Tag Archive: scotland

Scotland 2016: Arts, crafts and plants…oh and cake!

18/07/2016

Our second full day in Glasgow. Having taken the short train trip in from East Kilbride, we set off once more on the tourist bus and stopped off to see the Transport exhibits at the Riverside Museum..

From here we bussed and walked to the Botanical Gardens, where there were some very interesting, exotic displays in various glasshouses and plenty of very pleasant outside areas where people were soaking up the spring sunshine in their lunch breaks…

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A short walk to the Kelvingrove Museum and Park where we explored some of the superb art and artefacts on display and then went onto see Mackintosh’s School of Art- which you probably know is undergoing significant rebuilding after the fire which severely damaged some of the best known areas, such as the library….

Sauchiehall Street called …. and we took advantage of the Willow Tea Rooms (another Mackintosh gem) for a classic afternoon tea…

The day ended with a walk through the town centre, catching the bus once more (having had a quick look around City Hall) exploring the ‘People’s Park’ alongside the river followed by a look around a Mackintosh museum and a quick beer in the famous ‘Horse Shoe’ Bar…

Back to East Kilbride for an evening meal and then home the next day.We scraped the surface of Glasgow in two days, and shall certainly return for another look at this very lively, friendly and engaging place.

Further information: www.peoplemakeglasgow.com

Old School Gardener

Tags: art, glasgow, glasgow botanical gardens, kelvingrove museum, mackintosh, peoples park, riverside museum, scotland, willow tea rooms

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Scotland 2016: Celebrating Death…and Rebirth, in Glasgow

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16/07/2016

Having completed our journey from Skye to East Kilbride, just south of Glasgow, we spent a wonderful couple of days exploring ‘the second city of empire’. We’d never been before…we were wondering what it would be like, given it had a rather ‘mixed’ reputation in former days.

We needn’t have worried. Yes, this is a working city and there are parts which aren’t that pretty. But the efforts to regenerate the centre and its surrounds seem to have paid off. We were impressed at the range and quality of the architecture and cultural offerings here…and the friendliness of the people.

Today’s post sets out some pictures from our first full day’s visit, when we took the tourist bus and initially stopped off to visit the Cathedral…

From here it was short walk to the Necropolis set out above the city, it is a wonderful space celebrating the lives of Glasgow’s worthies…and glorious on a sunny day with lovely cloud formations. We stopped off to chat to a group of RSPB volunteers busy stripping turf in order to create more wildlife (bird) friendly spaces amidst the tombstones….

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And from here we discovered a super museum in one of the oldest merchant houses (‘Provand’s Lordship’) in the city and with its own, rather special tudor-style garden with knots of Box and interesting beds iof medicinal and other herbs…

Our second day featured a trip to the Botanical Gardens, Museums the Mackintosh-designed School of Art and afternoon tea at another Rennie Mackintosh project….more of that in a couple of days..

Further information: www.peoplemakeglasgow.com

Old School Gardener

Tags: garden, gardening, glasgow, herbs, medicinal, necropolis, provand's lordship, scotland, tudor

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Scotland 2016: The Hill House, Helensburgh

Filed under: Great Gardens: Scotland 2016 — 1 Comment

14/07/2016

Our journey away from Skye featured a slow start- we got stuck behind a convoy of three huge trailers carrying the blades of a wind turbine! After a very good lunch en route we made our way alongside Loch Lomond (it’s rather long!) and eventually reached Helensburgh on the Clyde Estuary and specifically The Hill House. This gem of the National Trust for Scotland is one of the few houses designed by the renowned Art Nouveau Scottish Architect and designer Charles Rennie Mackintosh.

Built in 1902-3, to get close to some original Mackintosh design features- especially in the interior of the house- was a joy. Needless to say the attention to detail- somewhat typical of the ‘architecture for the rich’ at this time- was delightful. Unfortunately I wasn’t allowed to take photographs inside, but here are a few ‘culled’ from the ‘net…

And the gardens didn’t disappoint either, though these had rather less of the Mackintosh touch, the owner of the house probably playing a more important role in shaping its design, features and planting. The garden today is testament to a painstaking programme of restoration and whilst the layout is pretty typical for grand houses of this period- with formal, terraced lawns combined with a series of ‘garden rooms’- it nonetheless was a lovely experience strolling through these in the spring sunshine. It was also nice to be able to buy a few spare plants from the cottage garden, including ‘Jacob’s Ladder’.

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I’d say a ‘must see’ if you’re in this part of Scotland.

Further information: www.nts.org.uk

Old School Gardener

Tags: art nouveau, flowers, gardening, gardens, helensburgh, rennie mackintosh, scotland, the hill house

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Scotland 2016: Scooting round Skye

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12/07/2016

OK, I’m sorry. It’s two months since we got back from Scotland and the roll out of my pictures and stories is painfully slow. Put it down to ‘getting back into the garden’, as those of you who read my letters to my friend Walter, will know.

So far I’ve shared my experiences of two clan seats on Skye- at Dunvegan and Armadale Castles- and in particular the splendid gardens. Today I thought I’d do a sort of composite post picking up the various other things and places we did/went to before moving back for a couple of days to Glasgow.

We were sharing a rather nice house with 6 friends in the north west of the island. The weather, and especially the sunsets (see the picture above) were amazing for early May…27 degrees C on one or two days. First, then some shots of our immediate area…

Second, some from some of the walks (and swims!) we did…Coral Beaches, Fairy Pools and a long trek across moorland towards Talisker Bay…

We also went on a boat trip where we managed to (just about) see some White Tailed and Golden Eagles as well as a good range of other sea birds….

Finally, and most spectacular of all, we went on a rather longer walk up and around the ‘Old Man of Storr’ up in the north east of the island- some breathtaking scenery here…

Well, hopefully you get the flavour of what was a fascinating and fun week- including a themed Scottish evening meal with us all wearing ‘See you Jimmy’ hats (and hair)!! no pictures to protect the innocent…

WP_20160507_14_03_12_Pro

Old School Gardener

Tags: eagles, pools, scotland, Skye, storr, wildlife

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Scotland 2016: Armadale Castle, Skye

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04/07/2016

Our second garden trip whilst in Scotland this year involved a bit of a trek to the south-western coast of the Isle of Skye, from our base further north. The 20,000 acre estate of the Clan Donald is centred on an historic castle (now a ruin) and gardens, along with a rather interesting museum that guides you through 1500 years of history and culture of the ‘Kingdom of the Isles’.

Our visit, with friends Richard and Ann, was once again blessed with warm, sunny weather. After arriving and a light lunch at the Castle restaurant, we set off along Lord Macdonald’s Drive via a coast-side walk and viewpoint across the sound, towards the imposing shell of Armadale castle. As the Castle’s website explains:

‘The Clan Donald established itself on Skye in the 15th century, occupying castles at Dunscaith and Knock, both within a few miles of Armadale, and Duntulm Castle at the north end of the island.

From the 1650s, the MacDonald chiefs also began to stay at Armadale. From the 1700s onwards, the mansion house at Armadale was used as a dower house (a large home occupied by the widow of a late owner or chief) and then rented out to others.

A number of famous historical figures have visited Armadale over the years. Flora MacDonald, famed throughout the world for helping Bonnie Prince Charlie to flee Scotland after the Jacobites’ defeat at Culloden, was married here on 6 November 1750. Samuel Johnson and James Boswell visited in 1773.

Around 1790, a new mansion house was built at Armadale and this, combined with the start of the plantings you see around the gardens today, became a real demonstration of the wealth and lifestyle of the landed aristocracy.

In 1815, the mansion house was extended to form Armadale Castle, designed by the renowned architect James Gillespie Graham. In 1855, fire destroyed much of the original house, which was replaced by the current central section (designed by David Bryce). In 1925, the MacDonald family moved to a smaller house leaving the castle to the wind and rain.

Today, the Gillespie Graham section is a sculptured ruin and garden with the staircase and facade often used for wedding ceremonies. Housed in what remains of the original mansion, dating from around 1790, the Somerled Rooms offer a unique conference facility.’

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From the castle we took in the formal gardens and woodland walks and eventually arrived at the Museum of the Isles, which was fascinating. Even more impressive were the linked pools outside where gardeners were preening the planting and the sun reflected beautifully off of the water surfaces.

Armadale Castle Gardens are testimony to years of patient restoration; the result is 40 acres of varied gardens and woodland, featuring some magnificent trees, some almost 200 years old. Through spring and summer there are carpets of bluebells, orchids and wildflowers and there is clear evidence of long-term thinking as below the giant trees are the young firs which will eventually replace them, as well as the growing collections of elegant birch and beech trees.

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Plants from around the world thrive in this sheltered spot, including the ‘Chilean Fire Bush’ (Embothrium), Himalayan Birch and Celmesias from New Zealand. More recently developed areas such as the ponds, herbaceous borders and terrace walks provide a tranquil place to sit or stroll, with walks through dappled shade and delicate woodland planting linking these sunny havens.

Further information: www.clandonald.com

Old School Gardener

Tags: clan donald, flowers, gardening, gardens, kingdom of the isles, Mcdonald, pools, scotland, Skye, water gardens

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Scotland 2016: Dunvegan Castle, Skye

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26/06/2016

I’ve finally got round to posting the first pictures from some gardens I saw on our recent trip to Scotland. Spending a week on the Isle of Skye (with amazing temperatures and bright sunshine) and then on to Glasgow for a couple of days, we visited some wonderful places. I’ll post more over the next week or two; the series begins with the ancient seat of the Clan MacLeod, Dunvegan Castle.

The oldest continuously inhabited castle in Scotland, this special place on the north west copast of Skye has been the home of the Chiefs of MacLeod for 800 years. We were given a warm welcome and lots of interesting information as we toured the castle. I was even more impressed with the gardens, which consist of a Woodland Garden, more formal ‘Round Garden’ a Walled Garden and a superb Water Garden.

The woodland garden features a hallmark of the gardening skills at play more generally here- very careful attention to planting in what can sometimes seem to be large, daunting spaces. There were some lovely touches; e.g. swathes of Shuttlecock Ferns glinting in the dappled sunlight.

From here we visited the ‘Round Garden’ which had some impressive displays of tulips, formed into a central array of beds, helping to define this circular space.

And then on to the Walled Garden where I chatted to one of thew gardeners abotu the vegetables under cultivation in raised beds, and visited an impressive glasshouse witha good show of various tender, exotic plants.

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But the climax was undoubtedly the Water Gardens, which followed a path alongside tumbling waterfalls and streams and some more very thoughtful planting in and alongside the water.

Further information: www.dunvegancastle.com

Old School Gardener

Tags: clan MacLeod, dunvegan castle, flowers, gardening, gardens, macLeod, round garden, scotland, shuttelcock ferns, Skye, tulips, walled garden, water gardens

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Garden visits on the rise, latest figures show

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11/03/2016

The Royal Botanic Gardens, Edinburgh saw an impressive increase in visitors last year.

By Elizabeth Henry (from Horticulure Week 7th March 2016)

‘Visitors continue to flock to gardens around the country, according to figures released today by the Association of Leading Visitor Attractions (ALVA).

Among them, the Royal Botanic Gardens, Edinburgh saw a 10 per cent increase to 889,420, adding to a 19 per cent rise in 2014. RBGE credited their Lights programme in the winter months for the increase.

The Eden Project saw an 11 per cent increase to 960,029 visitors, compared to a 1 per cent increase in 2014.

All four RHS gardens had record visitor numbers in 2015, with RHS Garden Hyde Hall in particular up 12.1 per cent to 242,520 visitors. Rosemoor visitor numbers were up by 9.5 per cent, Wisley by 6.1 per cent and Harlow Carr by 5 per cent.

Kew Gardens saw a more modest increase of 3.5 per cent, but Wakehurst Place, which Kew leases from the National Trust, saw visitor figures climb by 14.9 per cent – a strong turnaround from 2014 when the introduction of carparking fees saw a 29 per cent fall in visitor numbers.

Many National Trust properties held steady or saw more modest gains. Standouts include a 15.2 per cent increase in numbers at Bodnant Garden in Wales, 10.3 per cent at Lanhydrock and 17 per cent at Mount Stewart in Northern Ireland.

The UK as a whole saw a 3.2 per cent increase in visitor numbers, while Scottish attractions proved particularly popular, gaining 5.48 per cent overall.

Chester Zoo was the most visited paid-for attraction in England outside London, mainly as a result of the opening ‘Islands’ in June – a recreation of the tropical environments of six South East Asian islands.

The British Museum continued to be the most popular visitor attraction overall for the ninth year running. But visits to many London attractions plummeted following the Paris attacks in November.

Bernard Donoghue, Director of ALVA, commented:

“2015 continued to be a record year mainly due to our members continuing to show how diverse the UK is to both domestic and overseas visitors….The current weakness of the pound to the dollar and Euro is making the UK a more affordable destination and 2016 is on target to be another memorable year for ALVA members.” ‘

Tags: ALVA, garden visits, gardens, scotland, UK

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A -Z of Garden Trees: U is for Ulmus glabra ‘Camperdownii’

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19/02/2016

Camperdown Elm in Leamington, Ontario, Canada. Picture: jim5870

As we come to the end of this A-Z the options open become rather constrained; so today I’ve chosen a neat and compact variety of the Wych Elm, which can also be resistant to Dutch Elm disease.

Common name: Camperdown Elm

Native areas: Ulmus glabra (Wych elm or Scots elm), the parent of this variety, has the widest range of the European elm species, from Ireland eastwards to the Urals, and from the Arctic Circle south to the mountains of Greece; it is also found in Iran. The tree was by far the most common elm in the north and west of the British Isles and is now acknowledged as the only indisputably British native elm species.

The original sport in Camperdown Park, Dundee. Picture: Peter Bourne

Historical notes: About 1835–1840, the Earl of Camperdown’s head forester, David Taylor, discovered a young contorted elm tree (a sport) growing in the forest at Camperdown House, in Dundee, Scotland. The young tree was lifted and replanted within the gardens Camperdown House where it still remains to this day. The original tree is less than 3 m tall, with a dramatic weeping habit and contorted branch structure and grows on its own roots. The earl’s gardener is said to have produced the first of what are commonly recognised as Camperdown elms by grafting it to the trunk of a Wych Elm (Ulmus glabra). Every ‘Camperdownii’ is descended (as cuttings taken from that original sport) and usually grafted on a Wych elm trunk. Other grafting stock has been used. In Dundee, Scotland, there are two well established Camperdownii Elms at the gated entrance to a private residence on Constitution Terrace. Both trees have grown so they intertwine with each other and create the illusion of one tree in the summer months. The tree is likely to have been cultivated around 1850, the same age as the Victorian mansion situated in the grounds which was built around 1850.

Ulmus_glabra_Camperdownii in Québec-Coulonges. Picture: Gilbert Bochenek

Features: The grafted Camperdown Elm slowly develops a broad, flat head that may eventually build as high as 4 m (13 feet) and an incommensurately wide crown with a contorted, weeping habit. The tree is often confused with the much taller ‘Horizontalis’ (Weeping Wych elm) owing to both being given the epithet ‘Pendula’ at some stage. It does not reproduce from seed. Neat and compact, it produces clusters of attractive hop-like flowers in the spring and its lustrous leaves add to its overall effect.

Uses: Camperdown Elms satisfied a mid-Victorian passion for curiosities in the ‘Gardenesque’ gardens then in vogue. Many examples were planted, as ‘rarities’, in Britain and America, wherever elite gardens were extensive enough for tree collections. There are many on university campuses, often planted as memorials. Camperdown Elms are used in stately landscaping of American university campuses and others feature in townscapes. A small weeping tree with a dome shaped head, it looks good growing as a specimen in a lawn in parks and gardens.

Trunk and bark of Ulmus glabra ‘Camperdownii’…

early leaves…

full leaf…

..flowers

Growing conditions: Camperdown Elm is cold hardy, suffering more from summer drought than winter cold. ‘Camperdownii’ can be susceptible to Dutch Elm disease, however there are still many examples to be found in parks and gardens across the British Isles as it often avoids detection by the Scolytae beetle (a major vector of Dutch Elm Disease) because of its diminutive height. Grow in average, medium moisture, well-drained soils in full sun. Tolerant of light shade. Prefers rich, moist loams. Adapts to both wet and dry sites. Generally tolerant of urban conditions. Non-suckering.

Winter form. Picture: Jim Henderson

Summer. Picture: CC BY SA 3.0

Further information:

Wikipedia

Ulmus glabra ‘Camperdownii’– Missouri Botanical Garden

Old School Gardener

Tags: Camperdown, dundee, dutch elm disease, elm, garden, planting, scotland, specimen tree, trees, weeping tree

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On the Beach: Stone

Filed under: Wildlife and Nature — 2 Comments

08/11/2015

Here’s the second and concluding part of my picture gallery featuring the wonderful textures and artful effects of nature. The pictures were taken mainly at Calgary Bay on the Isle of Mull, Scotland.

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Old School Gardener

Tags: art, beach, hebrides, mull, nature, scotland, stone

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On the Beach: Sand

Filed under: Wildlife and Nature — 2 Comments

06/11/2015

On our recent trip to the Hebrides I was taken by the beautiful textures and ‘art works’ that nature can produce; in this case on the beach and featuring some very subtle effects. Here’s the first of a two part gallery of pictures I took, mainly at Calgary Bay on the Isle of Mull.

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Old School Gardener

Tags: art, beach, calgary bay, hebrides, mull, sand, scotland, texture

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Tag Archive: scotland

Our second full day in Glasgow. Having taken the short train trip in from East Kilbride, we set off once more on the tourist bus and stopped off to see the Transport exhibits at the Riverside Museum..

Back to East Kilbride for an evening meal and then home the next day.We scraped the surface of Glasgow in two days, and shall certainly return for another look at this very lively, friendly and engaging place.

Further information: www.peoplemakeglasgow.com

Old School Gardener

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Having completed our journey from Skye to East Kilbride, just south of Glasgow, we spent a wonderful couple of days exploring ‘the second city of empire’. We’d never been before…we were wondering what it would be like, given it had a rather ‘mixed’ reputation in former days.

Our second day featured a trip to the Botanical Gardens, Museums the Mackintosh-designed School of Art and afternoon tea at another Rennie Mackintosh project….more of that in a couple of days..

Further information: www.peoplemakeglasgow.com

Old School Gardener

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I’d say a ‘must see’ if you’re in this part of Scotland.

Further information: www.nts.org.uk

Old School Gardener

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OK, I’m sorry. It’s two months since we got back from Scotland and the roll out of my pictures and stories is painfully slow. Put it down to ‘getting back into the garden’, as those of you who read my letters to my friend Walter, will know.

Old School Gardener

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‘The Clan Donald established itself on Skye in the 15th century, occupying castles at Dunscaith and Knock, both within a few miles of Armadale, and Duntulm Castle at the north end of the island.

From the 1650s, the MacDonald chiefs also began to stay at Armadale. From the 1700s onwards, the mansion house at Armadale was used as a dower house (a large home occupied by the widow of a late owner or chief) and then rented out to others.

Around 1790, a new mansion house was built at Armadale and this, combined with the start of the plantings you see around the gardens today, became a real demonstration of the wealth and lifestyle of the landed aristocracy.

Today, the Gillespie Graham section is a sculptured ruin and garden with the staircase and facade often used for wedding ceremonies. Housed in what remains of the original mansion, dating from around 1790, the Somerled Rooms offer a unique conference facility.’

Further information: www.clandonald.com

Old School Gardener

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But the climax was undoubtedly the Water Gardens, which followed a path alongside tumbling waterfalls and streams and some more very thoughtful planting in and alongside the water.

Further information: www.dunvegancastle.com

Old School Gardener

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By Elizabeth Henry (from Horticulure Week 7th March 2016)

‘Visitors continue to flock to gardens around the country, according to figures released today by the Association of Leading Visitor Attractions (ALVA).

Among them, the Royal Botanic Gardens, Edinburgh saw a 10 per cent increase to 889,420, adding to a 19 per cent rise in 2014. RBGE credited their Lights programme in the winter months for the increase.

The Eden Project saw an 11 per cent increase to 960,029 visitors, compared to a 1 per cent increase in 2014.

All four RHS gardens had record visitor numbers in 2015, with RHS Garden Hyde Hall in particular up 12.1 per cent to 242,520 visitors. Rosemoor visitor numbers were up by 9.5 per cent, Wisley by 6.1 per cent and Harlow Carr by 5 per cent.

Kew Gardens saw a more modest increase of 3.5 per cent, but Wakehurst Place, which Kew leases from the National Trust, saw visitor figures climb by 14.9 per cent – a strong turnaround from 2014 when the introduction of carparking fees saw a 29 per cent fall in visitor numbers.

Many National Trust properties held steady or saw more modest gains. Standouts include a 15.2 per cent increase in numbers at Bodnant Garden in Wales, 10.3 per cent at Lanhydrock and 17 per cent at Mount Stewart in Northern Ireland.

The UK as a whole saw a 3.2 per cent increase in visitor numbers, while Scottish attractions proved particularly popular, gaining 5.48 per cent overall.

Chester Zoo was the most visited paid-for attraction in England outside London, mainly as a result of the opening ‘Islands’ in June – a recreation of the tropical environments of six South East Asian islands.

The British Museum continued to be the most popular visitor attraction overall for the ninth year running. But visits to many London attractions plummeted following the Paris attacks in November.

Bernard Donoghue, Director of ALVA, commented:

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As we come to the end of this A-Z the options open become rather constrained; so today I’ve chosen a neat and compact variety of the Wych Elm, which can also be resistant to Dutch Elm disease.

Common name: Camperdown Elm

Further information:

Old School Gardener

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Here’s the second and concluding part of my picture gallery featuring the wonderful textures and artful effects of nature. The pictures were taken mainly at Calgary Bay on the Isle of Mull, Scotland.

Old School Gardener

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On our recent trip to the Hebrides I was taken by the beautiful textures and ‘art works’ that nature can produce; in this case on the beach and featuring some very subtle effects. Here’s the first of a two part gallery of pictures I took, mainly at Calgary Bay on the Isle of Mull.

Old School Gardener

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