03

Pitmedden Garden, Aberdeenshire

Tucked away in the Aberdeenshire countryside, Pitmedden is a 1950s recreation of a "Great Garden" first laid out in 1675 — and it's one of the most quietly spectacular gardens in the country. Six parterres, spread across three levels and stitched together with nearly six miles of clipped box hedging, sit within tall stone walls enclosing seven acres. Espaliered apple and pear trees line the walls, an orchard of more than 200 varieties fills out the grounds, and a newly reimagined upper terrace brings a modern, biodiverse meadow into the mix. Understated from the outside, spectacular once you're inside.

04

BOTANICAL GARDENS
EDINBURGH

Edinburgh's botanic garden has been growing since 1670, one of the oldest in Britain, though nothing about it feels old. Seventy acres at Inverleith hold one of the world's great plant collections, anchored by the towering Victorian Palm House and the Chinese Hillside, planted with specimens gathered from real expeditions into China's mountains. Ten linked glasshouses carry you from a steamy rainforest to an arid desert in a few steps. The view alone is worth the visit, look back across the garden to Edinburgh Castle and the skyline beyond, a rare case of a city letting itself become part of the scenery.

05

JUPITER ARTLAND, EDINBURGH

The odd one out here, and deliberately so. Jupiter Artland trades hedges and parterres for 100 acres of meadow and woodland populated by site-specific sculpture from some of the biggest names in contemporary art — Anish Kapoor, Antony Gormley, Cornelia Parker, Marc Quinn and Jim Lambie among them. Each piece was created in direct response to its own patch of landscape, so the garden itself becomes part of the artwork rather than just its backdrop. A completely different kind of "garden," and a brilliant contrast to the formal grandeur of the other four.

06

HADDO GARDENS, ABERDEENSHIRE

Haddo House Gardens has been evolving since the 1730s, when the terrace was raised and the mile long lime avenue was planted, still drawing the eye to the horizon. The formal parterre, inspired by Italian Renaissance design, unfolds in geometric beds around a fountain added in the 1830s, with sundials and a cannon tucked into the side gardens. Victorian refinements brought herbaceous borders and colourful bedding to the layout. Climb the grand staircase and look back for the full symmetry of the beds, then out again along the avenue of limes to the granite urn on the hillside.

THE BEST SCOTTISH GARDENS THIS SUMMER

Scotland is home to some of Britain's most remarkable gardens, where centuries of history meet defined landscapes and elegantly arranged borders. From traditional castle grounds to contemporary sculpture parks, these gardens demonstrate how architecture, nature and art can exist in quiet harmony. Whether shaped over generations or designed by modern visionaries, each offers a distinctive experience that reflects the character of its setting.

For those who appreciate exceptional craftsmanship and thoughtful design, these landscapes provide more than seasonal beauty.

This selection brings together six of Scotland's most distinguished gardens, chosen for their beauty, historical significance and enduring sense of place. Each represents a different approach to landscape design, yet all share a dedication to enduring character and careful stewardship.

01

Drummond Castle Gardens, Perthshire

If you see only one formal garden in Scotland, make it this one. Laid out below the castle terrace, the parterre unfurls across nine acres in the shape of a giant St Andrew's Cross, framed by eleven miles of clipped box hedging, sculpted yews, and topiary holly, all watched over by a display of statues and urns. At its centre stands an extraordinary obelisk sundial carved in 1630 — 61 dials, 131 ways to tell the time. It's so convincingly grand that it stood in for the Gardens of Versailles in Outlander. The view from the terrace alone it's one of the most memorable "stop in your tracks" moments in Scottish gardening.

02

DUNROBIN Castle Gardens, SUTHERLAND

Furthest north on this list, and worth every mile of the drive. Dunrobin's fairytale, French-chateau silhouette looks down over an Italianate garden laid out by Sir Charles Barry — the architect behind the Houses of Parliament — with box parterres, colourful bedding, pools and fountains, all framed by views across the Moray Firth to the Cairngorms beyond. Add in daily falconry displays and a garden that feels like it belongs on the Loire is rather on the north Highland coast, and Dunrobin earns its reputation as one of Scotland's most theatrical and scenic gardens.