Gorgeous gardens
The Tweed Valley is home to stunning gardens and grounds, including a world-class arboretum, Scotland’s largest beech hedge maze and some of the tallest and oldest trees in the country.
It’s amazing what can be found in surprising places. Tucked away in a sheltered spot near Stobo, the 65-acre Dawyck Botanic Garden – part of the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh – is an arboretum of world renown. Known for its seasonal displays of snowdrops, bluebells, rhododendrons, azaleas, blue poppies and striking autumn colours, Dawyck is chock-full of plants from the mountainous regions of Europe, China, Nepal, Japan and North America.
Many are the first examples collected and brought to Scotland and the garden has now become a sanctuary for endangered plants – a collection not only for conservation and study, but also as a place of beauty to be enjoyed.
Dawyck is also home to some of Scotland’s finest heritage trees, with sky-scraping Douglas Fir, European Silver Fir and Giant Sierra redwoods. All can be enjoyed on a range of woodland and burnside walks, while there is a lovely café in the award-winning visitor centre for refreshments after.
There are remarkable trees too at Kailzie Gardens, where generations of plantings adorn a beautiful riverside location just outside Peebles. One of many specimen trees, a larch planted in 1725 is considered by some arboriculturists to be the oldest in Scotland, while Kailzie also features a walled garden, characterful old greenhouses, a wild garden and delightful burnside walks.
There is colour and interest throughout the season, not to mention a wonderful array of wildlife. The lovely Kailzie Courtyard Café has a vibrant menu, and Kailzie Big Lodge offers visitors and groups the chance to spend time getting to know the gardens and wider area.
Elsewhere, and on a somewhat smaller scale, it’s also well worth heading to St Ronan’s Wells Visitor Centre in Innerleithen*, where a lovely garden – which is maintained by a team of volunteers – extends up the hillside.
And then there are a couple of other big ones. The grounds at nearby Traquair see a designed landscape that includes ancient woodland, an intimate walled garden and a network of trails. There is also an activity area for kids, a host of animals, peacocks that roam wild through the grounds, and a huge beech-hedge maze. The terrace walls that overlook it offer a perfect vantage point for parents to try and guide their children back out again. None have been left behind yet …
Finally to glorious Bowhill near Selkirk, where formal garden areas are set against the backdrop of rolling hills, moorland and even a loch. While the gardens are impressive, the grounds themselves offer a host of activities including an adventure playground plus opportunities to explore through ranger clubs and tours to the wilder and more remote parts of the wider estate.
* Please note that St Ronan’s Wells Visitor Centre in Innerleithen is currently closed. Keep an eye on the website for further updates.
Further information
Dawyck, St Ronan’s Wells and Traquair are all destinations featured on Tweed Valley Tales, our digital, storytelling tour. Along with the valley’s gorgeous gardens and landscapes, the Geotourist trail highlights 20 cultural, social and historical sites that have shaped this area of Scotland.