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Galloway’s exotic gardens
The historic gardens of southwest Scotland where tropical species thrive thanks to the Gulf Stream
The great historic gardens of Galloway are "magical", says Katie Patrick in the Times. Thanks to the warming influence of the Gulf Stream, exotic plant species thrive in this corner of southwest Scotland – and, for centuries, "imaginative gardeners" have been making the most of it. In the grounds of Castle Kennedy, "palm trees sway carelessly above rampant, kaleidoscopic azaleas, rhododendrons and embothrium".
It's easy to imagine you've "washed up on a tropical island", an illusion only ruptured by the occasional, surreal glimpse of a golden eagle overhead or an otter playing in the loch nearby. Scarcely less "magnificent" is the Victorian landscaping at Threave, and the Logan Botanic Garden, which is "planted with rarities from New Zealand and South America".
Visit Dumfries & Galloway Gardens and Nurseries Association for details. ·
