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DRUMMOND CASTLE GARDENS, MUTHILL, CRIEFF, PH7 4HZ

The gardens at Drummond Castle provide a real surprise for many visitors. There is no clue as to what awaits as you drive up a mile-long avenue, closely lined with beech trees.

The castle sits on a rocky outcrop and is everything you would expect of an ancient Scottish fortress: huge walls, a massive keep and spiralling turrets that soar above visitors as they enter the grounds.

On crossing the castle courtyard, the gardens are revealed for the first time. Standing at the garden entrance at the top of a flight of stairs, it is possible to observe its fully glory.

Intricate parterres are lined with low box hedges. They depict family crests, contained within a St Andrew’s cross. Gravel paths sit alongside neatly clipped yew hedges.

A formal Italianate garden sitting amid the splendour of the rolling countryside, it is the perfect way to spend a relaxing afternoon, strolling among the plants, exploring the greenhouses or just sitting on a bench and soaking up the atmosphere.

The gardens have a long history, having been visited by Scottish kings and Queen Victoria, who was welcomed with a huge garden party. More recently, the gardens have featured in many movies, television programmes and adverts, most notably in the film Rob Roy and the Outlander series.

It has been described by many as one of Europe’s finest formal gardens – it must be seen to be believed.