Where you can’t see the woods for the trees

ARDKINGLAS WOODLAND GARDEN Cairndow, Argyll PA26 8BG

WHY WE SHOULD VISIT

On the shores of Loch Fyne, against a backdrop of mountains and forest, Ardkinglas Estate covers almost 5000 acres and the house, by Sir Robert Lorimer, is an architectural gem.

The favourable growing conditions in Argyll have led to spectacular growth and Champion Trees at Ardkinglas include ‘the mightiest conifer in Europe’ a remarkable European Silver Fir (Abies alba) with a girth of nearly ten metres. Other champions in Ardkinglas Woodland Garden are Patagonian Cypress (Fitzroya cupressoides), Hinoki Cypress (Chamaecyparis obtusa), Western Red Cedar (Thuya plicata) and the unusual Mountain Hemlock (Tsuga mertensiana var. jeffreyi).

STORY OF THE GARDEN

The earliest references to horticulture at Ardkinglas date back to the 14th century when an orchard and culinary garden were established.

In the Victorian era, the Woodland Garden saw the introduction of many new coniferous species that were being brought home by Scottish plant hunters and it was at this time that the pinetum was laid out. Successive generations added their own stamp on the gardens and the mild climate and heavy rainfall led to rapid growth of trees and shrubs.

HIGHLIGHTS

Before the 17th century the only evergreen trees in Scotland were holly and yew, but the arrival of exotic conifers from Asia and America changed the landscape and at places such as Ardkinglas the new trees quickly put down roots and started to push skywards.

The Abies grandis here was the tallest tree in Britain for a number of years and when last measured in 2010 stood at 64.28m.

But it isn’t just conifers that thrive at Ardkinglas, deciduous trees grow too and in autumn the sorbus collection exhibits a varied range of white, pink, yellow and orangered berries while the magnificent, ancient beech trees in the Woodland Garden develop yellow, gold and burnt-orange autumn tints.

DON’T MISS

The rhododendron collection at Ardkinglas was begun in the 1920s and has been continually improved and expanded since then. The combination of sandy loam and plentiful rainfall provide rhododendrons with ideal growing conditions. The gardens next to the house were laid out in the 18th century and include an ornamental lake, a D-shaped walled garden and the intricate ‘Ladies garden’.

The Flame creeper (Tropaeolum speciosum) grows through a large yew hedge and the formal elements include terraces and a fountain. In spring, colour is provided by banks of deciduous azaleas.

ANYTHING ELSE TO LOOK OUT FOR

The Gruffalo Trail is a place where the much-loved children’s story comes alive and the Mouse and Gruffalo figures were made in galvanised steel by the renowned

Ratho Byres Forge near Edinburgh.

BEST TIME TO VISIT

The rhododendrons are the highlight of spring, but in autumn the trees put on a stunning show. Once their leaves start to fall the large population of red squirrels that live at Ardkinglas are easier to spot.

ANY RECOMMENDATIONS IN THE AREA?

The Georgian town of Inveraray was built by the fifth Duke of Argyll in order to create homes for estate workers and to provide a pier for the herring fleet.

The town jail is an award-winning museum and the Vital Spark, which is moored at the pier, is a typical example of the small puffers that once plied the waters of the west coast, supplying some of the most remote communities.

DIRECTIONS

From Arrochar follow the A83 for 12 miles to Cairndow on the southern shore on Loch Fyne.

DETAILS

Tel: 01499 600261 info@ardkinglas.com www.Ardkinglas.com