
You know that you have been on an epic
I was awash with all these emotions after Caroline had organised visits to two very contrasting gardens set just 4 miles apart in the heart of the Scottish Highlands. Dundonnell, an immaculate, romantic, and intriguing 18th century walled
Dundonnell
The first thing to say about both these gardens is the hidden nature of their locations amongst the majestic but undeniably spartan landscape of the North West Highlands, where only rock and heather look at home, and the predominant colour when we visited in late September, was brown.
Swinging into the understated driveway of Dundonnell House, against a backdrop of the munro An Teallach, the modest entranceway did not adequately prepare us for the treats we had in store.
Laid out in the 18th century by a successful industrialist of the time in the familiar matrix of a high stone walls, box-lined vistas and a glasshouse, the two acre site has passed through several phases of ownership since. It was latterly bought in 1998 by lyricist Sir Tim Rice and his wife Jane, and Jane still manages the 33,000 acre Dundonnell Estate and
The bones of the

It was thrilling to come across subtropical rarities like the giant dandelions from Madeira, Sonchus fruticosus and bromeliads like Fascicularia bicolour, more familiar in coastal West Coast gardens than the Highlands. Research into the soil conditions of the

The borders were absolutely packed with plants that you may only have read about, jostling together along seemingly endless herbaceous borders, using the stored warmth and protection the stone walls to coddle more fragile and rarified specimens such as pineapple broom, Cytisus battendieri and the autumn flowering Clematis rehderiana. Elaine and I were like pigs in clover as we spotted plant after plant from our list of favourites.

With its pathways and ponds,
As for the glasshouse – well I could have spent all day in there! It was clearly the beating heart of this exceptional

The ‘take-homes’ from this

Elaine was really taken with the way that crown lifting of the many ornamental trees allowed views across the beds and borders through the gnarly trunks. She was also thrilled to find a gorgeous deep purple geranium new to her, still flowering profusely and wandering languorously around the borders – we deduced it must be ‘Ann Folkard’, and its gone straight on her shopping list.

I’m afraid poor Caroline got a huge lecture from me about how ferns and Helleborus argutifolius could be planted directly into the hoggin driveway to create a really pleasing cameo at the base of a north wall – something I have been nagging her to do for years at her own Highland home, and she has told me wouldn’t work – it does, with knobs on!

Visiting at this time of year, late September, meant that much of the

I have tried to to capture our visit in a short video and the link is at the end of this review, but let me first tell you about Durnamuck.
2 Durnamuck
If Dundonnell is an exercise is creating rarified conditions through anthropomorphic intervention by way of constructs such as walls, ponds and glasshouses, 2 Durnamuck is the complete opposite. In this
The homestead nestles organically into the open hillside that slopes down to the shores of Little Loch Broom, and the borrowed landscape of the Highland mountain ranges gives this

So what do you plant on a coastal, windswept location such as this? The answer seems to be largely plants from South Africa, with great swathes of burnt orange and pink crocosmias, diaramas, watsonias and kniphofias bringing vibrants colours that light up the hillside.

Grasses add heft as do, excitingly, restios, again from South Africa. I have admired these characterful reed-like grasses at Chelsea Flower Show so often but have rarely seen them being used to such a great effect in a

Closer to the house, where there is a little more shelter from the prevailing westerlies there are pockets of Mediterranean plantings and I spotted a large Madeiran Echium candicans in the corner of a wall angle, which must look absolutely fantastic when in full flower. A huge grouping of pots provides endless opportunities for peering and wonderment.

Stone walls abound with succulents and streams are lined with astelias, francoas and ferns. In fact there were ferns everywhere, creating interest and verdancy. No nook or cranny is left without a plant that’s adapted to grow in it.

And this was one of our big ‘take homes’ from this

Will and Sue met whilst both working at Inverewe

Again, this is principally a private
We truly had the most wonderful day visiting these two exceptional gardens and heartily recommend that you try and visit them if you can. We certainly will! We’d like to thank Lady Rice, Will Soos and Sue Pomeroy very much for allowing us to spend several very contented hours among such beauty and brilliant design.
I’ve tried to capture the essence of our visit to these two gardens in this little video.
4 replies on “Dundonnell and Durnamuck – two stunning Highland gardens”
Very good points about the effect of the Gulf Stream meaning that east west is as important as north south in determining what plants will grow outside in Scotland but why describe Fascicularia bicolor as an epiphyte? it ‘s one of several bromeliads that grow in the ground. It is also hardy in coastal East Lothian
Hello Stan, how lovely to hear from you, we loved our visits to the Caley and it’s a shame that now Caroline has moved much further north we don’t get the chance to visit as much. Yes there’s so much more to the hardiness of plants than just how far north the garden is – that’s why I love gardening as a hobby, there’s always so much to learn. Re the Fascicularia bicolor , I’m not very familiar with this plant myself but I read that it had a subspecies subsp. canaliculata, which was epiphytic and can be seen at Inverewe alongside the terrestrial one, and as it was growing on a tree at Dundonnell I assumed it was this, but happy to be corrected! So glad that you follow our garden adventures with interest, we’re flattered that you enjoy our garden ramblings Best wishes Laura
Absolutely love Dundonnell and can’t recommend it enough. I have visited it twice at different times of the year, there’s so much to see and take in. Definitely a dream garden and inspiration. I was quite taken with the bearded iris planting amongst stone slabs idea which I assume was to retain the heat and ensure drainage. The drive over there itself is also always a treat. Durnamuck is on my must see list for next year.
Hi Clancy, it’s Elaine here. Yes, we were really blown away by Dundonnell – an incredibly special garden – even so late in the year, it was full of colour, interesting design and wonderful plants. I have a very soft spot for bearded irises and that does sound a very good way of growing them because they certainly flower better with a proper baking in the summer. Of course they were long finished when we were there, but it sounds a good reason to make a repeat visit in May/June! Yes, do visit Durnamuck too – it’s so close to Dundonnell, and is in a most spectacular location; I think you’ll love it. Hope I see you the next time I’m up with Caroline in Strathpeffer – it’s been too long!