Scottish Gardens, Part 2

In Scotland’s south, the shire of Dumfries and Galloway, we explored a couple of gardens new to us on this fall’s trip. 

Threave Estate and Garden.  One mile west of Castle Douglas just off A75 is Threave Estate and Garden (National Trust for Scotland), which shouldn’t be confused with Threave Caste (Historic Scotland) on an island in the middle of the River Dee.

The 64 acre garden,  part of the 1500 acre Threave Estate, was developed in 1867 by William Gordon who bought the estate.  The garden consists of numerous small gardens: Secret Garden, Walled Garden, Patio Garden, Rockery, rose garden, heather beds, etc.  

While the one acre walled Garden is not as large as many others, it still held many interesting plants and blooms.  The estate also features a Visitor’s Centre with cafe and gift shop, an education centre in the old stables, and tours of the grand Threave House, 

a restored Scottish Baronial mansion, can be arranged.  

                                             Golden raspberries at Threave Garden

The National Trust for Scotland lists the Threave Estate and Garden as one of its ten most visited attractions. 

Logan Botanic Garden.  If it weren’t so far out of the way (14 miles south of Stranraer in the Rhins of Galloway off B7065) 

Logan Garden, part of the Royal Botanic Garden of Edinburgh, would be impossibly crowded.  As it is, plenty of visitors find their way to what is considered Scotland’s most exotic garden.  Warmed by the Gulf Stream, the garden is filled with a large variety of palm trees and semi-tropical plants.  

The Walled Garden with its 15-foot tall stone walls was part of the walled garden of the Logan Estate.  In 1969 the garden became a regional garden of the Royal Botanic Garden of Edinburgh and its stature and plantings grew accordingly. 

The Walled Garden contains a Desert Garden, a Rock Garden, and a Woodland Garden. Also built as part of the wall is the Potting Shed Bistro whose quality fare rivals that of Kailzie Garden (see previous gardens entry). 

Logan Botanic offers as part of its reasonable admission charge a self-led audio tour--Anne and I chose to wander without the audio guide.   

Logan Botanic Garden was the last garden we visited on this trip, and after lunch and a wander in the garden we took a series of single-track back roads to the southernmost reaches of Scotland and the Mull of Galloway Lighthouse--

one of several we visited on this trip, but that’s a topic for another story.