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Total of 59 openings.
The Secret Garden

The Secret Garden

Isle of Lismore, Oban, Argyll PA34 5UL
Eva Tombs
1 May - 1 September (Wednesday & Saturday), 10am - 5pm (2025)
2c
T:07786 374931 eva.tombs@gmail.com
A unique garden at the centre of a biodynamic farm on the Island of Lismore in the Inner Hebrides. The garden created from a field has a strong geometric layout that reflects the ecclesiastical history of the island. It has a vegetable garden, a tree nursery, a physic garden, an orchard and a polytunnel. The garden is a haven for wildflowers, birds, bees and butterflies. Standing stones, meadows, new woodlands, mountains and the sea encompass the whole. There is also a herd of rare breed Shetland cattle, chickens, ducks and friendly cats.

Directions: Please telephone for directions. Approximately two miles from Port Appin ferry.

Admission: £6.00, children free
Charities: Scotland's Charity Air Ambulance 30% & Oban Gaelic Choir 30%
Cally Biodiversity Gardens

Cally Biodiversity Gardens

Cally Avenue, Gatehouse of Fleet DG7 2DJ
Kevin Hughes
Sunday 11 May & Sunday 28 September, 10am - 5pm (2025)
2c57
T:01557 815228 info@callygardens.co.uk
A one hectare walled garden containing an outstanding collection of rare and common plants from around the world assembled to create naturalistic habitat for our native fauna. Some plants can be found in no other Scottish Garden whilst many are first introductions to gardens in the UK. This is an example of gardening harmoniously with nature where declining birds such as Garden warbler can be seen nesting amongst Himalayan poppies & American Prairie plants whilst lucky people might glimpse harvest mice in our unique Grassland Ecology Garden. We use no artificial fertiliser or pesticide and this is also true of the plants we grow for our plant sale area which has a wide range of less common plants.

Directions: From Dumfries take the Gatehouse of Fleet turning off the A75, follow the B727 and turn left through the Cally Palace Hotel gateway from where the gardens are well signposted. A regular bus service will stop at the end of Cally Drive if requested.

Admission: £5.00, children free
Charities: WWF-UK 60%
Bradystone House

Bradystone House

Murthly PH1 4EW
Mrs James Lumsden
Thursdays only from 5 June to 11 September, 11am - 4pm, admission £5, children free. (2025)
c467
T:01738 710308 pclumsden@me.com
A sophisticated cottage garden converted from a derelict farm steading. Imaginative and abundant planting with unusual and special perennials, clematis, roses, abutilons and shrubs. There is an interesting and bountiful plant stall. Small vegetable garden and orchard, meandering woodland walks and a duck pond. A tranquil setting with elegant planting. Garden groups welcome by arrangement. Dogs on leads please.

Directions: From south/north follow the A9 to Bankfoot, then signs to Murthly. At the crossroads in Murthly take the private road to Bradystone.

Admission: £5.00, children free
Charities: Scotland's Charity Air Ambulance 60%
Struanbridge

Struanbridge

Essich Road, Inverness IV2 6AH
Marcus and Catriona Jenks
Saturday 28 June, Saturday 26 July, Saturday 30 August & Saturday 27 September, 12pm - 5pm (2025)
47
mjenks@greenx.co.uk
A small, well-stocked garden approximately three miles from Inverness city centre, set on three levels each with its own distinct character. The entrance to the garden includes a decking area with a small fruit garden and raised beds. The small mid-tier area consists of mainly hydrangeas and rhododendrons and the very informal, hidden lower garden includes a wildlife pond, raised beds, and shaded garden area with a greenhouse, all framed by an old stone bridge and a small burn. Due to its layout, the garden is not suitable for wheelchairs and requires the ability to climb a number of steps to view.

Directions: From the Inverness Southern Distributor road (A8082) exit the Essich roundabout onto Essich Road. Struanbridge is located exactly a ½ mile from the roundabout, on the left. Parking is restricted.,

Admission: £4.00, children free
Charities: Mikeysline 60%
Kirkbrae House

Kirkbrae House

Culross KY12 8JD
Sandra Bannister
Sunday 29 June, Sunday 20 July, Sunday 24 August & Sunday 21 September, 2pm - 5pm (2025)
12c467
Sandra.bannister18@gmail.com
An acre of walled garden sitting high in the village of Culross in the shadow of the Abbey. With meandering paths through perennial beds, bright annuals and shrubs and trees from as far as South America and Asia, the garden provides interest from late spring until autumn. The garden aims to provide an environment of joy, surprise and opportunity to sit and enjoy the spectacular garden views of the River Forth.

Directions: The garden is located on Kirk Street. On leaving the lower village start to climb up to the Abbey, the garden gates open directly onto Kirk Street. Car parking is either below the garden or near the Abbey. Buses come into the village from Dunfermline and Kincardine.

Admission: £6.00, children free
Charities: Pancreatic Cancer Scotland 30% & Perennial 30%
Fairnielaw

Fairnielaw

Athelstaneford, North Berwick EH39 5BE
Alison Johnston
Sunday 7 September, 11am - 4pm (2025)
467
T:07747 862841 alison@fairnielawhouse.co.uk
Fairnielaw is a two-and-a-half-acre garden set on a rocky ridge where the wind blows frequently through the Garleton Hills and hits us side on. To provide shelter we planted a mixed-tree, mini forest and created a series of ‘rooms’ enclosed by beech hedges and dry-stone walls. The garden is on several levels and is a mixture of both formal and wild areas with beautiful views towards Traprain Law and the Garleton Hills at the highest point. 

Directions: Fairnielaw House is in the village of Athelstaneford set back from the road behind tall trees opposite the church. It is served by a bus service that runs between Haddington and North Berwick several times a day. 

Admission: £6.00, children free
Charities: Trellis 60%
Benmore Botanic Garden

Benmore Botanic Garden

Benmore, Dunoon PA23 8QU
A Regional Garden of the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh
Sunday 28 September, 10am - 5pm (2025)
46ead7
T:01369 706261 benmore@rbge.org.uk
Benmore’s magnificent mountainside setting is a joy to behold. Its 120 acres boast a world-famous collection of plants from the Himalayas, China and Japan to North and South America, as well as an impressive avenue of giant redwoods, one of the finest entrances to any botanic garden. Established in 1863, these majestic giants stand over 150 feet high. Seven miles of trails throughout lead to a restored Victorian Fernery and a dramatic viewpoint at 420 feet looking out to surrounding mountains and Holy Loch. There are also traditional Bhutanese and Chilean pavilions and the magnificent Golden Gates. Keep an eye out for red squirrels and other wildlife as you explore the garden.
National Plant Collection: Abies, South American Temperate Conifers, Picea
Champion Trees: Many rare trees and giant conifers

Directions: Seven miles north of Dunoon or 22 miles south from Glen Kinglass below Rest and Be Thankful pass. On the A815. Bus service is limited.

Admission: by donation
Charities: Donation to SGS Beneficiaries
Dawyck Botanic Garden

Dawyck Botanic Garden

Stobo EH45 9JU
A Regional Garden of the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh
Sunday 5 October, 10am - 5pm (2025)
3c6ead
T:01721 760254
Dawyck is a regional garden of the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh which had its 350th anniversary in 2020. Stunning collection of rare trees and shrubs. With over 300 years of tree planting, Dawyck is a world-famous arboretum with mature specimens of Chinese conifers, Japanese maples, Brewer’s spruce, the unique Dawyck beech and sequoiadendrons from North America which are over 150 feet tall. Bold herbaceous plantings run along the burn. Range of trails and walks. Fabulous autumn colours.
National Plant Collection: Larix spp. and Tsuga spp
Champion Trees: Numerous

Directions: Eight miles south-west of Peebles on the B712. 

Admission: details can be found on the garden's website
Charities: Donation to SGS Beneficiaries
Mellerstain

Mellerstain

Mellerstain House and Gardens, Gordon TD3 6LG
Gill Harrop, Administrator
Saturday 25 October 11am-5pm, admission £6, children free, light refreshments available outwith cafè opening. (2025)
3c67
T:01573 410225 enquiries@mellerstain.com
Mellerstain will be hosting three special open days to celebrate the garden and grounds at their finest. In February carpets of snowdrops spread throughout the grounds, followed by the glorious colour of rhododendrons and azaleas at the end of May, and finishing with stunning autumn colours in late October. 100 acres of mature parkland, formal gardens and lakeside walks set off this Robert Adam masterpiece. The formal gardens to the south of the house were designed in 1910 by Sir Reginald Blomfield in an Italianate style sympathetic to the earlier 18th century layout. These beautiful terraces with herbaceous borders and yew trees lead to lower terraces via a cryptoporticus, and then a sweeping expanse of lawn descends to the lake. Among the sturdy oaks and majestic beeches in the north parkland, you’ll find an enchanting tiny thatched cottage discreetly tucked away with its own parterre garden. A map is available of the woodland and lakeside walks, picnic spots are available and the cafe is open during the summer season. Look out for the Highland cattle and Hebridean sheep too!

Directions: The house is signposted on the A6089 Kelso-Gordon road. The approach from the A68 Jedburgh-Edinburgh road is through Earlston on the A6105, then via the B6397 towards Smailholm. 

Admission: £6.00, children free
Charities: Mellerstain Trust 60%
Angus's Garden, Barguillean

Angus's Garden, Barguillean

Taynuilt PA35 1HY
The Josephine Marshall Trust
Open daily, 9am - dusk (2025)
7k
T:01866 822333 info@barguillean.co.uk
Created in 1957 as a memorial garden by Betty Macdonald of Barguillean for her son Angus, this picturesque nine-acre woodland garden is set around the tranquil shores of Loch Angus in historic Glen Lonan. Whilst famous for its extensive collection of hybrid rhododendrons and azaleas, this glorious garden cleverly retains the natural atmosphere of the landscape. Visitors can enjoy an informal network of paths, lined with spring flowering shrubs and bulbs, through native woodland and by shoreland whilst surrounded by the magnificent views of Ben Cruachan and the mountains of Glen Etive. This unspoilt natural setting attracts a wide range of wildlife, and the eleven-acre loch is home to swans and ducks. On the north-west side of the garden overlooking the loch stands Betty's bell paying tribute to her 40 years of work creating this magical garden. The garden reaches its full glory between April and the end of June but is a place of special tranquillity and charm at all times of the year. Three marked, circular walks from the car park taking between 30 minutes and 1.5 hours. Not suitable for wheelchairs.

Directions: Off A85 Crianlarich/Oban road at Taynuilt, road marked Glen Lonan, three miles up a single track road, turn right at the sign opposite Barguillean Farm.

Admission: £5.00, children free
Charities: SSAFA Forces Help 60%
Ardmaddy Castle

Ardmaddy Castle

by Oban PA34 4QY
Mr and Mrs Archie Struthers
Open daily, 9am - 6pm (2025)
c57k
T:01852 300353 minette@ardmaddy.com
The gardens lie in a truly spectacular setting in the centre of a horseshoe bay, sheltered by mixed mature wooded hills and the castle atop a volcanic mound. The 18th-century walled garden has been much restored and improved over the last 50 years, hence its well-earned reputation as a plantsman's garden for all seasons.
In addition to the magnificent rhododendron collection, it is now also home to many rare and unusual shrubs and plants. These all sit alongside productive fruit and vegetable beds, all given formal structure by dwarf box hedges . The walled garden is flanked by shrub lined avenues bordering the burn, leading to woodland walks and a water garden. Don't miss the 60 foot Hydrangea petiolaris on Lady Murray's Walk and the towering stand of gunnera next to the ponds. The latest additions in an always-evolving garden are new medicinal herb beds and the beginning s of a new arboretum in the old orchard area.

Directions: Take the A816 south of Oban for eight miles. Turn right onto the B844 to Seil Island/Easdale. Four miles on, turn left to Ardmaddy (signposted) and follow for a further two miles.

Admission: £6.00, children free
Charities: Donation to SGS Beneficiaries
Ardkinglas Woodland Garden

Ardkinglas Woodland Garden

Cairndow PA26 8BG
Ardkinglas Estate
Open daily, dawn - dusk (2025)
6ed7k
T:01499 600261
In a peaceful setting overlooking Loch Fyne, the garden contains one of the finest collections of rhododendrons and conifers in Britain. This includes the mightiest conifer in Europe - a silver fir - as well as many other Champion Trees. There is a gazebo with a unique scriptorium based around a collection of literary quotes. For younger visitors, the garden features a Fairy Trail, Gruffalo Trail and Snakey Slide. It is a VisitScotland 3-star garden.
Champion Trees: The mightiest conifer in Europe and others.

Directions: Entrance through Cairndow village off the A83 Loch Lomond/Inveraray road.

Admission: £5.00, children free
Charities: Donation to SGS Beneficiaries
Raasay Walled Garden

Raasay Walled Garden

Isle of Raasay IV40 8PB
Raasay Community
Open daily, 9am - 7pm (2025)
c67
T:07939 106426 raasaywalledgarden@gmail.com. You can also find us on Facebook and Instagram
Accessed from the road behind Raasay House, just a 10 minute walk from the Ferry Terminal, is the Category A listed community owned walled garden. Visited by Boswell and Johnson in 1773, the garden suffered neglect before coming into community ownership. Ongoing restoration began in 2013 and the 1.43 acre garden now supplies vegetables, fruit, salad, herbs and cut flowers to the community and visitors. Features an orchard, rose beds, polytunnels, a fruit cage, wildflowers for pollinators and insects, and plenty of seats. We have a composting toilet for visitors' use. June to August provide the most colourful time and our main produce harvests take place from May to September. We run events during the year - please check our Facebook page for details. The garden isn't always staffed, so please contact us for further details.

Directions: Take the Calmac Ferry to Raasay (20 minute journey) from Sconser, between Broadford and Portree on the Isle of Skye. The garden is an easy walk from the terminal and there is plenty to do and see on Raasay on foot, although cars can also cross.

Admission: by donation
Charities: Donation to SGS Beneficiaries
Achnacloich

Achnacloich

Connel, Oban PA37 1PR
Mr T M Nelson
Open daily, 10am - 4pm (2025)
6dk
T:01631 710223 or Gardener David Field 07929 336217 davefield6@hotmail.co.uk & cassandhu@gmail.com
The 20-acre woodland garden overlooking Loch Etive has been planted over the last century with a wide range of trees and shrubs from Asia, China, Japan, North America, Chile and New Zealand. Many have grown to considerable size. The light woodland canopy consists of native oaks and a number of magnificent 150-year-old Scots pines and European larch. Amongst these are open glades, carpeted with bluebells and numerous other bulbs. Two ponds and streams are planted with primulas, iris species, lysichitum, and astilbes. The woodland contains innumerable species of rhododendron and azalea, of which the triflorums and yunnanense are outstanding. Amongst these are species of acer, betula, camellia, cercidiphyllum, cornus, crinodendron, drimys, embothrium, enkianthus, eucryphia, hoheria, magnolia, malus, nothofagus, pieris, sorbus, stewartia, telopea and viburnum. Beside the house is a giant Douglas fir from Douglas' original introduction. One of the first Dawyck beeches stands beside the drive. Fine autumn colours.

Directions: On the A85 two miles east of Connel. The car park is at the bottom of the drive.

Admission: £6.00, children free
Charities: Macmillan Cancer Support 60%
Ardtornish

Ardtornish

by Lochaline, Morvern PA80 5UZ
Mrs John Raven
Open daily, 10am - 6pm (2025)
867k
Ardtornish Estate spreads out around Loch Aline, a huge, wooded, U-shaped bay, a natural haven. Wonderful gardens of interesting mature conifers, rhododendrons, deciduous trees, shrubs and herbaceous plantings, set amid magnificent scenery. Much of the garden is covered by native birch, alongside extensive planting of exotic species, under mature groups of larch, firs and pine, whose strong form and colour complement the pink sandstone towers and gables of Ardtornish House.

Directions: Three miles from Lochaline along the A884.

Admission: £5.00, children free
Charities: Donation to SGS Beneficiaries
Mellerstain

Mellerstain

Mellerstain House and Gardens, Gordon TD3 6LG
Gill Harrop, Administrator
Open daily, 2pm - 5pm (2025)
67
T:01573 410225 enquiries@mellerstain.com
Mellerstain will be hosting three special open days to celebrate the garden and grounds at their finest. In February carpets of snowdrops spread throughout the grounds, followed by the glorious colour of rhododendrons and azaleas at the end of May, and finishing with stunning autumn colours in late October. 100 acres of mature parkland, formal gardens and lakeside walks set off this Robert Adam masterpiece. The formal gardens to the south of the house were designed in 1910 by Sir Reginald Blomfield in an Italianate style sympathetic to the earlier 18th century layout. These beautiful terraces with herbaceous borders and yew trees lead to lower terraces via a cryptoporticus, and then a sweeping expanse of lawn descends to the lake. Among the sturdy oaks and majestic beeches in the north parkland, you’ll find an enchanting tiny thatched cottage discreetly tucked away with its own parterre garden. A map is available of the woodland and lakeside walks, picnic spots are available and the cafe is open during the summer season. Look out for the Highland cattle and Hebridean sheep too!

Directions: The house is signposted on the A6089 Kelso-Gordon road. The approach from the A68 Jedburgh-Edinburgh road is through Earlston on the A6105, then via the B6397 towards Smailholm. 

Admission: £6.00, children free
Charities: Donation to SGS Beneficiaries
Inverness Botanic Gardens

Inverness Botanic Gardens

Bught Lane, Inverness IV3 5SS
Pamela Sutherland
3 January - 21 December, 9:30am - 4pm (2025)
b3c846
T:01463 701019 inverness.botanics@highlifehighland.com
We are the most northerly botanic gardens in the UK and host a wide variety of plants, shrubs and trees with year-round interest. There is a large Tropical House and a Cactus House with plants from around the globe. In spring come to see our bulb displays, in summer our herbaceous borders and specimen trees, in autumn for late herbaceous and leaf colour and in winter for evergreens, specimen trees in flower and those with wonderful bark. The GROW Project is also housed within our gardens which is run by a special needs group, it has an allotment, herbaceous borders, wildflower areas, ponds, children's play areas and much, much more! There is a lovely cafe onsite serving soups, sandwiches and cakes alongside local artworks and plants. We are a charity and so the entry is free with donation boxes to be found inside the cafe.

Directions: From Inverness city centre follow signs to Drumnadrochit. Then follow the brown signs to the Leisure Centre (turn left at the Cemetery before the canal).

Admission: by donation
Charities: Donation to SGS Beneficiaries
Abriachan Garden Nursery

Abriachan Garden Nursery

Loch Ness Side IV3 8LA
Mr and Mrs Davidson
1 February - 30 November, 9am - 7pm (2025)
bc467
T:01463 861232 info@lochnessgarden.com
This is an outstanding garden with over four acres of exciting plantings with winding paths through native woodlands. Seasonal highlights include snowdrops, hellebores, primulas, meconopsis, hardy geraniums and colour-themed summer beds. Views over Loch Ness.

Directions: On the A82 Inverness/Drumnadrochit road, about nine miles south of Inverness.

Admission: £4.00, children free
Charities: Highland Hospice 60%
Logan Botanic Garden

Logan Botanic Garden

Port Logan, by Stranraer DG9 9ND
A Regional Garden of the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh
Open daily 1 March - 15 November, 10am - 5pm (4pm in November). Admission details can be found on the garden's website. (2025)
3c45ea
T:01776 860231 logan@rbge.org.uk
Logan Botanic Garden lies at the south-western tip of Scotland, unrivalled as ‘Scotland’s Most Exotic Garden’. Warmed by the Gulf Stream, a remarkable collection of southern hemisphere plants flourish, making this a plantsman’s paradise. Logan enjoys an almost subtropical climate where the garden's avenues and borders feature a spectacular and colourful array of half-hardy perennials. The garden is warmed by the Gulf Stream which enables plants from Australia, New Zealand, South and Central America and Southern Africa to thrive. Voted ‘Best Garden in the UK’ 2021, Logan promises a delightful day out for all.
National Plant Collection: Gunnera, Leptospermum, Griselinia, Clianthus and Sutherlandia
Champion Trees: Polylepis and Eucalyptus

Directions: Ten miles south of Stranraer on the A716 then 2½ miles from Ardwell Village. 

Admission: details can be found on the garden's website
Charities: Board Of Trustees Of The Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh 60%
No Photo

Glenarn

Glenarn Road, Rhu, Helensburgh G84 8LL
Michael and Sue Thornley
21 March - 21 September, dawn - dusk (2025)
46ed7
T:01436 820493 masthome@btinternet.com
Glenarn survives as a complete example of a ten-acre garden which spans from 1850 to the present day. There are winding paths through miniature glens under a canopy of oaks and limes, sunlit open spaces, a vegetable garden with beehives, and a rock garden full of surprise and season-long colour. The famous collections of rare and tender rhododendrons and magnolias give way in midsummer to roses rambling through the trees and climbing hydrangeas, followed by the starry white flowers of hoherias and eucryphias to the end of the season. There is a Silent Space at the top of the garden with views over the Gareloch.
Champion Trees: Notably Magnolia rostrata

Directions: On the A814, two miles north of Helensburgh, up Pier Road. Cars to be left at the gate unless passengers have limited mobility.

Admission: £6.00, children free
Charities: Amma : Birth Companions (SCIO) 50%
Inveraray Castle Gardens

Inveraray Castle Gardens

Inveraray PA32 8XF
The Duke and Duchess of Argyll
27 March - 29 September 10am - 5pm & 2 October - 27 October 10am - 4pm (2025)
146d
T:01499 302203 manager@inveraray-castle.com
With Inveraray Castle as an imposing backdrop, the sixteen acre garden has formal, meadow, park and woodland areas and is one of the most important designed landscapes in Scotland. The formal gardens consist of vivid green manicured lawn; the Flag Borders, historically laid out in the shape of the St Andrew’s cross; a spectacular rose garden and herbaceous borders. A number of significant trees, including notable specimens of Magnolia acuminata and Oxydendrum arboreum, provide structure and form in this section of the garden. Colour is abundant from April until well into the autumn. The wildflower meadow is managed with native flora and fauna in mind and links the formal and informal parts of the garden. The carpet of fragrant bluebells is a feast for the senses throughout the spring, following straight on from thousands of narcissi. With views over Loch Fyne and the majesty of the West Highlands, the garden holds numerous rhododendrons, hydrangeas and other plants known to flourish in the Argyll climate.

Directions: Inveraray is 60 miles north of Glasgow and 45 miles from Oban. Regular bus services from Glasgow, Oban and Campbeltown. SatNav PA32 8XF.

Admission: £10.00, children free
Charities: Donation to SGS Beneficiaries
Blair Castle Gardens

Blair Castle Gardens

Blair Atholl PH18 5TL
Blair Charitable Trust
28 March - 31 October, 9:30am - 5pm (2025)
345d7k
T:01796 481207 office@blair-castle.co.uk
Blair Castle stands as the focal point in a designed landscape of some 2,500 acres within a Highland estate. Hercules Garden is a walled enclosure of about nine acres recently restored to its original 18th-century design with landscaped ponds, a Chinese bridge, contemporary plantings, and an orchard of more than 100 fruit trees. The glory of this garden in summer is the herbaceous border, which runs along the 275 yard south-facing wall. A delightful sculpture trail incorporates contemporary and 18th-century sculpture as well as eight new works, letter-carving on stone from the Memorial and Commemorative Arts charity’s 'Art and Memory Collection'. Diana’s Grove is a magnificent stand of tall trees including grand fir, Douglas fir, larch and wellingtonia running along the Banvie Burn, with the 12th-century ruins of St Bride’s Church on the far bank.

Directions: Off A9, follow signs to Blair Castle, Blair Atholl.

Admission: details can be found on the garden's website
Charities: Donation to SGS Beneficiaries
An Cala

An Cala

Ellenabeich, Isle of Seil PA34 4RF
Mrs Sheila Downie
1 April - 31 October, 10am - 6pm (2025)
46d7
A wonderful example of a 1930s designed garden, An Cala sits snugly in its horseshoe shelter of surrounding cliffs. A spectacular and very pretty garden with streams, waterfall, ponds, many herbaceous plants as well as azaleas, rhododendrons and cherry trees in spring. Archive material of Thomas Mawson’s design was found recently and is available to visitors.

Directions: Proceed south from Oban on Campbeltown Road for eight miles, turn right at the Easdale sign, a further eight miles on the B844; the garden is between the school and the village. Bus Oban - Easdale.

Admission: £6.00, children free
Charities: Scotland's Charity Air Ambulance 30% & Cancer Research UK 30%
Dunvegan Castle and Gardens

Dunvegan Castle and Gardens

Isle of Skye IV55 8WF
Hugh Macleod of Macleod
1 April - 15 October, 10am - 5:30pm (last entry 5pm) (2025)
3467
T:01470 521206 info@dunvegancastle.com
Any visit to the Isle of Skye is incomplete without enjoying the wealth of history and horticultural delights at award-winning 5* Dunvegan Castle & Gardens, now an RHS partner garden. The five acres of formal gardens began life in the 18th century. In stark contrast to the barren moorland and mountains which dominate Skye's landscape, the Castle's Water Garden, Round Garden, Walled Garden and woodland walks provide an oasis for an eclectic mix of flowers, exotic plants, shrubs and specimen trees, framed by shimmering pools fed from waterfalls. After visiting the Water Garden with its ornate bridges and islands replete with colourful plants along the riverbanks, wander through the elegant formal Round Garden. The Walled Garden, formerly the Castle's vegetable garden, now has a diverse range of plants and flowers completing the attractive features, including a water lily pond, garden museum, 17th century lectern sundial, glass house and the 'Dunvegan Pebble', a rotating 2.7 ton Carrara marble sculpture. The informal areas of the garden are kept wild to encourage wildlife, creating a more natural aesthetic framed by the coastal scenery. The present Chief, Hugh MacLeod, and his dedicated team of gardeners, continue to build on this unique legacy for future generations to enjoy.

Directions: One mile from Dunvegan village, 23 miles west of Portree. Follow the signs for Dunvegan Castle.

Admission: details can be found on the garden's website
Charities: Donation to SGS Beneficiaries
Glenkyllachy

Glenkyllachy

Tomatin IV13 7YA
Mr and Mrs Philip Mackenzie
1 May - 31 October (Monday & Tuesday), 10am - 5pm (2025)
7
emmaglenkyllachy@gmail.com
In a magnificent Highland glen, 1200 feet above sea level, Glenkyllachy is a beautiful garden of shrubs, herbaceous plants, rhododendrons, trees, and spectacular views down the Findhorn River. There are some rare specimens and a recently planted arboretum. Rhododendrons and bulbs flower in May/June, herbaceous plants bloom through July/August with glorious autumn colours in September and October. There is a very productive vegetable garden, polytunnel, fruit cage and greenhouse as well as original sculptures and a Highgrove-inspired wall which provide year round interest. Featured on TV Beechgrove, in The English Garden Magazine and recently in Scottish Field (November 2023). The garden is constantly evolving with new areas being developed and planting schemes changed.

Directions: Turn off the A9 at Tomatin and take the Coignafearn/Garbole single-track road down the north-side of the River Findhorn, there is a cattle grid and gate on the right 500 yards AFTER the humpback bridge and the sign to Farr.

Admission: £5.00, children free
Charities: Marie Curie 60%
Leathad Ard

Leathad Ard

Upper Carloway, Isle of Lewis HS2 9AQ
Rowena and Stuart Oakley
1 May - 30 September (not Sunday), 10am - 6pm (2025)
c47
T:01851 643204 leathad.ard@gmail.com
A one-acre sloping garden with stunning views over East Loch Roag. It has evolved along with the shelter hedges that divide the garden into a number of areas giving a new view at every corner. With shelter and raised beds, the different conditions created permit a wide variety of plants to be grown. Features include herbaceous borders, cutting borders, bog gardens, grass garden, exposed beds, patios, a pond and vegetables and fruit grown both in the open ground and the Keder greenhouse. Some of the vegetables are grown to show standards.

Directions: On the A858 Shawbost-Carloway take the first right after the Carloway football pitch, and it is the first house on the right. By bus take the Westside circular bus, exit Stornoway and head for Carloway football pitch.

Admission: £5.00, children free
Charities: British Red Cross 60%
Floors Castle

Floors Castle

Kelso TD5 7SF
The Duke of Roxburghe
1 May - 30 September, 10am - 5pm, admission details can be found on the garden's website. The Walled Garden, Terrace Cafe and Apple Shed are also open all year round and access to those during the winter months is via the B6397 only, NOT via the main entrance to the Castle on Roxburgh Street. (2025)
6d7
T:01573 223333
The gardens are situated within the grounds of Floors Castle. Meander through to the formal Millennium Parterre and soak up the spectacular visions of colour, texture and the most delicious scents around the four herbaceous borders in one of the finest Victorian kitchen gardens in Scotland. Features include perennial gardens, fruit cage, Tapestry Garden and glasshouse access as well as the Terrace Cafe, Apple Shed Gift Shop and Deli and children’s play area. Explore the grounds, which offer woodland and riverside walks from May to the end of September.

Directions: Floors Castle can be reached by following the A6089 from Edinburgh; the B6397 from Earlston; or the A698 from Coldstream. Go through Kelso, up Roxburgh Street to the Golden Gates. 

Admission: details can be found on the garden's website
Charities: Donation to SGS Beneficiaries
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Balmeanach House

Balmeanach, nr Struan, Isle of Skye IV56 8FH
Mrs Arlene Macphie
1 May - 4 October, 11am - 4pm (2025)
2c7
T:01470 572320 info@skye-holiday.com
Very much a plantsman's garden, begun in the early 1990s after a third-of-an-acre of croft land was fenced. A shelter belt now permits a plethora of diverse plants in exuberant herbaceous borders, which give nectar and pollen to keep the buzzing and fluttering going until autumn, plus rockeries and raised beds. Native trees rub shoulders with more exotic ornamental varieties, providing a canopy for shade-loving plants and nesting sites for the many birds who make the garden their home. A small pond in a sunken garden; a larger pond divided in two by a path over a culvert and a bog garden, give scope for marginal and moisture-loving plants. Meandering pathways lead through a small bluebell wood, an arbour garden, shrubbery and small birch wood, full of azaleas and rhododendrons. Plenty of seating throughout provides an invitation to sit, relax and enjoy the garden and stunning scenery beyond.

Directions: A87 to Sligachan, turn left and Balmeanach is five miles north of Struan and five miles south of Dunvegan.

Admission: £4.00, children free
Charities: Scottish SPCA 30% & Redwings 30%
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Kilchoan Gardens

Kilmelford PA34 4XD
Kilchoan Estate/ Luke Senior - Head Gardener
By arrangement (2025)
679
T:07425 054 743 or 01852 200 500 luke@kilchoanestate.co.uk
An eclectic private garden, open on specific dates and year round by appointment.
Since 2016, when Kilchoan Estate was taken into new ownership, the grounds have been developed and expanded; areas that had fallen into ruin and garden spaces reclaimed by nature have been uncovered; surviving plantings and mature trees have been enhanced; the footprint of further expansive garden and policies laid out.
A cosmopolitan collection of plants and artwork are displayed throughout the grounds, featuring a Himalayan garden, walled garden, arboretum with International Conifer Conservation Program collection, formal planting within native woodlands. Planting has been designed with conservation, diversity and beauty in mind, providing year-round interest. There is plenty to see and many places to sit, rest and reflect.
The chapel will be open. Teas available on SGS specific dates.

Directions: 4.5 miles along the road from the A816 turn off south of Kilmelford signed Degnish. Turn left after 1.5 miles at the bridge and Melfort Holiday Village. Follow this for 3 miles and look out for signage.

Admission: £6.00, children free
Charities: The Kilchoan Melfort Trust 30% & Netherlorn (Church of Scotland): Kilmelford Church New Annexe 30%
Laundry Cottage

Laundry Cottage

Culdrain, Gartly, Huntly AB54 4PY
Judith McPhun
By arrangement between Open by arrangement 1 January - 31 December, admission £5.00, children free. Snowdrops during February and March. Groups of up to 12 welcome. (2025)
b046
T:01466 720768 judithmcphun@icloud.com
An informal, cottage-style garden of about one-and-a-half acres by the River Bogie. Two contrasting steep slopes make up the wilder parts. The more intensively-gardened area around the cottage includes a wide variety of herbaceous plants, shrubs and trees, an orchard area and fruit and vegetable plots, making a garden of year-round interest.

Directions: Four miles south of Huntly on the A97.

Admission: £5.00, children free
Charities: Amnesty International UK Section Charitable Trust 60%
Barholm Castle

Barholm Castle

Gatehouse of Fleet DG7 2EZ
Drs John and Janet Brennan
By arrangement (2025)
b467
T:01557 840327 barholmcastle@gmail.com
Barholm Castle, a 16th-century tower, was restored from a ruin in 2005. The gardens surrounding the tower have been mostly developed from scratch and are now mature. There is a recently-extended walled garden, with a gate designed by the artist blacksmith Adam Booth; a courtyard garden; a wooded ravine with huge hybrid rhododendrons from Benmore; a pond and a large fernery with over 100 varieties of fern, including very large tree ferns; a large Victorian-style greenhouse filled with succulents and tender perennials; and a large open garden with island beds of shrubs and perennials and a pond. Directly around the castle are rockeries and shrub borders. Views over Wigtown Bay are magnificent. The garden is planted for year-round colour, from February, when the castle ravine is a river of snowdrops, to October, when autumn colour is splendid.

Directions: Off the A75 at the Cairn Holy turn off, fork right three times and drive up a steep narrow road for half-a-mile. 

Admission: £5.00, children free
Charities: Home-Start Wigtownshire 60%
Charleston Forest Garden

Charleston Forest Garden

43 Gourdie Terrace, Dundee DD2 4QT
L Wakefield
By arrangement (2025)
47
charlestonforestgarden@gmail.com
A young forest garden in Dundee, practising permaculture principles. Perennial vegetables are scattered throughout the garden, along with medicinal herbs, fruit trees, edible hedges and ornamental edible plants. A small flock of chickens contribute to a composting system and there is also a 'chop and drop' approach being used. This garden is home to some Scottish heirloom vegetable varieties, with the intention to save seeds to share. There is a small patch of alpines and a number of roses throughout, along with some purely ornamental herbaceous perennials, mostly grown with pollinators and wildlife in mind.

Directions: In the centre of Charleston, Dundee, with some parking on Gourdie Terrace and Balgarthno Road. The number 28 bus stops around the corner at the community centre.

Admission: £5.00, children free
Charities: Dementia UK 60%
Mouse Cottage

Mouse Cottage

Strathtay, Pitlochry PH9 0PG
Penny Kennedy
By arrangement between 1 January - 29 November (2025)
4k
T:07799 678067 mymousecottage@outlook.com
Mouse Cottage sits on a south-facing hill overlooking Strathtay. Small but packed with interesting features, it is a semi-wild haven of secret places where self-seeders mix with annuals and more formal planting. The owner is an artist who adores her garden space and collects quirky planting containers such as dustbins and dolly tubs. Her Pear Parasol and Holly Brolly are amongst her favourite features. Gravel paths wind through shady places full of joyous surprises such as Crambe cordifolia. Self catering and B & B accommodation is available at: www.mymousecottage.co.uk

Directions: From the A9 take the exit at Ballinluig signposted Aberfeldy. Go through Logierait, after about four miles turn right at T junction. At Grandtully turn right, over the bridge, up the hill to Strathtay Post Office. Turn right passing the golf course up to the red telephone box. Mouse Cottage is next opening on the left, signposted. Please beware of flying golf balls! NB: No parking at Mouse Cottage. On street parking possible at Strathtay. Bus 23 (Aberfeldy to Perth) stops at Grandtully Bridge.

Admission: £5.00, children free
Charities: Donation to SGS Beneficiaries
Harthill

Harthill

Reediehill Farm, Auchtermuchty KY14 7HS
Nichola and John Fletcher
By arrangement between 6 January - 31 October (2025)
2c67
T:01337 828369 info@nicholafletcher.com
Harthill enjoys a tranquil setting in the hills just above Auchtermuchty with beautiful views and, if you are lucky, sightings of the stunning herd of white deer who also live there. The garden, of approximately one acre, offers a large varied flower garden with vegetable, fruit and nursery areas; two separate wild gardens planted with specimen trees, a lochan and a small woodland. In late May to early June our meconopsis and primula beds, with woodland plants, are at their best. Summer offers herbaceous interest including a pergola dripping with roses and a large mound with grasses, thalictrum and many large plants. Autumn colours are in the trees and shrubs, with grasses and cyclamen through to early winter.

Directions: Find 'Reediehill Deer Farm' on Google maps. Go 50 metres up the concrete drive then turn left at Harthill sign. Continue over the cattle grid up the drive to reach Harthilll house. Directions can be emailed.

Admission: by donation
Charities: TST: The Tim Stead Trust 60%
The Pond Garden

The Pond Garden

The Pond, Milnathort KY13 0SD
Fay Young and Ray Perman
By arrangement between 1 February - 31 December (2025)
67
T:07767 407396 fay@fayyoung.org
A wild woodland and wetland garden adapting to climate change. We learn from resilient plants and wildlife. There are flowers, fruits, seeds, and nuts to support birds, bats, bees, butterflies, red squirrels and tiny unknowns! Woodland paths lead through snowdrops, daffodils, bluebells, foxgloves, and ferns. Mature beeches and oaks mark boundaries of former Victorian estate. Mosses and mushrooms grow among log piles, stone shapes, and a stumpery. Since mid 1990s we have rebuilt and retrofitted the derelict farm cottage with external insulation and renewable energy. Now we plan Himalayan and native Scottish plantings overlooking the streams.

Directions: From Milnathort village. At the mini roundabout in the centre of the village take the north exit (signed for Path of Condie) up Wester Loan, then North Street. At the top of the hill, past the church on your left, you will cross the motorway again. Carry straight on for 1/2 mile, the gate to Pond Cottage is on the right after a field opening.

Admission: £5.50, children free
Charities: CHAS: Children's Hospices Across Scotland 60%
Madeira

Madeira

Grangemuir, Pittenweem KY10 2RB
Tara Macdonald
By arrangement between 1 February - 30 September (Tuesday & Thursday). (2025)
b47k
T:07867 798746 tara@madeirainfife.com
Madeira is a wonderful, ten-acre eco garden with a Victorian walled garden at its centre. We have an orchard and vegetable garden, pretty paths through woodland and plenty of bluebells and snowdrops. We don’t use chemicals and fully support wildlife and the habitat they live in; the bee garden and our wilding areas are just two examples. The garden is a work in progress and we are continually creating spaces and fun things for kids to enjoy e.g. our dragon's den, Viking shelter, rope swings and more. We grow our own vegetables and love turning our fruit into juices, jellies, jams and ice-cream. We’d be delighted to show you round or let you wander and enjoy.

Directions: Take the bus to Pittenween and walk up Charles Street, past the recycling centre and we are 400 metres up on the left.

Admission: £6.00, children free
Charities: All proceeds to SGS Beneficiaries
Delvine

Delvine

Murthly PH1 4LD
Mr David Gemmell
By arrangement between 1 February - 1 December (2025)
7
T:07748 207647 gemmell.david@googlemail.com
The arboretum at Delvine covers more than 10 acres. The arboretum is situated on a flood plain, flanked by oxbow lakes on each side. This is the place to visit for those who seek a remote and peaceful setting. As one proceeds in a westerly direction, one enters an area of great drifts of chimonobambusa and miscanthus grasses with water and wildlife in abundance. The walking is easy, but not suitable for wheelchair users. This garden will appeal to those seeking the unusual.

Directions: On the A984, seven miles east of Dunkeld, four miles south-west of Blairgowrie. Turn through gateway and follow drive to wooden gates with Arboretum sign.

Admission: £5.00, children free
Charities: Army Benevolent Fund 60%
Kilbryde Castle

Kilbryde Castle

Dunblane FK15 9NF
Sir James and Lady Campbell
By arrangement between 16 March - 30 September (2025)
67
T:01786 824897 carolaandjames@googlemail.com
Kilbryde Castle gardens cover some 12 acres and are situated above the Ardoch Burn and below the castle. The gardens are split into three parts: informal, woodland and wild. Natural planting (azaleas, rhododendrons, camellias and magnolias) is found in the woodland garden. There are glorious snowdrops, spring bulbs, and autumn colour provided by clematis and acers.

Directions: Three miles from Dunblane and Doune, off the A820 between Dunblane and Doune. On Scotland’s Gardens Scheme open days the garden is signposted from the A820. 

Admission: £5.00, children free
Charities: Leighton Library Trust 60%
Bonhard House

Bonhard House

Perth PH2 7PQ
Stephen and Charlotte Hay
By arrangement between Groups welcome to enquire (2025)
67
T:07990 574570 stephenjohnhay@me.com
Traditional 19th-century garden of five acres approached through an avenue of magnificent oaks. Mature trees, six classified by the National Tree Register as 'remarkable', including a monkey puzzle (1852, one of the first 12 brought to Scotland), sequoias, Douglas fir and a variety of hollies. Reinstated and new herbaceous borders. Rhododendron and azalea beds. Recently planted spring and summer flowering meadow areas with a variety of fruit and nut trees. Beehive and a productive vegetable garden. A new larch arbour with climbing roses and clematis. Grass paths meander through a pond area with shrubs and mature trees. A pinetum with 25 different varieties. Garden emphasis on wildlife habitat as well as aesthetics. Resident red squirrels. Plentiful and varied birdlife.

Directions: On the A94 just under a mile north of Perth take the right turn, signed Murrayshall Country Estate. After approximately one mile take the entrance right marked Bonhard House, at a sharp left turn. From Balbeggie turn left, signposted for Bonhard, one mile north of Scone. Turn right in a half-a-mile, pass any sign for Bonhard Nursery, and enter the drive at sharp right turn.

Admission: £5.00, children free
Charities: Freedom from Fistula Foundation 60%
House of Aigas and Field Centre

House of Aigas and Field Centre

by Beauly IV4 7AD
Sir John and Lady Lister-Kaye
By arrangement between 1 April - 31 October (2025)
6ek
T:01463 782443 info@aigas.co.uk
The House of Aigas has a small arboretum of named Victorian specimen trees and modern additions. The garden consists of extensive rockeries, herbaceous borders, ponds and shrubs. Aigas Field Centre rangers lead regular guided walks on nature trails through woodland, moorland and around a loch.
Champion Trees: Douglas fir, Atlas cedar and Sequoiadendron giganteum

Directions: Four-and-a-half miles from Beauly on the A831 Cannich/Glen Affric road.

Admission: £5.00, children free
Charities: Highland Hospice: Aird branch 60%
Glassmount House

Glassmount House

by Kirkcaldy KY2 5UT
Peter, James and Irene Thomson
By arrangement between 1 April - 30 September (2025)
7
T:01592 890214 mcmoonter@yahoo.co.uk
Densely planted walled garden with surrounding woodland. An A-listed sundial, Mackenzie & Moncur greenhouse and historical doocot are complemented by a number of newer structures. Daffodils are followed by a mass of candelabra and cowslip primula, meconopsis and Cardiocrinum giganteum. Hedges and topiary form backdrops for an abundance of bulbs, clematis, rambling roses and perennials, creating interest through the summer into September. The garden is now extending beyond the walls, with new areas of naturalistic planting blending the boundary between the surrounding fields and the woodland.

Directions: From Kirkcaldy, head west on the B9157. Turn left immediately after the railway bridge on the edge of town. Follow the single track road for one-and-a-half miles and cross the crossroads. Glassmount House is the first turning on your right.

Admission: £6.00, children free
Charities: Parkinsons UK 60%
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Burnside

Littlemill Road, Drongan KA6 7EN
Sue Simpson and George Watt
By arrangement between 1 April - 30 September (2025)
067
T:01292 592445 suesimpson33@btinternet.com
This maturing and constantly changing six-and-a-half acre garden began in 2006. There is a wide range of plants from trees to alpines, giving colour and variability all year. Next to the road flows the Drumbowie Burn, parallel to which is a woodland border with snowdrops, erythroniums, hellebores, trilliums, rhododendrons and acers. Near the house are a raised bed and large collection of troughs, with an interesting range of alpines. The garden boasts herbaceous beds, ericaceous garden, screes, three alpine glasshouses with award-winning plants, an extensive Streptocarpus collection, polytunnel, pond and arboretum - underplanted with daffodils, camassia, fritillaries and crocus. With a view towards matrimonial harmony, there are two sheds which may be of interest. The garden is only 15 minutes from Dumfries House.

Directions: From the A77 Ayr bypass take the A70 Cumnock for 5¼ miles, at Coalhall, turn onto the B730 Drongan (south) for 2½ miles. Burnside entrance is immediately adjacent to a black/white parapeted bridge. Ordnance survey grid ref: NS455162.

Admission: £6.00, children free
Charities: Alzheimer's Research UK 60%
Dundonnell House

Dundonnell House

Little Loch Broom, Wester Ross IV23 2QW
Dundonnell Estates
By arrangement between 1 April - 31 October (2025)
6e7
T:07789 390028 sueandwill@icloud.com
Camellias, magnolias and bulbs in spring, rhododendrons and laburnum walk in this ancient walled garden. Exciting planting gives all year round interest, centred around one of the oldest yew trees in Scotland. A water sculpture, unique Victorian glass house, riverside walk, arboretum - all in the valley below the peaks of An Teallach.
Champion Trees: Yew and Holly

Directions: Turn off the A835 at Braemore on to the A832. After 11 miles take the Badralloch turn for a ½ mile.

Admission: £5.00, children free
Charities: Médecins Sans Frontières 30% & Environmental Investigation Agency 30%
Ruthven Cottage Hardy Plant Nursery

Ruthven Cottage Hardy Plant Nursery

Delnies, Nairn IV12 5NT
Mari and Kevin Reid
By arrangement between 1 April - 30 September (2025)
5
T:07874 779705 kevin.mari@gmail.com
The garden has exciting interest all year round. It features several large colourful herbaceous borders and many of the plants are sold at the nursery. The naturalistic style of planting with grasses and perennials looks good from late spring to late summer. There is also a pond, greenhouse and chickens.

Directions: From Inverness take the A96 to Nairn, Ruthven Cottage is on your left just before the Sandown Road Crossroads. From Nairn the entrance is on your right off the A96. Ruthven Cottage is at the end of the lane.

Admission: by donation
Charities: All proceeds to SGS Beneficiaries
Thirlestane

Thirlestane

Kelso TD5 8PD
Catherine Ross and John Wylie
By arrangement between 1 April - 31 October (2025)
67
T:01573 420487 catherineaross37@gmail.com
Thirlestane is a large informal garden. There is a walled garden with colour-themed borders and an orchard with many old varieties of fruit trees. In front of the house prairie planting is surrounded by high beech hedges. The young nine-acre wood has trees and shrubs selected for autumn colour and for decorative bark and fruit. These include Persian Ironwood, Golden Rain Tree, Scarlet Oak, Monarch Birch, Himalayan Birch, Tibetan Cherry, Chinese Hawthorn and various maples.

Directions: Thirlestane is near Yetholm, not to be confused with Thirlestane Castle, Lauder. Do not follow SatNav, it will try to take you to Lochside. From Kelso, take the B6352 towards Yetholm for about six miles. Continue past a cottage on the edge of the road. Thirlestane is next on the left, opposite the road to Lochside. From Yetholm, take the road to Kelso for about two miles. After a very sharp corner, Thirlestane is on the right. 

Admission: £5.00, children free
Charities: Alzheimer Scotland 60%
Old Farm Cottage

Old Farm Cottage

The Ladywell, Nemphlar, Lanark ML11 9GX
Ian and Anne Sinclair
By arrangement between 18 April - 30 September (2025)
467
T:01555 663345 M: 07833 204180 anniesinclair58@gmail.com
Ian and Anne have been developing this delightful one acre garden for twenty five years and it now has something to interest visitors from springtime through until autumn. In April and May daffodils, narcissi, camassias, hellebores, trilliums, spring flowering shrubs and trees light up the garden. A large array of colourful trees, shrubs, and herbaceous plantings, many of them scented, can be enjoyed throughout the rest of the year. Prunus Amanogawa, Amelanchiers, Katsura trees and the spectacular fruit of Cornus kousas are just a few of the plants that you can expect to see. The garden will be of interest not only for gardeners but bird watchers, walkers and photographers.

Directions: Leave the A73 at Cartland Bridge (Lanark to Carluke Road) or the A72 (Clyde Valley Road) at Crossford. Both routes are well signposted. The garden is on the Nemphlar spur of the Clyde Walkway, just off the West Nemphlar Road on Ladywell Lane. One mile walk from Cartland Bridge bus stop.

Admission: £4.00, children free
Charities: Dogs Trust 60%
Glenkyllachy

Glenkyllachy

Tomatin IV13 7YA
Mr and Mrs Philip Mackenzie
By arrangement between 1 May - 31 October (2025)
7
emmaglenkyllachy@gmail.com
In a magnificent Highland glen, 1200 feet above sea level, Glenkyllachy is a beautiful garden of shrubs, herbaceous plants, rhododendrons, trees, and spectacular views down the Findhorn River. There are some rare specimens and a recently planted arboretum. Rhododendrons and bulbs flower in May/June, herbaceous plants bloom through July/August with glorious autumn colours in September and October. There is a very productive vegetable garden, polytunnel, fruit cage and greenhouse as well as original sculptures and a Highgrove-inspired wall which provide year round interest. Featured on TV Beechgrove, in The English Garden Magazine and recently in Scottish Field (November 2023). The garden is constantly evolving with new areas being developed and planting schemes changed.

Directions: Turn off the A9 at Tomatin and take the Coignafearn/Garbole single-track road down the north-side of the River Findhorn, there is a cattle grid and gate on the right 500 yards AFTER the humpback bridge and the sign to Farr.

Admission: £5.00, children free
Charities: Marie Curie 60%
Brooklands

Brooklands

Crocketford DG2 8QH
Mr and Mrs Robert Herries
By arrangement between 1 May - 30 September (2025)
67
T:Gardener, Matthew Grieve: 07765 491902
Large old walled garden with a wide selection of plants, including some interesting shrubs and climbers and a kitchen garden. Mature woodland with many established rhododendrons and azaleas, and carpeted with snowdrops in February.

Directions: Turn off the A712 Crocketford to New Galloway Road one mile outside Crocketford at the Gothic gatehouse (on the right travelling north).

Admission: £5.00, children free
Charities: All proceeds to SGS Beneficiaries
The Potting Shed

The Potting Shed

Broughton Place, Broughton, Biggar ML12 6HJ
Jane and Graham Buchanan-Dunlop
By arrangement between 1 May - 31 October (2025)
c67
T:01899 830574 buchanandunlop@btinternet.com
A one-acre garden begun from scratch in 2008, on an exposed hillside at 900 feet. It contains herbaceous plants, climbers, shrubs and trees - all selected for wind resistance and ability to cope with the poor, stony soil. There are usually fine views to the Southern Uplands.

Directions: Signposted from the main A701 Edinburgh - Moffat Road, immediately north of Broughton village. 

Admission: £5.00, children free
Charities: Nomad Beat Ltd: Peebles Community Music School 60%
Carig Dhubh

Carig Dhubh

Bonskeid, Pitlochry PH16 5NP
Jane and Niall Graham-Campbell
By arrangement between 1 May - 30 September (2025)
7
T:01796 473469 niallgc@btinternet.com
'I don’t know how Niall and Jane manage to grow their splendid meconopsis on the sand and rock of their garden but they do, most successfully.' In this stunning situation, when not admiring the views, you will find wonderful primulas, cardiocrinum and meconopsis, all interspersed between beautiful shrubs and other herbaceous plants. Look up and in July you will see roses flowering 40 feet up in the tree. This is a gem of a garden and you will be welcomed by Niall and Jane Graham-Campbell with all their expert knowledge.

Directions: Take the old A9 between Pitlochry and Killiecrankie, turn west on the Tummel Bridge Road B8019, Carig Dhubh is three-quarters of a mile on the north side of the road.

Admission: £5.00, children free
Charities: Earl Haig Fund Poppy Scotland 60%
Beechwood

Beechwood

Broughton, Peeblesshire ML12 6HH
Susheila and James Gordon
By arrangement between 1 May - 30 September (2025)
267
T:07810 837068 or 01899 830443 susheilarachan@gmail.com
An informal sculptor's garden adjacent to a mature woodland and pond. A well-planted stream runs through the garden. There are varied perennial meadows to encourage wildlife and provide forage for the resident bees, it also features many examples of the owners' artworks which are inspired by the natural world.

Directions: Approximately one mile south of Broughton take the B712 off the A701. Then first left turn onto unmade road.

Admission: £5.00, children free
Charities: MND Scotland 60%
Old Allangrange

Old Allangrange

Munlochy IV8 8NZ
J J Gladwin
By arrangement between 1 May - 31 October (2025)
e
T:01463 811304 office@blackislegardendesign.com
We have an ornamental garden surrounding the house (new information discovered dates it from the 17th rather than 18th Century), and a three acre productive garden with two Keder greenhouses, designed using agroforestry and permaculture principles and gardened bio-dynamically using no-dig technique. The ornamental garden has different areas with distinctive characters. There is a parterre in front of the house with informal planting, a lower garden, an ornamental propagation garden, a mound and orchard. Hedges, (pleached lime, yew, beech, box, holly and mixed species field hedges) clipped in various styles connect the different areas of the garden. We have started to remove perimeter wire fences replacing them with log hedges and brash bunds. With a keen interest in gardening for biodiversity from the soil upwards, no chemicals have been used since our arrival in 1995. The development and improvement of the garden is ongoing.
Champion Trees: Yew and sweet chestnut.

Directions: From Inverness head four miles north on the A9, and follow the directions for Black Isle Brewery. Park up at the Brewery and walk down to the garden. Directions will be given in the shop.

Admission: £7.50, children free
Charities: Flourish 60%
Barochreal

Barochreal

Kilninver, Oban, Argyll PA34 4UT
Nigel and Antoinette Mitchell
By arrangement between 1 May - 30 September (2025)
46
T:01852 316151 antoinettemitchell1946@gmail.com
The garden was started in 2006. Fencing and stone walling define it from the rest of Barochreal land. Every year an area has been added, resulting in the gardens you will see today. There are rhododendron banks, a water feature, waterfalls and burns, a pond, a walled rose garden, active beehives (now housed in a purpose-built bee shelter built in 2021), tiered areas, a greenhouse and wild garden across the burn. Maintained walking tracks in the fields lead to viewpoints. Biodiversity studies revealed that rare butterflies inhabit the small glen by the waterfall. There are forty different species of moths including rare micro moths and over seventy species of wildflowers in the fields, including three types of wild orchid. There is an abundance of wildlife including red squirrels, pine martens and a wide range of birds can be seen. This garden is a haven of tranquillity, as seen in episode 9 of 2022 Beechgrove Garden.

Directions: Fifteen minutes south of Oban. On the main A816 Oban to Lochgilphead road just to the south of the village of Kilninver on the left-hand side of the road. Bus Oban - Lochgilpead stops at Kilninver School, short walk after. Please disregard SatNav and use what3words address instead www.w3w.co/albums.forest.tinned

Admission: £5.00, children free
Charities: Scottish SPCA 60%
Dal an Eas

Dal an Eas

Kilmore, Oban PA34 4XU
Mary Lindsay
By arrangement between 1 May - 30 September (2025)
2c7
T:01631 770246 marylindsayargyll@googlemail.com
An informal organic country garden with the aim of increasing the biodiversity of native plants and insects while adding interest and colour with introduced trees, shrubs and naturalised perennials. There is a structured garden round the house and beyond there are extensive flower-filled ‘meadows’ with five different species of native orchid. Grass paths lead to waterfalls, vegetable plot, woodland garden, views and ancient archaeological sites.

Directions: From Oban take the A816 to Kilmore three-and-a-half miles south of Oban. Turn left on the road to Barran and Musdale. Keep left at the junction for Connel. Dal an Eas is approximately one mile on the left before the big hedges.

Admission: £5.00, children free
Charities: All proceeds to SGS Beneficiaries
Struanbridge

Struanbridge

Essich Road, Inverness IV2 6AH
Marcus and Catriona Jenks
By arrangement between 1 May - 31 October (2025)
247
mjenks@greenx.co.uk
A small, well-stocked garden approximately three miles from Inverness city centre, set on three levels each with its own distinct character. The entrance to the garden includes a decking area with a small fruit garden and raised beds. The small mid-tier area consists of mainly hydrangeas and rhododendrons and the very informal, hidden lower garden includes a wildlife pond, raised beds, and shaded garden area with a greenhouse, all framed by an old stone bridge and a small burn. Due to its layout, the garden is not suitable for wheelchairs and requires the ability to climb a number of steps to view.

Directions: From the Inverness Southern Distributor road (A8082) exit the Essich roundabout onto Essich Road. Struanbridge is located exactly a ½ mile from the roundabout, on the left. Parking is restricted.,

Admission: £4.00, children free
Charities: Mikeysline 60%
Kirkbrae House

Kirkbrae House

Culross KY12 8JD
Sandra Bannister
By arrangement between 1 June - 30 September (2025)
12c467
Sandra.bannister18@gmail.com
An acre of walled garden sitting high in the village of Culross in the shadow of the Abbey. With meandering paths through perennial beds, bright annuals and shrubs and trees from as far as South America and Asia, the garden provides interest from late spring until autumn. The garden aims to provide an environment of joy, surprise and opportunity to sit and enjoy the spectacular garden views of the River Forth.

Directions: The garden is located on Kirk Street. On leaving the lower village start to climb up to the Abbey, the garden gates open directly onto Kirk Street. Car parking is either below the garden or near the Abbey. Buses come into the village from Dunfermline and Kincardine.

Admission: £6.00, children free
Charities: Pancreatic Cancer Scotland 30% & Perennial 30%
15 Fairfield Road

15 Fairfield Road

Broughty Ferry, Dundee DD5 1NX
Aileen Scoular
By arrangement between 1 June - 30 September (2025)
4679
aileen.scoular@me.com
This sunny, contemporary garden contains many mature trees and shrubs, plus lots of recently planted beds and borders. A shady courtyard contains Japanese acers and spring-flowering bulbs, while colourful perennial planting near the house attracts pollinating insects. A new productive area, with raised beds and a greenhouse, is used to grow fruit and veg, plus dahlias and annual cut flowers. The garden is being developed in a sustainable way, where possible – no herbicides or pesticides are used; rainwater is harvested; and the stone used in the landscaping was found in the garden and re-purposed. The garden has a prolific bird and insect population, despite being in an urban location.

Directions: Fairfield Road is easily reached by car, via Dundee Road (A930) or Arbroath Road (A92); by bus - services 73 and 5 both stop on Strathern Road, a two-minute walk away; and by train - Broughty Ferry train station is a 15-20 minute walk. On street parking available.

Admission: £5.00, children free
Charities: RNLI 60%
2 Durnamuck

2 Durnamuck

Little Loch Broom, Wester Ross IV23 2QZ
Will Soos and Susan Pomeroy
By arrangement between 1 July - 30 September (2025)
7k
T:07789 390028 sueandwill@icloud.com
Our garden is south-east facing on the edge of Little Loch Broom. It is a coastal plantsman's garden with a rich mix of herbaceous borders, trees and shrubs, vegetables, drystone wall planting. South African/Mediterranean plants, a wild meadow and stunning views. Many of the plants have been collected from all over the world, and growing them has provided obvious challenges but with a pleasing outcome. Featured in 2019 entries in Gardens Illustrated, Homes & Gardens and Beechgrove. Entry in the English Garden magazine in September 2020.

Directions: On the A832, between Dundonnell and Ullapool, take the turning along the single-track road signed Badcaul, continue to the egg shack, turn right, go to the bottom of the hill and 2 Durnamuck is the house with the red roof. There is parking down by the house if needed.

Admission: £5.00, children free
Charities: Sandpiper Trust 60%
Craigowan

Craigowan

Ballinluig PH9 0NE
Simon Jones
By arrangement between 20 September - 20 October (2025)
67
T:07856 859219 simonqjones@mail.com
We welcome you to view our five-acre, family-developed showpiece garden, maturing over the last 35 years. The extensive range of around a thousand species and hybrid rhododendrons flower from January to their peak in April and May depending on frost damage due to our location at 500 feet above sea level. These are backed up by ornamental trees, perennials and an extensive herbaceous border in a diverse mix of woodland, prepared beds and specialist rhododendron planting areas. We are on a hillside but have tried to make the garden as accessible as possible to all. Most visitors require at least an hour for a basic viewing.

Directions: From north or southbound of the A9 to Ballinluig junction. Pass the Ballinluig filling station and motor grill on your right. Turn right at the primary school following the Tulliemet/Dalcapon sign; this is a single track road with passing places. About half-a-mile up the road take a left turning to Dalcapon, a further mile up the road is Craigowan garden. It is surrounded by a deer fence on the left. Please park on paviours adjoining the house.

Admission: £5.00, children free
Charities: LUPUS UK 60%