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Stunning Scottish Gardens + Royal connections
Published 5 days ago • 4 min read
Hello Reader
I'm just back from Scotland, where we spent a long weekend staying with friends and visiting some of the lovely Scottish Gardens.
The area of lowlands around Perth has some glorious rolling countryside, where the soil is perfect for the colourful azaleas and rhododendrons that we saw flowering in all the gardens.
This newsletter includes my impressions of three very different gardens that we visited, including Glamis Castle, the childhood home of the late Queen Mother.
Talking of the royals, I've been catching up on the State Visit of King Charles and Queen Camilla to the USA, where the charm offensive seems to have been a great success.
Finally, if you are planning a short trip and need to travel light, you can download my FREE resource 10 tips for packing light
Wishing you happy and flower filled travels
Heather x
PS. For trips to Scotland by train, Byway Travel have some excellent Scottish Itineraries.
Heather at Drummond Castle Gardens Scotland
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A Royal Visit
To celebrate the recent State Visit of King Charles and Queen Camilla to the USA, I thought I'd share the story of my own royal visit ... an invitation to a garden party at Buckingham Palace.
Scotland has no shortage of castles (I wrote about some of them here), some of which are very grand, others more like fortified manor houses. Here are three that we visited on this trip, and you could too if you're in the area.
Braco Castle Garden - this is a bit of a local's secret, even though anyone can visit under Scotland's garden scheme. There's an honesty box at the entrance (bring cash) and it's all very informal.
The garden looks wonderful in the spring with a succession of snowdrops, narcissus and bluebells, as well as the many rhododendrons and azaleas that were blooming when we visited. We were the only people there!
Braco Gardens in Scotland
Glamis Castle Gardens - (sorry forgot to take photos). A series of garden areas surround the castle, which was childhood home to Elizabeth the Queen Mother and birthplace of Princess Margaret.
The most interesting areas were the kitchen garden, where the walls shelter fruit and vegetable and the Italian Garden, which has a formal air with fountains, gravel and statues.
We followed a trail of intriguing wooden sculptures through the woodland, only realising when we reached the three witches that they were characters from Shakespeare's Macbeth, which was set in this area.
Drummond Castle Gardens Scotland
Drummond Castle - this was my favourite for the curious contrast of sturdy Scottish tower house with elegant gardens reminiscent of a French chateau.
The parterres with topiary and low hedges look great at any time of year, and they radiate out from a 17th century stone sundial, with peacocks roaming around freely.
The gardens have a distinctly theatrical look and have featured in TV and films like Outlander (where they doubled for Versailles) and Rob Roy with Liam Neeson.
Drummond Castle Gardens Scotland - the stone sundial
If you visit Braco or Drummond castles, I recommend a stop in the charming town of Crieff, southern gateway to the Scottish Highlands.
We had lunch at the excellent Delivino and browsed for Scottish foodie souvenirs at The Crieff Food Company.
Read more about Scotland
I'll be back in Scotland visiting Glasgow very soon, but in the meantime here are some articles from past trips.
Castles of Scotland
You can’t come to Scotland without visiting a castle, whether it's the impressive fortresses of Edinburgh and Stirling, or those that started life as fortified family homes.
Read about the castles of Edinburgh, Stirling and Perth, each with a fascinating story to tell, for a flavour of the history and life in Scotland.
Click to read about 3 impressive castles in Scotland
Edinburgh - for a low season break
The guidebooks may suggest visiting Edinburgh in August for the Fringe or January for Hogmanay. But let's face it, Scotland's capital is packed at those times!
If you want to enjoy Edinburgh's top sights without the crowds, I can recommend taking a low season short break.
Read about my visit, with art galleries and theatre, photogenic architecture, scenic views of the castle and plenty of Scottish culture.
Click to read about Edinburgh in winter - for culture lovers
Aberdeen - the Granite city
Aberdeen is known as the Granite City, yet colourful street art and painted doors brighten up the streets.
With trendy cafes and restaurants, ancient university quarter and long sandy beach, Aberdeen makes the ideal destination for a weekend break in Scotland.
Authentic, sustainable travel with a little luxury
Join 1000+ subscribers for my weekly newsletter with travel tips and ideas for where to go next. It's for anyone looking for an authentic and sustainable travel experience with a little luxury, especially 50+ travellers. Come along with me to taste the food, explore the culture, go hiking or stay in a stylish boutique hotel. I feature exciting destinations in the UK and Europe, as well as further afield such as Canada & USA, Caribbean, India & Sri Lanka, Jordan and many more.
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