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The Scottish Highlands' Botanics

Tree ferns and palms at Logan Botanic Garden, plus Castle Kennedy and Glenwhan, in the mild air of Dumfries and Galloway.
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Tour Summary

With clear air and profuse flowers in the gardens, Dumfries and Galloway is a beautiful part of Scotland, home to an undulating coastline and acres of forest and green space.

Included in This Tour

  • 4 nights accommodation
  • Breakfast and all evening meals
  • Castle Kennedy Gardens
  • Glenwhan Gardens
  • Arbigland House and Gardens
  • Logan Botanic Garden
  • Entry to NT properties if member
  • Private coach travel
  • Services of an experienced driver
  • 10 singles with no supplement
  • Cancellation Protection

Tour Itinerary

Broughton House and Gardens NT

Broughton House is an 18th-century town house standing in the heart of Kirkcudbright, a pretty town and artists’ colony on the Solway Firth. It was the home of renowned Scots impressionist ‘Glasgow Boy’ E. A. Hornel between 1901 and his death in 1933. During this time Hornel remodelled the house and created the Japanese-influenced gardens. The house has been beautifully refurbished to create a living museum dedicated to Hornel’s life and work.  A real treat for art-lovers, the house is packed to the rafters with paintings, photographs and sculpture. Take a look inside Hornel’s studio and discover his love of oriental flora in his beautiful Japanese-inspired garden. Discover the Collections Room - a unique display specially selected from Hornel’s splendid collection of rare books, photographs and other artefacts.   Outside, Hornel and his sister crafted a beautiful garden with expansive views over the port of Kirkcudbright and the River Dee. This mature garden is now a gentle maze of walking blocks, wisteria-covered paths and Edwardian charm.

Threave Garden Estate NT

Threave Garden Estate is a garden for all seasons and a haven for wildlife, with an osprey platform and bat reserve. Enjoy stunning views over the Galloway Hills and the Ken/Dee valley and keep an eye out for soaring ospreys, red kites and peregrine falcons over the wetlands nature reserve.  Red squirrels, waders, kingfishers and otters also make their home here. Explore one of Scotland’s most biodiverse nature reserves, with a remarkable collection of wildlife, flora and fauna. The garden is divided into a series of smaller gardens to showcase different styles, including a rose garden, rockery and walled garden. At the centre stands Threave House, designed in the Scottish Baronial style in 1871 for the Gordon family. Many of its rooms are displayed as they were in the 1930s.  

Castle Kennedy Gardens

Castle Kennedy Gardens with its famous 75 acres of landscaped gardens are located on an isthmus surrounded by two large natural lochs. At one end, the ruined Castle Kennedy overlooks a beautiful herbaceous walled garden with Lochinch Castle at the other end. With over 300 years of planting, there is an impressive collection of rare trees, rhododendrons, exotic shrubs and many spectacular Champion Trees. The stunning snowdrop walks, daffodils, spring flowers, rhododendron and magnolia displays and herbaceous borders make this a ‘must visit’ garden throughout the year.  

Glenwhan Gardens

Glenwhan Gardens has been described as one of the most beautiful newly made gardens in Scotland, with unique and stunning sea views across to the Isle of Man, Luce Bay and the Mull of Galloway. The Gardens are a labour of love, hewn from rough moorland 35 years ago. With the warming influence of the Gulf Stream, Glenwhan grows many tender plants from around the Southern Hemisphere, together with large collections of rare trees and shrubs. A numbered Tree Trail for the Dendrologist has been collated, along with a 17 acre Moorland Wildflower Walk with 120 species of wildflowers, grasses and ferns and the chance to see red squirrels. Two small lakes (Lochans) are the focal point of these family-run gardens, with seats and meandering paths running along enchanting walks with interesting sculptures to discover. 

Arbigland House and Gardens

Arbigland House is an Adam-style 18th-century mansion surrounded by 24 acres of woodland gardens running down to a beach on the Solway Firth with views to the Cumbrian Hills. The gardens date from the 18th century but the more formal areas were developed in the late 19th and early 20th centuries and are currently undergoing a programme of restoration and development. There are 200 year-old trees lining the Broad Walk which runs down to the Solway and a huge variety of rhododendrons and azaleas. Within the woodland are a range of features including a stream-fed lake and a Japanese garden, with a more formal sundial garden and sunken rose garden, all in the process of renewal. Amongst these are a diverse collection of mature trees and shrubs.

Logan Botanic Garden

Logan Botanic Garden is at the south-western tip of Scotland, the country's 'most exotic garden'. Warmed by the Gulf Stream, southern hemisphere plants flourish in this plantsman's paradise near Port Logan in Dumfries and Galloway. Visit Logan Botanic Garden, which was established in 1869, and discover a remarkable collection of unusual and beautiful plants. Logan is an exotic paradise, visitors can walk through groves of eucalyptus and palm trees or stand in the shade of awesome giant rhubarb-like gunnera. The Walled Garden is a breathtaking celebration of the world of plants. From spring to late autumn, a blaze of colour greets the eye and the air is heavy with rich scents. On a sunny day, the atmosphere is truly tropical. Plant treasures from South and Central America, Southern Africa and Australasia flourish here and the elegant Logan Conservatory houses a range of especially tender plants.  A stroll to the highest point at Logan will be rewarded with a breathtaking view across the Rhins of Galloway Hills and beyond. The Garden adjoins the Logan Estate and Category A-listed House, which remain in private ownership.

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