Scotland Garden Travel Guide

Scotland is one of Britain’s most rewarding garden destinations, and the Lowlands in particular reward the travelling garden lover. Between Edinburgh, the Borders and East Lothian lie world-class botanic collections, romantic walled gardens, contemporary landform design and intimate private gardens — many of them quiet and uncrowded compared with the honeypots of the south.

Scottish gardens are shaped by a distinctive climate: cooler summers, long northern daylight and, along the east coast, surprising shelter and mildness. This suits rock gardens, herbaceous borders, roses, woodland planting and a great range of trees and shrubs, and it gives Scottish gardens a freshness and length of season that can be hard to find further south.

A good Lowlands garden itinerary brings together several garden types: a great botanic garden, historic estate and walled gardens, a contemporary landform garden and private gardens visited by arrangement — all set against the landscapes of the Borders, the East Lothian coast and the city of Edinburgh.

Why Scotland matters for garden travellers

Scotland offers a different garden experience from England’s famous gardens: less crowded, strongly shaped by climate and landscape, and rich in botanic and plant-collecting history. The Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh alone is one of the most important gardens in the world, with a leading role in plant science and conservation.

The Lowlands also hold some of Britain’s most characterful private and designed gardens, from the old roses of Carolside to the cosmic landforms of Portrack. Much of the pleasure lies in gardens that are not on the usual tourist route.

What to look for

• the celebrated living collections and rock garden of the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh
• rock gardens and herbaceous borders suited to the cooler climate
• old roses and romantic walled gardens in the Borders
• contemporary landform design at the Garden of Cosmic Speculation
• historic estate and East Lothian walled gardens
• private gardens opened by arrangement
• the relationship between garden, coast and Lowland landscape

Key gardens

Important Lowlands garden visits may include the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, the Garden of Cosmic Speculation at Portrack, Carolside, Tyninghame House, Shepherd House, Kailzie, Broadwoodside, Stobshiel House and Portmore.

Visiting Scotland with GardenTours.com

A GardenTours.com Scottish Lowlands tour is designed around gardens first — combining the great botanic garden and landform design with private and estate gardens opened for the group, and a little Scottish culture along the way.