It’s Summertime – Visiting Gardens in and Around the St. Andrews Area

With summer just about here and the weather behaving itself a little better than it has done over the winter, a trip to St Andrews is a wonderfully unique experience that will have you returning for more. Home to golf, there’s a lot more to this lovely corner of the Kingdom of Fife and this includes some rather gorgeous properties that boast outstandingly beautiful gardens. If you are planning a stay in St Andrews below are just a few of the lovely gardens in the region that are definitely worth visiting.

The Beautiful Botanic Garden of St Andrews

This award winning garden is simply put quite exquisite. The original botanic garden was planted way back in 1889 by a gentleman by the name of Dr John Watson. He planted the garden to complement the teaching work he carried out at the University. Many of the plants were used for research and the garden consisted of a quarter of an acre of beautifully laid out beds in a walled garden close to St Mary’s College. However, in the sixties the garden was moved to Bassaguard which in Gaelic and means “farm of priests”.
The new gardens cover around 7 hectares of splendour where a superb variety of plants are cultivated and which have won a lot of recognition throughout the world. It is a place where botany and horticultural excellence meets in an effortless way. It is a fascinating and educational experience with boards explaining the roles plants played in scientific research. Strolling along sheltered paths is a pleasure as you take in the magnificence of trees and shrubs found there. The glasshouse is spectacular and houses many exotic species from faraway places like South East Asia and it is a wonderful place to visit throughout the year.

Cambo Estate & Gardens

The spectacular gardens at Cambo Estate are wonderful throughout the year and each season offers another take on this lovely setting. The Secret Garden is a gem hidden away behind ancient walls and has to be a gardener’s idea of heaven. There’s a real Victorian feel to the gardens with naturalistic plantings mixing well with a modern take on herbaceous borders. The box hedging is superb but then so are the lilac and rose bushes which add a wonderful fragrance to tease your senses.

The gardens are truly an oasis and place to sit back and enjoy the peace and tranquillity of the area as it all slopes down to the coast in a wonderful splash of summer colour – but the spring and autumn are just as beautiful and well worth a visit too.

The Trust Museum

Situated in the heart of St Andrews, the Trust Museum is housed in a glorious 17th century house close to the cathedral and castle. The house is adorable with its award-winning gardens that tempt passers-by to stop awhile to relax and enjoy the beauty of the moment and the tranquil surroundings.

Conclusion

Fife is a beautiful corner of Scotland that has drawn visitors to its shores for centuries. The University town of St Andrews is also known the world over as the “home of golf” but there is so much more to this lovely town that needs to be discovered and then thoroughly explored. The splendid houses and their lovely gardens are worth visiting at any time of the year because each season brings its own special beauty to them. The Botanic Garden is to say the least, spectacular but then so are the gardens of the Cambo Estate and all are a pleasure to wander around.

Why not book one of our lovely Coach Houses for your visit, or if there are a few of you our lodge that sleeps up to 6 offers real luxury.

Image Credits: Assaulted Peanut and Robin Keymer