Snowdrop Festival is a blooming miracle

Local spots will be among those featured in the annual Scottish Snowdrop Festival.

The festival, which runs from Wednesday, February 1, until Saturday, March 11, is organised by Discover Scottish Gardens and offers opportunities to wrap up warm, get outside and enjoy the spectacle of thousands of winter’s most iconic blooms carpeting the ground.

Among those gardens taking part are Braco Castle, which will open daily from February 1 onwards, from 10am until 5pm, and where snowdrops carpet the ground beneath mature trees and around shrubs in a 19th century landscape setting.

Also opening is Gargunnock House Garden where woodland walks lead through ground covered in snowdrops. The gardens are also home to a three-acre walled garden, greenhouses, fruit orchard and a newly-planted arboretum. It will open from February 1 until March 15 from 11am until 3pm.

Other gardens in Scotland that will open during the festival are Floors Castle in Kelso, Scone Palace in Perth and dozens of private gardens that are seldom open to the public.

Dougal Phillip, Director, Discover Scottish Gardens, said:“thanks to the Scottish Snowdrop Festival, more people than ever are now visiting gardens to enjoy the spectacle.

“It’s a great opportunity to immerse yourself in nature at a time of year when the days are just starting to lengthen.”

Money raised by ticket sales at many of the gardens will be distributed to charities through Scotland’s Gardens Scheme.

For full details of all openings please visit www.discoverscottishgardens.org.