Gardens in the North of Scotland
History
Many of the gardens in the North of Scotland, which are now open to
the public began as kitchen gardens supplying fruit, vegetables and
possibly, cut flowers to a castle, large house or sporting lodge.
Over the years the utilitarian aspect has declined and the pleasure garden has come to predominate. Not, however, to the exclusion of vegetables and fruit,which many of our northern gardens still grow.
It is fortunate that the period in which the gardens were developed coincided with a time when plant collectors, many of them Scottish, were bringing home a huge variety of trees shrubs and perennial plants from all over the world.
These can now be seen in our northern gardens, as mature specimens, thriving at latitudes well outside their native range.
Climate
The reason for this latitudinal phenomenon is the Gulf Stream or North Atlantic Drift. This bathes our shores with warm sea water which originates in the tropics and sweeps north-eastwards across the Atlantic bringing with it warm damp air with ample rain. This rain, some might say, over-ample, tends to fall more in the west than the east.
The same Gulf Stream coupled with our island geography, ameliorates our temperatures. Although at a similar latitude to Moscow in the east and Labrador in the west, we enjoy cool summers and mild winters. Our climate is temperate and in some parts of the west almost sub-tropical.
Soils
In the west of the country the soils tend to be thin rocky and acidic. High rainfall has leached nutrients and led to the development of extensive areas of peat. In some cases richer soils have been imported but in all cases soils need good management to be productive.
The eastern soils are better due to richer underlying rocks and less rainfall. They are acidic but can be more easily managed than those in the west.
The Gardens
For reasons outlined above I have divided the gardens into East Coast and West Coast areas. This division may be helpful in planning your visits.