Scotland's gardens open for charity

On Sunday April 24 from 2pm-5pm, visitors can admire an 800-year-old Covin tree, and enjoy Bemersyde’s woodland garden, lovely walks along the River Tweed and round it all off with a delicious homemade tea. Good footwear essential!

This season, 13 gardens in Berwickshire, Ettrick & Lauderdale and Roxburghshire will open on specific dates for charity when their owners will share their prized productive, green – and in many cases, exceedingly colourful – spaces with visitors. Two of these gardens – Kames, near Greenlaw and Easter Weens at Bonchester Bridge – are opening for the first time. Another three large gardens, Bughtrig, near Coldstream, Floors Castle, Kelso and Monteviot near Jedburgh open regularly throughout the season and make donations to Scotland’s Gardens beneficiaries.

This year is the scheme’s 85th anniversary year, and 440 gardens stretching from Wigtownshire in the south west to Shetland in the north east will be throwing open their gates to visitors. During 2016, visitors will be able to wander around coastal gardens, village trails, grand estates and hidden urban retreats, as well as gaze in awe at 35 National Plant Collections and be tempted to open their wallets at a dozen plant sales and more than 200 plant stalls around Scotland. This year’s garden openings will benefit 272 charities.

More than 200 gardens welcome dogs (on leads) and some 40 gardens offer accommodation such as B&B. Full details of local garden openings, including admission charges, opening hours, online maps and other key information, can be seen on the scheme’s website – www.scotlandsgardens.org

Individual opening dates can also be found on our Listings page in the coming weeks.