Garden of the week

Crarae Gardens, Crarae, Minard, by Inveraray, Argyll.

These spectacular 50-acre gardens are situated on a hillside overlooking Loch Fyne. With its rare and beautiful plants, abundance of wildlife including otters in the burn, and neolithic cairn, it is well worth a visit at any time of the year.

Crarae Gardens are Himalayan-inspired and were initially developed in 1912 by Lady Grace Campbell.

It is believed her nephew, renowned plant hunter and writer Reginald Farrer, is responsible for some of the planting and design of the garden.

The gardens are a wonderful mix of important and exotic trees such as magnolias from Tibet, redwoods from California, eucalyptus from the Australian Alps, and maples from Japan.

Beneath a luxurious canopy of trees are over 600 species of rhododendrons and hybrids ranging in colour from pure white to the deepest crimson. It is a must-see in spring when the colours come into full bloom!

In the winter, don’t miss the Himalayan Gorge. It is spectacular year-round with the sunlight glinting through the trees, but is particularly beautiful in the winter with the tumbling burn and waterfalls in full flow.

Website: https://www.nts.org.uk/visit/ places/crarae-garden

Telephone: 01546 886614

Opening times: Nov-Mar 9.30-16.00 AprOct 9.00-17.30

Admission costs: Adult £7.50 Concession £5.50 Family £18.50 NTS & NT Free

Garden of the Week is in association with Discover Scottish Gardens. For more information, advice and day-out ideas, visit discoverscottishgardens.org