Easter is upon us, and so is spring. It’s time for the garden: if not your own – then somebody else’s will do! Fancy a spring garden break in Stirling, anyone?
Gargunnock House gardens, near Stirling
Kilbryde Castle gardens and Folly
Choose from Stirling Self Catering’s Garden properties
From Stronend Cottage’s panoramic views to the tranquil seclusion of Gladstone’s enclosed garden in the heart of Stirling’s King’s Park, most of our properties offer you private green space to relax, barbecue, or just let the kids explore. Our gardens are well-tended, furnished, and beautiful. And you don’t even have to weed. Find your perfect holiday garden amongst our properties here: https://www.stirlingselfcatering.co.uk/properties/
Got your base? Then create your own Stirlingshire garden trail
Many of Stirlingshire’s gardens are open by appointment from 1 April, facilitated by the 85-year-old charitable foundation Scotland’s Gardens. They raise funds for deserving causes nationwide by asking a small entry fee to some of our most beautiful private gardens. Why not create your own tourist trail, visiting these secluded, hidden gems? Here’s just a handful closest to us…
Gargunnock House (open 16 April-September) lies just five miles from Stirling. Its mature walled garden boasts more than 40 varieties of daffodil blooming from April. In addition, there’s a house garden, woodland walks and arboretum. Take a picnic and enjoy it on the benches provided within the three-acre walled garden. £4.00 entry. Children free. Details are here.
Kilbryde Castle covers an impressive 12 acres, just three miles from Dunblane and Doune. The gardens are divided into formal, woodland and wild, and come into their own in spring with a display of bulbs, and in autumn when clematis and acer burst into colour. Entry £4 by arrangement, children free. Details are here.
Milseybank, just a quarter of a mile from Bridge of Allan, offers outstanding views from a beautifully tended terraced garden. The adjoining woodland is a colourful canvas of bluebells, rhododendrons, magnolias, camellias, as well as meconopsis. Entry £4 by arrangement, children free. Details are here.
The Linns in Dunblane covers 3.5 acres of mature woodland west of the Ochils, lovingly planted since 1984 to create a ‘sense of exploration and surprise’. With spring come carpets of corydalis, trilliums and erythroniums, nurtured within a varied landscape of specimen trees, rhododendrons, walling and hedging. Entry £4 by arrangement, children free. Details are here.
Thorntree, on a smaller scale, is a jewel-like country garden bedded to encircle its central courtyard. The short paths to the Apple Walk, Saltire Garden and Meconopsis bed also offer bonus views from Ben Lomond to Ben Ledi. Plants are for sale throughout the year. Entry £4 by arrangement, children free. Details are here.
The terraced gardens of Milseybank, Bridge of Allan
Colour, paths and views at Thorntree garden
- For more information on gardens open throughout the year or by arrangement, explore http://www.scotlandsgardens.org/
- Their 2016 guide is out now: http://www.scotlandsgardens.org/buy-the-book
- All photos supplied by kind permission of, and courtesy of, Scotland’s Gardens