Gordon Castle, Fochabers, Moray, IV32 7PQ
In late summer in the north east of Scotland, vast fields of ripening wheat and barley turn the landscape gold. This fertile region produces not just grains for bread and whisky, but potatoes too as well as lush grass that supports some of the best beef cattle in the world, so it should be no surprise that the walled gardens of the Moray Firth are equally as productive as its farms and at Gordon Castle, a 200-year-old example has been given a 21st makeover.
With assistance from world-renowned garden designer, Arne Maynard, the eight-acre historic garden, which was built to supply the Duke of Gordon and his household with fresh produce, has been transformed into one of the most glamorous kitchen gardens in the country, with swirling earth forms, a grass maze and huge perennial borders filled with blooms.
The extensive cutting garden provided some of the flowers that decorated Westminster Abbey for the King’s coronation, and huge vegetable beds supply the cafe. Visitors can also purchase fruit and vegetables in season, including freshly-picked apricots, gooseberries, courgettes and carrots.
Sixty different varieties of apple, 25 of them of Scottish origin, grow in the orchard. Pears are grown in eight long tunnels and chief amongst the garden’s many varieties of plums and gages in the garden is the original ‘Gordon Castle’ plum.
The herb garden provides botanicals for Gordon Castle’s range of gin and luxury bath and body produce, with an on-site still distilling natural essences from the thousands of stems and petals that are harvested during the summer, while the long lavender hedges are a magnet for bees.
The Moray Firth, where the garden is situated, benefits from a unique microclimate and this, combined with the protective walls, allows peaches, cherries, figs and other fruits to ripen that would otherwise struggle in this northerly climate. It also provides the perfect conditions for growing soft fruit and currants and gooseberries are in plentiful supply.
Looking at it now it is hard to believe that as little as 20 years ago this was an empty space, except for more than 200 carefully-tended espaliered apple, plum, peach and fig trees that grew around the walls.
When the entire garden slipped into a long decline, brought about by two World Wars, gardeners on the estate continued to look after these trees and today they form a link between the garden’s original purpose and its new lease of life.
Late summer highlights at Gordon Castle Walled Garden include fiery-coloured flowers, amongst them an abundance of dahlias, some of which are the size of dinner plates.
The gardens are overlooked by the cafe and by the elegant Georgian gardener’s cottage, which is now a luxury holiday let. A separate play area for children has been designed to provide stimulating play through interaction with nature and a series of themed trails have been developed for small visitors.
Details: The walled garden and children’s play area is open daily, 10am-4pm. The cafe is open from Wednesday to Sunday, 10am-4pm.
Ticket prices: £9.50/£7/£4.50 Tel: 01343 612312 www.gordoncastle.co,uk Gordon Castle is on the A96 in Fochabers, nine miles east of Elgin.
In association with Discover Scottish Gardens www.discoverscottishgardens.org
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