Crathes Castle
Banchory
Aberdeenshire AB31 5QJ
From its source at 1200 ft above sea level on the Cairngorm plateau, the cold and sparkling waters of the River Dee tumble through moorland and pine forests before flowing past the handsome castles of Deeside.
Amongst these is Crathes, the 13th century tower house that is famous not just for its pink-harled walls but for the impressive gardens that surround them. Here, 300-year old yew hedges enclose a series of garden ‘rooms’, each with its own character, but all of them working in harmony.
The best place to discover the layout is from the top of the tower before returning to ground level and becoming immersed in the exuberant planting that has been designed to unfold in a series of waves as the seasons progress.
There is a pool garden, a fountain garden, a white garden filled with hydrangeas, buddleia and phlox and double borders dedicated to late-summer blooms.
Last year Crathes unveiled a new rose garden to replace an earlier, Victorian design. The bold new design is strikingly contemporary but contained within it are references to Crathes’ ancient past, including a replica of a granite petrosphere, the neolithic stone orbs that have been found across the north east of Scotland and are believed to once have been used as ceremonial items.
New too is the Evolution Garden, which showcases the development of plants through time, however Crathes also has many traditional elements, including giant topiary figures, a doo’cot and restored Mackenzie and Moncur greenhouses that contain a Plant Heritage National Collection of Malmaison carnations.
These scented hot-house flowers, which were the favourite buttonhole flower of Oscar Wilde, are notoriously difficult to grow and so Crathes holds one of the very few collections in the country.
Surrounding the gardens are green lawns and policy woodlands and beyond these lies the wider Crathes estate which is home to an important collection of pine trees and also to an abundance of wildlife, including red squirrels, otters, pine martens and woodpeckers.
There is also strong evidence of human habitation here for at least 10,00 years and some years ago archaeologists made an astonishing discovery on the estate when they uncovered a series of pits that it is believed were used to track the phases of the moon. These have now been recognised as the world’s oldest calendar and they form part of a network of prehistoric sites, including stone circles and cairns, that litter the Dee valley.
Crathes itself has six waymarked trails across the estate where visitors can explore the landscape and catch a glimpse of the birds and other creatures that inhabit it, as well as a Wild Wood Adventure Playground, with slides, zip wires and a rock face challenge for children.
Details
The castle, café and gardens are open Thursday - Sunday, 10am until 4pm. The Wild Wood Adventure Play area is open Saturday and Sunday. The castle grounds are open daily, dawn to dusk. Tickets: £16/£12.50/£1(Young Scot). Tel: 01330 844525. Email: crathes@nts.org.uk/visit/places/crathes-castle
www.nts.org.uk
Directions
Crathes Castle is on the A93, 15 miles west of Aberdeen.
In association with Discover Scottish Gardens. www.discoverscottishgardens.org
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