Woodland of the week

Valleyfield Woodland Park lies north of the Firth of Forth about five miles west of Dunfermline. The walk takes you through mixed woodland of the former Valleyfield Estate and the remnants of the only Humphry Repton-designed landscape in Scotland, completed between 1800 and 1804.

The estate belonged to Sir Robert Preston, who inherited the estate in 1800. David Douglas of Douglas fir fame worked as a gardener on the estate throughout this time. Although the house on the estate has long gone, numerous features still exist, such as the walled garden where pineapples were grown, the overgrown terraced garden, traces of an ornamental canal, an ice house, a deer park and the Repton Arch. There is also the Bluther Burn, which flows through the woods, with two historic rustic stone bridges. Today the woodlands are owned and managed by Fife Council. However, West Fife Woodlands, a charity, was created to restore, revive and protect the woodland around West Fife, including Valleyfield. The group created a community orchard of nearly 200 fruit trees for visitors to enjoy on the estate.

From now until early March, visitors can see fine displays of snowdrops, of which a high proportion are doubles. As part of the Scottish Snowdrop Festival, West Fife Woodlands are offering guided walks by experienced guides every Saturday and Sunday until March 10. The walks take visitors through a carefully chosen trail of naturalised snowdrop displays and provide some history of the Valleyfield Estate. Afterwards visitors can enjoy a refreshment at the nearby Shiresmill Therapy Riding Centre.

Website: https://www.facebook.com/ groups/1547360508811846

Opening times: Open 24/7 all year round Admission: No admission fee and all snowdrop events are free; however, donations are welcome and will be shared equally to support the West Fife Woodlands group and the therapy riding centre. Garden of the Week is in association with Discover Scottish Gardens. For more information, advice and day-out ideas, visit discoverscottishgardens.org