2004 Trips

Travel up from 3 local pick up points. Arrive at Inchyra Hotel early evening.

Examples of what to visit:

Royal Botanic Gardens, 1 mile North of City Centre at Inverleith – free entrance, terrace cafe “Scotland’s premier garden”  

Museum of Edinburgh on Royal Mile

www.rbge.org.uk

Day three - Tuesday 29th June a full day visiting the Gardens of Argyll and Bute

Arduaine Garden, NTS Refreshments and toilet facilities at nearby Loch Melfort Hote. There are 20 acres on a promontory of the Asknish Bay, bounded by Loch Melfort and the Sound of Jura, warmed by the North Atlantic Drift and the Gulf Stream. The garden is famous in Scotland for their rhododendron, azaleas, magnolias and rare trees and shrubs.

Crarae Garden, NTS. Visitor Centre, refreshments and toilet facilities.  The gardens were started by Grace Lady Campbell in the early part of the 20^th century. Sir George Campbell (1894-1967) created the superb ‘Himalayan ravine’ set in a Highland glen. He also planted a variety of rare trees, exotic shrubs and species rhododendrons, which follow the winding paths amid splendid waterfalls. There are also shrubs including berberis which are a great feature of the garden which has a national collection of nothofagus. The Millennium Commission has funded a 50 acre research arboretum there.

www.undiscoveredscotland.co.uk/arduaine/arduainegarden

www.gardens-of-argyll.co.uk

Day four – Wednesday 30th June – a more local day

Drummond Castle. Refreshments and toilet facilities. The gardens of this fine castle were first laid out in 1630 by John Drummond, 2^nd Earl of Perth. Next to the castle is the great parterre garden with the famous sundial made by the master mason to Charles I.  Lewis Kennedy, who worked at Drummond from 1818 to 1860 recreated a 17^th century Scottish garden here with stunning effect. Beautiful white marble Italian statuary is set in arbours along the southern borders, giving an overall sense of tranquility and order.  The fruit and vegetable gardens and glasshouses are also worth a visit.

House of Pitmuies, Privately owned by Mrs Farquhar Ogilvie. In the grounds of this attractive 18^th century house these beautiful walled gardens lead down towards an informal riverside walk and a turreted dovecot and a Gothick wash-house.  There are rhododendron glades with unusual trees and shrubs and spectacular semi-formal gardens behind the house. Exquisite old-fashioned roses and a series of long borders contain a mass of delphiniums and other herbaceous perennials in Summer – a most memorable display of its type in the whole of Scotland.

Time permitting -coffee stop at Falkland Palace Garden NTS. The palace was the hunting lodge from James II to Charles II. In the 1950s it was remodeled by Percy Cane. Visitors can see the royal tennis court (real tennis) where occasional competitions of this old game are still staged. Features include the outdoor chequers game near the herb garden and orchard.

www.cdronan.addr.com

via Alnwick Castle Gardens, Northumberland.

Privately owned by Duke and Duchess of Northumberland. Fusiliers Museum in castle. Refreshments and toilet facilities. The Duchess of Northumberland is behind the plan for an enormous remarkable high-tech water garden. She is supported by English Heritage, Prince Charles and Tim Smit of Lost Gardens of Heligan fame. It is being created in 3 stages; the first of which has been completed and their vision is to rival the greatest gardens of the World. The garden is being developed by Jacques and Peter Wirtz of Carrousel, Paris fame. Most of the landscape was by Capability Brown. The water garden will consist of a spiral wall of ice growing and disintegrating through the day.  Icebergs will form and descend a cascade which will run through the garden. Other spectacular water features will involve pumping 100,000 gallons of water.  It is a garden for the blind and has educational facilities.  It has high yew hedges, hornbeams, beech and oak.

 www.alnwickgarden.com