Country Gardens Tour

“Just a quick 'thank you' for the great tour last Sunday. We really enjoyed ourselves - Broughton was a real gem - and we'd never have made it to Dawyck on our own.”

Chris Wisdom, Chief Librarian, St Pauls Cathedral, London

(May- September only)

This trail takes us through the rolling Border Hills to the banks of the Tweed , where three gardens of varying sizes can be viewed. A remarkable garden at Broughton Gallery is set on a hillside at 900 feet with stunning views of the surrounding hills. It is well designed in both its formal and informal elements, and adjoins a gallery that hosts a revolving collection of high quality local artists' work. The dovecot is particularly romantic in its setting.

A few miles away lies the woodland garden of Dawyck , one of Scotland 's four national Botanic Gardens. There are good walks laid out over an extensive area of hillside with waterfalls, a burn and over three hundred years of tree planting to enjoy. The seasons are all marked here with the emphasis on changing colours (summer is famous for its azalea terrace). Light refreshments can be taken here.

Lunch is reserved for a local tea room in the nearby village of Broughton , before travelling on to Kelzie Gardens , a privately owned garden that features a walled garden, another burn and a trout pond overlooking the distant hills, and a live camera osprey watch! As an additional option there is a choice of visits between Traquair House Gardens and Neidpath Castle which is possible to do if we return for early evening. Two local home industry breweries can be visited - one is at Traquair House, and the other at Broughton where Merlin ale is produced! Sites associated with the local story of Merlin, and even some of Arthur's battle sites can be pointed out.