41 Botanical Gardens to Explore in Scotland

Fountain Gardens is Paisley’s oldest public park. It consists of a grand geometric layout with broad walkways, all of which lead to the Grand Fountain – an ornate cast-iron fountain at the centre of the park which contains statues of herons, dolphins and walruses. The A listed fountain consists of dolphins, herons, cherubs and walruses. George Smith and Company of the Sun Foundry in Glasgow constructed the fountain. Stained-glass artist and designer Daniel Cottier was enlisted to paint and colou

The Garden of Cosmic Speculation is a 30 acre sculpture garden located at Portrack House, near Dumfries in South West Scotland. It was created by Charles Jencks, a renowned landscape architect and theorist, and Maggie Keswick, his late wife. They chose their home, Portrack House, to be the location for their dream. The sculpture garden covers 30 acres and has an unusual design, which was inspired by contemporary cosmology, just like much of Charles Jencks’ works.

Geilston Garden is a property of the National Trust for Scotland, north-west of Cardross, Argyll and Bute. It has many attractive features including the walled garden with herbaceous border providing summer colour, tranquil woodland walks and a large working kitchen garden. The garden is open from April to October daily.

Glasgow Botanic Gardens features several glassouses, the most notable of which is the Kibble Palace- a 19th-century wrought iron-framed glasshouse, covering 2137 m2. Some of the ferns living in the Kibble Palace are over 120 years old. The gardens notable has a veriety of temperate and tropical flora, a herb garden, UK's national collection of tree ferns, a rose garden among many other gardens and plants.

Glenwhan Gardens has been described as one of the most beautiful newly made gardens in Scotland. with unique & Stunning Sea Views across to the Isle of Man, Luce Bay, and the Mull of Galloway. The Gardens are a labour of love, hewn from rough moorland 35 years ago. It has a woodland and rock garden, overlooking Luce Bay and the Mull of Galloway. In the centre of the garde, there is a statue of Florentine Medici Boar, a symbol of fertility.

Greenbank Garden is a 2.5-acre 18th century walled garden in Carolside, Clarkston, East Renfrewshire, Scotland, owned and operated by the National Trust for Scotland and open to the public. It is situated about six miles from the centre of Glasgow. The garden, which is included on the Inventory of Gardens and Designed Landscapes in Scotland, surrounds Greenbank House, a Category A listed building. The house has sixteen rooms, and also barns and stables.

This delightful 17th century hillside garden is awaiting your discovery. Tucked away within stone boundary walls you will find tall trees, fragrant flowers, songbirds and clear water. In the charming village of Inveresk, there is a heady mix of rare and familiar scents - a wonderful sensory experience.

Inverewe Garden is a botanical garden in the Scottish Highlands. It is noted for the breadth of its collection. The garden was created from barren land in 1862 by Osgood Mackenzie on the 850-hectare (2,100-acre) estate bought for him by his mother. In order to provide a wind break and soil, he planted a mixture of large trees and shrubs. Having done so his vision was to grow as many exotic plants as possible; this he achieved until his death in 1922.

A beautiful garden Set in the grounds of an historic Georgian Mansion with far reaching views over Montrose and Montrose Basin, are Four Walled Gardens containing 3 acres of Herbaceous borders, Fruit trees and feature beds, set in 27 acres of policies. A 20 acre Wildflower Meadow has tracks mown through to give access to the Wildlife Pond and Standing Stone. Ancient Trees add to the beauty of the natural landscape.

Lauriston is a late 16th-century tower house, extended in 1824. The interiors hold a collection of 18th-century Italian furniture, Derbyshire Blue John, carpets, clocks, porcelain, tapestries, and decorative art. The substantial grounds, Lauriston Castle Gardens, operate as a local park. The castle was bequeathed to the Edinburgh Corporation and hosts the Lord Provost's annual Garden Party. The house is a Category A listed building and the grounds are included in the Inventory of Gardens and De

Little Sparta is Ian Hamilton Finlay’s greatest work of art. Finlay moved to the farm of Stonypath in 1966 and, in partnership with his wife Sue Finlay, began to create what would become an internationally acclaimed garden across seven acres of a wild and exposed moorland site. The 5-acre Arcadian garden includes concrete poetry in sculptural form, polemic, and philosophical aphorisms, together with sculptures and two temples. Altogether it includes over 275 artworks by the artist, created in co

Logan Botanic Garden is located at the south-western tip of Scotland and is unrivaled as the country's most exotic garden. You candiscover a remarkable collection of unusual and beautiful plants. A pleasure for all the family, Logan is an exotic paradise. Visitors can walk through groves of eucalyptus and palm trees or stand in the shade of awesome giant rhubarb-like gunnera.

Opened in 1898, People's Palace and Winter Gardens is a museum and glasshouse. At the time of its inception, the building was located in the most unhealthy and over crowded part of the city and it was intended to provide a cultural centre for the people. From the 1940s, it has been the museum of social history, shocasing the story of the people and the city of Glasgow from 1750 to present.

A beautiful eighteenth century house with courtyard, walled garden, rose garden, alpine meadow, woodland garden and riverside walk. An extensive and diverse collection of plants, interesting kitchen garden, spacious lawns, river and lochside walks beneath fine trees. A wide variety of shrubs with good autumn colour and a picturesque turreted doo'cot and a 'Gothick' wash-house.

Pollok House is the ancestral home of the Stirling Maxwell family. It houses a large private collection of Spanish paintings, glass, silverware, porcelain and antique furnitures. The garden of the house has a collection of over 1,000 species of rhododendrons. The garden also contain a Beech tree which is thought to be 250 years old.

Princes Street Gardens is one of the most important urban parks situated in the heart of Edinburgh. It separates the Old Town from the New Town. The Gardens were created in the 1820s following the long draining of the Nor Loch and building of the New Town, beginning in the 1760s. The Gardens are the best known parks in Edinburgh, having the highest awareness and visitor figures for both residents and visitors to the city.

The Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh is a scientific centre for the study of plants, their diversity and conservation, as well as a popular tourist attraction. Founded in 1670 as a physic garden to grow medicinal plants, today it occupies four sites across Scotland—Edinburgh, Dawyck, Logan and Benmore—each with its own specialist collection. The RBGE's living collection consists of more than 13,302 plant species, whilst the herbarium contains in excess of 3 million preserved specimens.

St Andrews Botanic Garden is a beautiful living treasure in the heart of historic St Andrews. It contains more than 8000 species of native and exotic plants. These are laid out in zones of woodland, meadow, shrubbery, herbaceous bedding, a large rockery and a series of ponds. There are also vegetable and herb gardens, and several large greenhouses, one of which contains a butterfly house.

The Hermitage is a National Trust for Scotland-protected site in Dunkeld, Perth and Kinross. Located just to the west of the A9, it sits on the banks of the River Braan in Craigvinean Forest. It has a magical mixture of waterfalls, imposing trees & intriguing man-made features, including Ossian's Hall. A waymarked trail runs through as well as the Braan and Inver walks. Enjoy great autumn colour, snowdrops, bluebells & red squirrels.

The historic walled garden at Castle Fraser, like many other gardens is situated a little way from the house and provides a sheltered environment for the plantings. These include shrubs, flowers, well trained fruit and vegetables. A new herbaceous border has been created on the south side of of one of the walls.The garden has views towards the magnificent castle which was completed in 1636 and has a fine interior. This includes a magnificent baronial hall, furniture and works of art.