Galloway DG9 8PH
Why should we visit?
The south west of Scotland is home to some of the country’s finest gardens and Glenwhan occupies a special place amongst them. It sits on a hilltop overlooking Luce Bay with views south towards the Isle of Man and it was hacked out of gorse and heather by one woman who recognised that the combination of climate and setting provided the basis for making a unique sort of garden
The soil is wildly acidic so camellias and magnolias flourish, Candelabra primulas grow in abundance and the hydrangeas, which are in flower at the moment, relish the coastal air.
The garden spreads out across 12 acres, with a further 17 acres of moorland to explore. As well as an astonishing array of cultivated plants, more than 120 species of ferns and wildflowers grow here, attracting a wide array of insects.
Story of the garden
Tessa Knott and her late husband Bill bought Glenwhan sight-unseen in the 1970s. Once they had restored the tumbledown croft that sat amidst that bracken, Tessa turned her energies towards making a garden, using…
