Your holiday summary
| Holiday type |
Garden holidays |
|---|---|
| Country |
United Kingdom |
| Travel type |
Fly |
| Price range | From £595 |
| Travel partner | Brightwater Holidays |
| Duration | 3 nights |
|
Need help with your booking? 0330 333 6701 |
Highland & Islands Gardens
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The Western Seaboard of Scotland is home to some of the finest gardens in Europe. Many types of plant flourish in this gentle and moist climate, enjoying the benefit of the Gulf Stream which is kind to unusual exotic shrubs and trees.
The great gardens were mostly conceived in the Victorian era when the huge estates in the Highlands and Islands were at their peak. Many gardens were laid out to complement grand country homes or castles, while others are private and hidden on some of the most beautiful Hebridean Islands. Flowering rhododendrons and azaleas turn these peaceful locations into a riot of colour and alongside the subtle greens from native birch, oak and pine combine to form a wonderful natural tapestry.
On the Isle of Bute we visit two wonderful horticultural sites - one small, one enormous! Ascog Fernery was recently restored and is the only one of its type. Mount Stuart is one of the largest, most spectacular High Victorian Gothic houses in Britain and a real treasure trove for the garden enthusiast. We also visit Gigha, a gem of an island, nestling close to the mainland just off the Kintyre peninsula. Here Sir James Horlick (of bedtime drink fame) created his marvellous woodland garden at Achamore.
Other grand gardens include Arduaine at Loch Melfort, the quaint private garden of An Cala on the Isle of Seil, Crarae Gardens with its great Asiatic flowering shrubs, and Benmore Botanic Gardens, near Dunoon, which make this a collection of gardens which stand shoulder high to gardens anywhere in the world. Our tour will be based at Stonefield Castle Hotel. This 19th century castle, commanding spectacular views over Loch Fyne, stands in 60 acres of beautiful woodland gardens containing some fine rhododendrons and other exotic shrubs. The chteau-style hotel offers guests every comfort, while retaining its dignity and historic charm and the view from the restaurant is simply spectacular.
The great gardens were mostly conceived in the Victorian era when the huge estates in the Highlands and Islands were at their peak. Many gardens were laid out to complement grand country homes or castles, while others are private and hidden on some of the most beautiful Hebridean Islands. Flowering rhododendrons and azaleas turn these peaceful locations into a riot of colour and alongside the subtle greens from native birch, oak and pine combine to form a wonderful natural tapestry.
On the Isle of Bute we visit two wonderful horticultural sites - one small, one enormous! Ascog Fernery was recently restored and is the only one of its type. Mount Stuart is one of the largest, most spectacular High Victorian Gothic houses in Britain and a real treasure trove for the garden enthusiast. We also visit Gigha, a gem of an island, nestling close to the mainland just off the Kintyre peninsula. Here Sir James Horlick (of bedtime drink fame) created his marvellous woodland garden at Achamore.
Other grand gardens include Arduaine at Loch Melfort, the quaint private garden of An Cala on the Isle of Seil, Crarae Gardens with its great Asiatic flowering shrubs, and Benmore Botanic Gardens, near Dunoon, which make this a collection of gardens which stand shoulder high to gardens anywhere in the world. Our tour will be based at Stonefield Castle Hotel. This 19th century castle, commanding spectacular views over Loch Fyne, stands in 60 acres of beautiful woodland gardens containing some fine rhododendrons and other exotic shrubs. The chteau-style hotel offers guests every comfort, while retaining its dignity and historic charm and the view from the restaurant is simply spectacular.
Included
- 3 nights dinner, bed and breakfast at the 3 star Stonefield Castle Hotel, Tarbert, Loch Fyne.
- All rooms have private facilities
- Return flights from London Stansted to Glasgow (other airports available on request)
- All ferry transfers
- Comfortable coaching in Scotland
- Visits to Mount Stuart and Ascog Fernery on Bute, Achamore Gardens on Gigha, An Cala Gardens, Arduaine, Crarae and Benmore Botanic Gardens
- Services of a Brightwater Holidays tour manager
Day 1 - Monday
We depart on our morning flight from London Stansted (other airports available on request) to Glasgow airport. On arrival we shall be met by our coach and will head for Wemyss Bay where we will catch the lunchtime ferry to Rothesay on the Isle of Bute. Our first visit will be to the spectacular house and gardens of Mount Stuart, which is one of the largest, most spectacular High Victorian Gothic houses in Britain and yet one of the least known. The gardens were only opened to the general public for the first time in June 1995. These 300 acres of stunning woodlands and gardens are a real treasure trove for the garden enthusiast. The temperate effect of the Gulf Stream on Bute ensures that there are always many exotic plants, palm trees and Mediterranean blooms to be seen here. There is a pavilion glasshouse in the grounds which nurtures rare species from the tropical rain forests of south-east Asia while native British plants thrive in the fertile soils and mild climate. Thereafter we will visit Ascog Hall Fernery. In the secluded and long neglected gardens of Ascog Hall a sunken fernery with beautiful rock work and water pools was found. Even in its dilapidated state the potential was spotted and it has now been carefully refurbished with an impressive collection of ferns researched by the Royal Botanic Gardens in Edinburgh. Open to the public only recently for the first time this unique fern house is a joy to behold. It offers a rare opportunity to glimpse a bygone era and is a tribute to the imagination and ingenuity of Alexander Bannatyne Stuart, a former owner of Ascog Hall in Victorian times, whose passion for collecting exotic ferns inspired him in his endeavour to replicate a tiny fragment of sub-tropical jungle on a small Scottish island. Later we catch the ferry to Colintraive and continue to Portvadie for the ferry to Tarbert. On arrival we travel to our accommodation at Stonefield Castle Hotel where dinner will be served in the evening.
Day 2 - Tuesday
This morning following our full Scottish breakfast we will depart from our hotel in time to catch the late morning ferry to Gigha. Due to the problems of getting a modern coach onto the island we will walk the short distance to the gardens from the hotel and jetty (any person with mobility difficulties will be transported by the island 'taxi' - please inform your driver who can organise this, if required, for a small extra charge). Gigha is a small and beautiful island lying just off the Kintyre peninsula. Here, Sir James Horlick (of bedtime drink fame) came in 1944 and started to make a woodland garden. His new plantings were protected by evergreens and old broad-leaved trees. At Achamore Gardens rhododendrons reign supreme, constituting one of the best collections in Scotland. Please proceed to the comfortable Gigha Hotel immediately after leaving the ferry in Gigha where lunch facilities will be available (not included). We will return to the mainland on the late afternoon ferry and continue to our hotel where dinner is served in the evening.
Day 3 - Wednesday
This morning we will head north to Loch Melfort to visit the National Trust for Scotland's garden at Arduaine. The garden here was started in 1897 by James Arthur Campbell, a tea planter, and a friend of Osgood MacKenzie, the maker of Inverewe. It is a splendid site, full of the most magnificent plants. It is most rewarding to keep going to the viewpoint which gives an exquisite panorama of the calm waters of Loch Melfort below. Our afternoon visit will be to the small and private garden of An Cala on the Isle of Seil. This is a quaint garden very much on a domestic scale, which relies for its impact on its situation looking out to the sea with the islands of Luing, Scarba, Mull and the Garvellachs in the distance.
Day 4 - Thursday
This morning we will check out of the hotel and visit Crarae Gardens, recently rescued by the National Trust for Scotland. Crarae has a marvellous site in a precipitous glen on the north west bank of Loch Fyne. At the very centre of it lies the glen, a romantic wooded ravine, stuffed like a good plum pudding with plenty of rich fruit; the great Asiatic flowering shrubs - azaleas, camellias and magnolias. Our last visit is to the Benmore Botanic Gardens, the country annexe of the Royal Botanic Garden in Edinburgh. You are free to explore this splendid garden, with its magnificent mountain backdrop. The garden has a history dating from the 1820s with the first plantings of conifers, and today, superb old specimens of Douglas fir, larch, Scots pine and a magnificent avenue of Wellingtonias make a wonderful background to later collections of rhododendrons, shrubs and trees. We continue to Dunoon to catch the ferry to Gourock before continuing to Glasgow airport in time for our flight back to London Stansted.
We depart on our morning flight from London Stansted (other airports available on request) to Glasgow airport. On arrival we shall be met by our coach and will head for Wemyss Bay where we will catch the lunchtime ferry to Rothesay on the Isle of Bute. Our first visit will be to the spectacular house and gardens of Mount Stuart, which is one of the largest, most spectacular High Victorian Gothic houses in Britain and yet one of the least known. The gardens were only opened to the general public for the first time in June 1995. These 300 acres of stunning woodlands and gardens are a real treasure trove for the garden enthusiast. The temperate effect of the Gulf Stream on Bute ensures that there are always many exotic plants, palm trees and Mediterranean blooms to be seen here. There is a pavilion glasshouse in the grounds which nurtures rare species from the tropical rain forests of south-east Asia while native British plants thrive in the fertile soils and mild climate. Thereafter we will visit Ascog Hall Fernery. In the secluded and long neglected gardens of Ascog Hall a sunken fernery with beautiful rock work and water pools was found. Even in its dilapidated state the potential was spotted and it has now been carefully refurbished with an impressive collection of ferns researched by the Royal Botanic Gardens in Edinburgh. Open to the public only recently for the first time this unique fern house is a joy to behold. It offers a rare opportunity to glimpse a bygone era and is a tribute to the imagination and ingenuity of Alexander Bannatyne Stuart, a former owner of Ascog Hall in Victorian times, whose passion for collecting exotic ferns inspired him in his endeavour to replicate a tiny fragment of sub-tropical jungle on a small Scottish island. Later we catch the ferry to Colintraive and continue to Portvadie for the ferry to Tarbert. On arrival we travel to our accommodation at Stonefield Castle Hotel where dinner will be served in the evening.
Day 2 - Tuesday
This morning following our full Scottish breakfast we will depart from our hotel in time to catch the late morning ferry to Gigha. Due to the problems of getting a modern coach onto the island we will walk the short distance to the gardens from the hotel and jetty (any person with mobility difficulties will be transported by the island 'taxi' - please inform your driver who can organise this, if required, for a small extra charge). Gigha is a small and beautiful island lying just off the Kintyre peninsula. Here, Sir James Horlick (of bedtime drink fame) came in 1944 and started to make a woodland garden. His new plantings were protected by evergreens and old broad-leaved trees. At Achamore Gardens rhododendrons reign supreme, constituting one of the best collections in Scotland. Please proceed to the comfortable Gigha Hotel immediately after leaving the ferry in Gigha where lunch facilities will be available (not included). We will return to the mainland on the late afternoon ferry and continue to our hotel where dinner is served in the evening.
Day 3 - Wednesday
This morning we will head north to Loch Melfort to visit the National Trust for Scotland's garden at Arduaine. The garden here was started in 1897 by James Arthur Campbell, a tea planter, and a friend of Osgood MacKenzie, the maker of Inverewe. It is a splendid site, full of the most magnificent plants. It is most rewarding to keep going to the viewpoint which gives an exquisite panorama of the calm waters of Loch Melfort below. Our afternoon visit will be to the small and private garden of An Cala on the Isle of Seil. This is a quaint garden very much on a domestic scale, which relies for its impact on its situation looking out to the sea with the islands of Luing, Scarba, Mull and the Garvellachs in the distance.
Day 4 - Thursday
This morning we will check out of the hotel and visit Crarae Gardens, recently rescued by the National Trust for Scotland. Crarae has a marvellous site in a precipitous glen on the north west bank of Loch Fyne. At the very centre of it lies the glen, a romantic wooded ravine, stuffed like a good plum pudding with plenty of rich fruit; the great Asiatic flowering shrubs - azaleas, camellias and magnolias. Our last visit is to the Benmore Botanic Gardens, the country annexe of the Royal Botanic Garden in Edinburgh. You are free to explore this splendid garden, with its magnificent mountain backdrop. The garden has a history dating from the 1820s with the first plantings of conifers, and today, superb old specimens of Douglas fir, larch, Scots pine and a magnificent avenue of Wellingtonias make a wonderful background to later collections of rhododendrons, shrubs and trees. We continue to Dunoon to catch the ferry to Gourock before continuing to Glasgow airport in time for our flight back to London Stansted.
- 3 nights dinner, bed and breakfast at the 3 star Stonefield Castle Hotel, Tarbert, Loch Fyne.
This holiday is booked by phone. Click 'book now' to make a reservation request to our travel partner who will call you back to confirm your booking details and take payment. To speak to a representative now please call 0330 333 6701.
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| Departure date | Nights | Price | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10-Jun-2013 | 3 | 595.00 | reserve |
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