Gardens worth exploring this winter

There's lots of magic to find in a garden in winter. The trunks of bare trees get a chance to show off their bark, and there are the bright coloured branches of dogwood and willow. From water features, to well laid out garden rooms. Come and see what these gardens have to show off.

Craichlaw

Craichlaw, Kirkcudbrightshire

Formal garden with herbaceous borders around the house. Set in extensive grounds with lawns, lochs and woodland. A path around the main loch leads to a water garden returning past a recently planted arboretum in the old walled garden. The best times to visit the garden are early February for snowdrops, May to mid-June for the water garden and rhododendrons and mid-June to August for herbaceous borders.

By arrangement 1 January - 31 December
Admission £4.00, children free.

Stobshiel House, East Lothian

A large garden to see for all seasons. Walled garden adjacent to the house, box-edged borders filled with bulbs, roses and lavender beds. There is also a rustic summerhouse, glasshouse, formal lily pond and castellated yew hedge. The shrubbery has rhododendrons, azaleas and bulbs. Growing in the water and woodland garden are meconopsis and primulas. Enjoy the beautiful woodland walks.

By arrangement 1 March - 1 December
Admission £5.00, children free.

Stockarton ©

Stockarton

This interesting garden was started in 1995 and contains a collection of unusual shrubs and small trees which are growing well. Our aim has been to create different informal gardens around a Galloway farm house, leading down to a lochan. Above the lochan there is a sweet cottage, used for holiday retreats. It has its own interesting garden. In 1996 a three acre aboretum was planted as a shelter belt and it now contains some rare oak trees.

By arrangement 1 January - 31 December
Admission £4.00, children free.