Scone Palace,

Scone, by Perth PH2 6BD

Why Should We Visit

Few places in Scotland are so steeped in history as this ancient site in the very heart of Scotland. For centuries it was the crowning place of Scottish kings and later it would be the estate where one of Scotland’s greatest plant hunters would cut his teeth. Its avenues of towering trees, designed parkland and productive vegetable gardens cover more than 100 acres and the palace at the centre is filled with important artworks.

Story of the Garden

Scone Palace stands above the River Tay, overlooking routes north to the Highlands and east through Strathmore to the coast. The Grampian mountains form a distant backdrop and the city of Perth lies immediately to the south. There has been a house here since medieval times, but the Gothic palace that stands here today was built in 1803. At the same time the grounds were landscaped, which involved demolishing the village that stood next to the Palace and rebuilding it two miles away at New Scone.

The gardens that replaced the village include huge walled gardens, which have been restored to their former productivity in order to grow cut flowers for the house and fresh produce for the kitchens. However it is trees that are the most significant feature of the landscape and with very good reason. David Douglas was born in the village of Scone in 1799 and worked as a gardener here at the Palace for seven years before he left to seek his fortune as plant hunter, exploring the forests of North America and introducing many notable trees to the Old World, including the Douglas Fir.

Today these and an important collection of other evergreens form a fine Pinetum, which is also home to the David Douglas Pavilion, crafted from Douglas fir and featuring other timbers sourced from the estate. This tree collection, some of which was grown from seed sent home by Douglas himself, is a reminder that before the 18th century, when new trees and plants began to be introduced from America and Asia, Scotland’s landscape looked very different from how it does today, with very few evergreens and nothing to match the newly-arrived fir and pine trees that would eventually tower over native species.

Highlights

It may be little more than a small mound, but Moot Hill, which lies immediately in front of the Palace, was the actual place where kings were crowned. Today a tiny Presbyterian Chapel sits atop it and this contains a replica of the famous Stone of Scone, also known as the Stone of Destiny, which still plays a role in the coronation of Britain’s monarchs.

Don’t Miss

The Murray Star Maze is a living puzzle where visitors to Scone can challenge themselves to find a route through its labyrinthian allees. It has been a feature of the garden for 20 years and it took 2000 green and purple beech saplings to create the design, which is based on the Earl of Mansfield’s family tartan, Ancient Murray of Tullibardine. Those who reach the centre are rewarded by a fine fountain containing a statue of the water nymph, Arethusa.

Anything Else To Look Out For

The estate is home to red squirrels and roe deer and the rare hawfinch can sometimes be glimpsed as it flits among the trees. Visitors might also be lucky enough to spot head gardener, Brian Cunningham, who is familiar to TV viewers as a presenter of The Beechgrove Garden.

Best Time To Visit

Life begins to stir at Scone in early spring, when drifts of snowdrops then daffodils transform the grounds. In May and June rhododendrons and azaleas add bright splashes of colour and the Laburnum Walkway comes into flower.

In July the cutting and vegetable gardens are in full production and then, as the year progresses, the trees take on their autumn shades of vibrant red and orange before shedding their leaves to reveal their structure.

Any Recommendations In The Area?

Kinnoull Hill on the edge of Perth holds a commanding position overlooking the Tay and the 4km path that scales it offers expansive views south towards Fife. And at Riverside Park, off Dundee Road, the Beautiful Perth organisation maintains a unique heather collection, with more than 16,000 plants made up of 500 varieties, which provide colour all year round.

Directions

Scone Palace lies on the northern edge of Perth. From the Broxburn roundabout follow the A93 to its junction with Caledonian Road and then follow the signs for Scone Palace.

Details

The gardens are open 9.45am until 4pm from Thursday - Sunday. Entry is £5/children go free, Tel: 01738 552300. Email: visits@scone-palace.co.uk, www.scone-palace.co.uk

In Association With Discover Scottish Gardens. See www.discoverscottishgardens.org.

Branklyn Garden

Set above Dundee Road on the north side of the River Tay in Perth is a two-acre garden that is packed with rare treasures.

Branklyn Garden was gifted to the National Trust for Scotland by John and Dorothy Renton who, from the 1920s, had made it their life’s work to amass a collection of extraordinary plants, including sourcing seed from explorers such as Frank Ludlow and George Sherriff who, at the time, were making perilous journeys in Asia in search of new species.

Today the driving force behind the garden is master plantsman Jim Jermyn. Under his direction Branklyn has become one of Scotland’s unmissable destinations for gardeners, especially those who love plants that are rare or difficult to grow.

Alpine and Himalayan species form the backbone of planting at Branklyn and at the moment it is the garden’s fine collection of blue poppies that is astonishing visitors.

These vivid blue flowers that are native to the Himalayas can be tricky to cultivate and many gardeners have tried and failed with them, but here they flourish in huge numbers, turning the sloping garden into rivers of blue.

A visit to Branklyn offers a chance to compare different varieties of meconopsis and to discover the sort of conditions that it takes for them to thrive.

This is an intimate garden and the paths that wind their way through the trees reveal surprises at every turn. The borders here are packed with plants and the combination of the south-facing site and the sloping terrain provides the ideal setting for a wide range of flowers and shrubs.

And no visit to Branklyn is complete without a stop at the plant stall near the entrance where it is frequently possible to pick up young plants propagated from some of the unusual specimens in the garden that are difficult to find anywhere else.

Branklyn Garden, 116 Dundee Road, Perth PH2 7BB. Tel: 01738 625535, Email: jjermyn@nts.org.uk, www.nts.org.uk/visit/places/branklyn-garden