Scotland · Edinburgh, the Borders & East Lothian gardens · 2027 future departure
Scottish Lowlands Garden Tour 2027
A summer garden journey through the Scottish Lowlands — the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, the Garden of Cosmic Speculation, romantic Borders gardens and the great walled gardens of East Lothian.
Priority list open
Join the priority list for first notice
Register your interest and we will offer you the full itinerary, dates and pricing before this future GardenTours.com departure is announced more widely.
There is no obligation to book. This simply lets us know that you would like to be considered when the tour is scheduled.
Gardens of the Scottish Lowlands
The Scottish Lowlands hold some of Britain’s most rewarding and least-crowded gardens. Between Edinburgh, the Borders and East Lothian, a mild coastal climate, long summer light and centuries of estate and plantsmanship have produced botanic collections, romantic walled gardens, contemporary landform gardens and intimate private gardens of real quality.
This future GardenTours.com departure is being prepared around the classic Lowlands garden circuit: the world-famous Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, the extraordinary Garden of Cosmic Speculation, and a sequence of Borders and East Lothian gardens, several opened especially for the group.
The tour is expected to combine great public gardens with private gardens visited by arrangement, set against the wider landscape of the Borders, the East Lothian coast and the city of Edinburgh itself. There will be time for Scottish culture too — a whisky distillery and a boat trip around the Bass Rock seabird colony.
It is designed for garden lovers who want to understand the Lowlands through their gardens: botanic science, historic design, plant collections and the distinctive character of Scottish horticulture. Those on the priority list will receive first notice when the departure is released.
The gardens we expect to visit
Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh
One of the world’s great botanic gardens, with celebrated living collections, a renowned rock garden and a leading role in global plant conservation.
Read more →The Garden of Cosmic Speculation
Charles Jencks’s landform garden at Portrack House — terraces, lakes and earthworks shaped around science, mathematics and cosmology. A visit would be subject to private access or public-opening arrangements.
Read more →Carolside, the Borders
A romantic Borders garden near Earlston celebrated for its old roses and walled borders — often called one of the most beautiful gardens in Scotland.
Tyninghame House, East Lothian
The walled and designed gardens of a historic East Lothian estate, toured in the company of the head gardener.
Shepherd House, Inveresk
An acclaimed one-acre plantsman’s garden, widely regarded as one of the best small gardens in Scotland.
Borders & East Lothian gardens
A changing selection of gardens such as Kailzie, Broadwoodside, Stobshiel House and Portmore, with a specialist perennial nursery visit.
Bass Rock & a whisky distillery
Beyond the gardens: a boat trip around the Bass Rock gannet colony and a tour and tasting at a Scotch whisky distillery.
The provisional shape of the tour
- Arrival in Edinburgh and welcome gathering
- The Borders — Carolside and its romantic old-rose garden near Earlston
- A Borders and Dumfries & Galloway garden day, with the Garden of Cosmic Speculation included only if access can be arranged
- Kailzie Gardens, a specialist nursery and Broadwoodside
- The Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh and time in the city
- A Bass Rock boat trip and Tyninghame House with the head gardener
- Shepherd House and a Scotch whisky distillery
- Departure from Edinburgh
A garden-focused specialist
- A garden-led itinerary focused on botanic collections, historic estates, private gardens and Scottish plantsmanship
- Small groups of 15–20 guests
- Private gardens opened by arrangement, alongside the great public gardens
- Commentary on planting, design, plant collecting and Lowland garden history
- Priority access to dates, pricing and the full itinerary before public release
A sense of the gardens
Garden guides for this destination
What a tour of this kind would normally include
The full list of inclusions will be published with the confirmed itinerary. A GardenTours.com departure of this kind would normally include comfortable hotel accommodation, private coach travel, garden and estate admissions, selected meals, tour leadership and garden-focused notes.
Included
- Good-quality hotel accommodation, or similar
- Breakfast daily
- Selected lunches and/or dinners
- Private coach transportation during the tour
- Garden, estate and nursery entrance fees listed in the final itinerary
- Private garden visits arranged for the group
- Services of a tour leader / local guide
- Garden-focused tour notes or programme booklet
Not included
- International flights
- Airport transfers unless specifically arranged
- Travel insurance
- Meals not listed as included
- Drinks with meals unless specified
- Personal expenses
- Optional excursions or independent sightseeing
- Tips and gratuities
Is this tour right for you?
- Suitable for travellers interested in botanic gardens, historic estates, private gardens, roses and contemporary landform design.
- Rated Easy, though gardens and estates include lawns, gravel and some sloping or uneven paths.
- Best suited to travellers who enjoy full garden days, coach travel and a mix of public and private gardens.
Register your interest for this future tour
Join the priority list and be among the first to receive dates, pricing and the full itinerary.
Register your interest