Pitmedden Garden
Ellon
Aberdeenshire AB41 7PD
Why should we visit?
With six miles of box hedging and more than 30,000 bedding plants, Pitmedden is one of Scotland’s most intricate, and colourful, formal gardens. It sits on the edge of Pitmedden village, surrounded by woods and high walls that keep its manicured layout hidden from view. Once inside, however, visitors discover a highly-decorative space filled with parterres, pavilions and topiary that wouldn’t look out of place gracing a chateau in France. There are deep herbaceous borders, smooth lawns and the walls are smothered in fruit trees and climbing plants.
Story of the garden
The Great Garden dates back to 1675 when it was originally laid out by Sir Alexander Seton, a retired Court of Session judge in the reign of James VII/II. His head gardener had designed gardens at the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh and was similarly influenced by the French Palace of Versailles. Over the centuries, however, the garden fell into decline and the final demise of the original layout came during World War II when the whole space was ploughed up to grow vegetables. However, in the 1950s, Pitmedden was gifted to the National Trust for Scotland who re-created the garden based on 17th-century plans.
Highlights
The extensive parterres are Pitmedden’s stand-out feature and they are a faithful reconstruction of what the garden of a great house would have looked like in the 1600s, before the landscape movement, with its naturalistic approach, prevailed. Topiary trees stand sentinel on the lawns and a multi-faceted sundial, statuary and a set of matching pavilions, complete the historic design.
Don’t miss
In 2021 the NTS commissioned award-winning designer, Chris Beardshaw, to inject fresh life into the upper terraces and he did it by creating a species-rich meadow with waves of planting that provided a biodiverse habitat for nature. The contrast between the historic parts of the garden and these swaying blocks of grasses and perennials add fresh zest to the garden.
Anything else to look out for?
Pitmedden’s high walls provide the ideal conditions for its orchard of more than 200 fruit trees to flourish and every autumn the garden holds an ‘Apple Day’ to celebrate the harvest, with music, stalls and tastings. Meanwhile there are daily guided heritage tours, along with scavenger trails and bug hunts for children.
Best time to visit?
Pitmeddden’s flower-filled parterres are at their best in summer but the crisp formal outlines of the garden keep it in good shape throughout its open season, and the woods are worth visiting all year round.
Any recommendations in the area?
Seal beach at nearby Newburgh is home to huge colonies of both grey and harbour seals. In summer the young pups, with their white coats, can be spotted on the sand along the estuary of the River Ythan.
Directions
Pitmedden Garden lies 14 miles north of Aberdeen on the A920.
Details
Gardens open daily until 31 September, 10.30am - 4.30pm
Grounds open daily, dawn to dusk.
Tickets: £9/£7
Tel: 01651 842352
www.nts.org.uk
There has been a Castle in Ellon since the 15th century, but the garden that greets visitors today has only been open since 2019. Work is ongoing to restore this nine-acre green space and make it the thriving heart of the town.
Reminders of the earlier gardens that existed here include yew trees that are at least 500 years old; a Grade A sundial, similar to the one that stands in nearby Pitmedden Garden, and a secret tunnel that leads from the ruins of the castle to the River Ythan.
So far, early work on bringing the gardens back to life have included restoring paths and planting up the borders and on Wednesday, 27 July the Illyria Theatre Company will stage ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ amongst the lawns and flowerbeds as part of Discover Scottish Gardens’ Summer Garden Festival.
Donations and memberships are helping to fund the restoration work and volunteers work regularly alongside staff to keep the gardens planted and weeded.
At the moment the gardens are open to the public at weekends between 11am and 4pm.
Ellon Castle Gardens
11 The Square
Ellon
Aberdeenshire AB41 9JB
In Association with Discover Scottish Gardens. See www.discoverscottishgardens.org.
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