before going – contact 01463 713553

The following website contains information about Inverness

Undiscovered Scotland Webpage for Inverness

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Auchindoune Garden  (on the Cawdor Castle Estate near Nairn)

Cawdor Castle Webpage for Auchindoune

In the first quarter of the 20th century, Lord Cawdor travelled to Tibet

and brought back a collection of rare plants which he planted in the

garden of the Castle’s Dower House at Auchendoune – “safe, he rightly

concluded, from the potentially fatal ministrations of the Cawdor Castle

head gardener nicknamed Death Ray“.  Restoration of the Tibetan

garden has been ongoing since the 1980s.  Also a kitchen garden and

arboretum.

The Auchindoune Garden is open with an honesty box, £3

recommended per person, on Tuesdays and Thursdays in May, June,

July and August from 10am - 4.30pm and at other times by

appointment by telephoning Cawdor Castle on 01667 404401.

Guided tours can also be arranged by appointment.

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Abriachan Nursery  (Loch Ness)

Abriachan Website

The whole site lies on a steep, south facing hillside with fantastic views

over Loch Ness and down the Great Glen.  Planting of a fairly large

demonstration garden began in 1984, but it has been well integrated

with the native woodland and has a wonderfully mature feel to it.

Open Feb-Nov daily from 9.00 to 7.00 (or dusk if earlier)

Open under Scotland’s Garden Scheme, a donation being made from

the entrance charge to local, National Trust and nursing charities.

Access is from the extremely busy A82 that runs down the west side

of Loch Ness – stay alert or you will miss the signs to the car park.

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Blackhills (near Elgin)

Blackhills Website

Sixty acres of very informal garden in a couple of steep sided, sheltered

valleys with about 360 different species of Rhododendrons.  Planting

was started by a retired tea planter at the beginning of the 20th

century with about half of the species being introduced between 1920

and 1935 and planting continuing to this day to supplement the

abundant natural regeneration.  The sheer number of mature plants

creates an astonishing mass of colour, and the reflections in the lake

intensify the experience.

The Garden is usually open to the public for a couple of Sundays in May,

when the floral display is at its best, with all proceeds going to charity.

Although the gardens are private, the website states that they are

usually happy to allow individuals and groups to visit by appointment.

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Carestown Steading  (near Cullen)

Gardens of Scotland Webpage for Carestown

If you are in the area on the one day a year that it’s open, this is worth

seeing even if you do have to share it with hundreds of others.  The

passion of the owner is there for all to see from the intimate courtyard

garden with its clipped box hedges to the imaginative landscaping of

the surrounding fields.

Open Sunday 14th June 2009 under Scotland’s Garden Scheme

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Pitmedden (between Inverurie and Ellon)

wwwNational Trust Webpage for Pitmedden

Historic Scotland Garden Heritage Webpage for Pitmedden

The heart of the property is the formal walled garden originally laid

out in 1675 and restored by the National Trust following the original

designs.  It features over five miles of box hedging arranged in

intricate patterns to form six parterres, each filled with about 40,000

plants bursting with colour in the summer months.  Extensive

herbaceous borders provide an abundance of colour and texture

throughout the season and the spectacular lupin border is not to be

missed. Honeysuckle, jasmine and roses create a succession of

fragrances, while fountains, topiary, sundials, and a fascinating herb

garden add to the sense of discovery around the walled garden.

The adjacent Museum of Farming Life boasts an extensive collection

of domestic and agricultural artefacts of a bygone era. For the more

adventurous, the woodland walk extends for a mile and a half round

the estate and takes in ponds, rhododendrons, a lime kiln and a

nature hut with information about the wider estate.

Picnic area - shop – tea room – plant sales

Open daily from May to October from daily 10.00 to 5.30

(last admission 5pm)

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Leith Hall  (south of Huntly)

National Trust Webpage for Leith Hall

Unfortunately, the National Trust have closed the seventeenth century mansion house to the pulbic, but there are still six acres of walled gardens to see and a variety of way marked trails through the surrounding estate.

The garden lies on a gentle, south facing slope and has a very relaxed feel to it with  some pleasant herbaceous, some great trees and stunning views of the surrounding countryside.  In the great scheme of gardening, it's debatable whether or not it's worth driving great distances to see it, but it certainly is worth visiting if you're in the general area.  Take a stroll around the pond - the path starts at the far end of the car park.

Historic Scotland Garden Heritage Webpage for Leith Hall 

The gardens are open all year daily from 9.00 until sunset