Cool Gardens: Autumnal visit to the stunning seat of clan MacLeod
During my visit to the Isle of Skye, Dunvegan Castle and Gardens was one of the highlights of a magical part of Scotland – it’s well worth the long drive to get there.
It is the oldest continuously inhabited castle in Scotland, the ancestral home of clan MacLeod chiefs for 800 years. Although originally a fortress, later additions have softened the building, not least the gardens. This was my main reason to visit.
As our trip was in early October, the autumn colours were spectacular, as was the majestic roaring of the waterfall in the Water Garden. This wasn’t surprising, as we had some seriously heavy rain! Thanks to Gary Welford for the photos – it’s hard to take them myself with Nordic walking poles!
If you’re looking for other great autumn gardens, try the Alnwick Garden or check out the best of the best in Scotland’s Gardens Scheme. Here are the best bits of the garden:
Dunvegan Castle – The Water Garden
Turn left before the castle and you enter the Water Garden, with the centrepiece of a spectacular waterfall. Look out for spectacular autumn colours, highlighted by heather, hostas, Gunnera, fuchsia and lots of hydrangeas (more on them below).
The Walled Garden
Like most Scottish stately homes, Dunvegan Castle’s Walled Garden was a must to create a microclimate to grow more tender plants. Even though the garden’s position on the West Coast means it’s not as cold as you think, the winds and heavy rain batter plants.
Divided into quadrants, its formal layout is enlivened by pergolas, a pond and fountain, a sundial, an urn and the modern sculpture – the Dunvegan Pebble. Despite being so late in the season, there were some wonderful herbaceous perennial displays, including nerines.
One long outer border is filled with ‘plants with purpose’, a fascinating look at medicinal herbs. I’ll never forget the heady smell of curry plants!
Dunvegan Castle – The Glasshouse
On one wall of the Walled Garden is the glorious lean-to glasshouse. It’s in peak condition, packed with colour from black-eyed Susan, Coleus, Tradescantia, purple passion flowers and huge begonias.
The Round Garden, Entrance and Woodland Garden
Outside the Walled Garden is the Round Garden, based around a circular box bed filled with herbaceous perennials. It was a little past its best by our visit but did have a marvellous late herbaceous border and a huge monkey puzzle tree.
The entrance beds are a symphony of heather and ferns, reflecting the autumnal tones of the Woodland Garden (unfortunately, my knackered knees wouldn’t carry me on the uneven paths).
Hydrangeas
“Hydrangeas should be Scotland’s national flower,” quipped my sister-in-law! They’re everywhere in the Water Garden and near the entrance. I must apologise for the lack of names, as Gary forget to take them down (you can’t get the staff). They are absolutely stunning in shades of blue, purple and white and well worth a visit to see by themselves.
And what else? The cafe in the car park was excellent with lovely staff. I can heartily recommend the haggis and cheese-topped jacket potato followed by orange and chocolate cake.
The only downsides? We were too late in the season to go on the boat trip to see the Loch Dunvegan seal colony, which ended two days before our visit. Also, there are a couple of nice shops but no plants to buy – definitely missing a trick there!
Opening hours and information for Dunvegan Castle
- Address: Dunvegan Castle & Gardens, Dunvegan, Isle of Skye IV55 8WF
- Telephone: 01470-521206.
- Email: [email protected].
The castle closes for the winter in mid-October but reopens in the spring. It’s well worth the wait to visit! For further details, log on to www.dunvegancastle.com.
