House of Pitmuies, Guthrie, By, Forfar DD8 2SN

Why We Should Visit

The gardens at Pitmuies are amongst the most-photographed in Scotland and they have featured in countless glossy magazine. They combine architectural elements from four centuries with a mix of gardening styles from the Victorian era onwards. The results are outstanding and have been achieved not only by exceptional horticulture, but also by an inspired approach to design that uses trees, hedges, trellising and seating areas to create a framework in which the plants can flourish.

Story of the Garden

The clues to Pitmuies’ long history lie in the Pictish stone slab cross that lies within the gardens and the name of Muies, which is believed to have been that of a Viking raider who was killed here.

The oldest part of the house dates back to the seventeenth century and by 1780 the walled garden was already established.

In the 1920s then owner, Major Crombie was a renowned exhibitor of delphiniums but it was the Ogilvie family, who bought Pitmuies in 1945 and who still own it today, who planted many of the fine shrubs and trees, transformed the formal garden and made Pitmuies one of the most beautiful gardens in Scotland.

Highlights

The summer borders, which occupy the centre of the formal garden, are Pitmuies’ most famous feature. Planted by Margaret Ogilvie, whose son and daughter-in law, Ruaraidh and Jeanette continue to care for and develop the gardens, the mix of perennials here is unsurpassed. At the height of summer they spill from the borders in a froth of petals and foliage, leaving only a narrow grass path between them.

Equally impressive is the second walled garden, this one filled with fruit and vegetables, which forms the entrance to Pitmuies.

Trees too are an important element of the gardens and they include Spanish chestnuts, copper beeches, Paperbark maples, a tulip tree and a collection of variegated hollies.

Don’t Miss

The Black Loch is surrounded by rhododendrons and azaleas which transform this green space in late spring, then in autumn rowans and maples, many of them raised from seed collected in the wild in Oregon and Japan, flame into shades of red and orange.

The Woodland Garden, first created from a boggy hollow in the 1980s and then revamped last year, is home to a collection of acid-loving plants that relish the damp conditions while visitors can also stroll along the tree-lined banks of the Vinny Water.

Anything Else To Look Out For

The Policy field that lies in front of the house has for the last 20 years been cultivated as a species rich grass meadow. Over that time many different kinds of wildflower have been found here including pyramid orchids. The field is mown just once a year after seed from the flowers has fallen, allowing its rich ecosystem to regenerate the following spring.

Best Time To Visit

In summer the Formal Garden is unmissable but as summer gives way to autumn its the trees that give Pitmuies its character.

Any Recommendations In The Area

The impressive ruins of Edzell Castle sit amongst the rich farmland of Brechin and set inside the walls is a garden that dates back to the start of the 17th century. The design is deceptively simple - a parterre that in summer is filled with flowers - but it is what surrounds this that gives Edzell its significance. The walls are lined with carved panels that depict the cardinal virtues, the liberal arts and the planetary deities and there is nothing else like them in Scotland. Between these are niches in a chequerboard pattern, from which blue and white lobelia tumble. Visitors can climb the stairs to see the effect from above.

Directions

Pitmuies sits on the A932 eight miles east of Forfar.

Details

The gardens are open daily until 30 September, 10am to 5pm.

Tel: 01241 828245

Email: ogilvie@pitmuies.com

Www.pitmuies.com

University of Dundee Botanic Garden

Riverside Drive, Dundee DD2 1QH

The University of Dundee Botanic Garden covers 9.5 hectares of south-facing slope near the River Tay. It is filled with a huge range of plants from tropical species to damp-loving mosses and ferns along with South African flowers and trees from Australasia. There is also a collection of rhododendrons and magnolias from Asia.

Distinctive drystone walls undulate through the garden and a range of glasshouses is home to plants from the world’s hot zones.

The Garden of Evolution charts the development of plants, from algae to flowers and there are also many native species from the uplands, pine and birch forests and damp meadows of Britain.

The exotic species in the garden come from around the world and many rare plants flourish despite the garden’s location on the east coast of Scotland.

A burn that runs through the garden connects the different growing areas and feeds a necklace of ponds that feed Loch Machar, a small artificial loch near the visitor centre.

The garden is used for teaching school children and students about the natural world and its smooth paths and attractive surroundings make it a popular place for a stroll.

There is a coffee shop, which is open seven days a week and plants are available for sale in the shop.

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