Arduaine Gardens is situated on a remote peninsula in Argyl in the west of Scotland. It is influenced by it's coastal location and benefits from the North Atlantic drift. This tranquil garden is about twenty acres in size and has many outstanding woodland plants and an important collection of species rhododendron. It also boasts spectacular coastal and island panoramas from a cliff top viewpoint. (You have to be everyday fit to get up there but not a marathon runner)
The garden is over 100 years old and in 1992 came under the ownership of the National Trust for Scotland (a conservation charity that protects and promotes Scotland's natural and cultural heritage) Unfortunately the NTS has had some problems with managing their money in the recent past. This in my opinion (I'm a member so I can say this) was due the construction of over priced visitors centres sucking up most of the money and accounts generally not balanced over many years. Several houses and gardens have been threatened with closure. Arduaine was one of those.
The garden is still threatened with closure and the NTS have launched an appeal to save it. You can look at my photos from our last visit in 2009 and at the garden on this video:
If you live nearby or are visiting Scotland please go to Arduaine gardens. It's a very special place.
