Scotland’s Gardens 2012

Over 600 gardens will open in 2012 as part of Scotland's Gardens programme, ranging from town and village allotments to some of the country’s finest properties.

There will also be an unprecedented number of smaller and more unusual gardens opening their gates to visitors as well as the magnificent castle and country house gardens that Scotland is famed for.

One of the highlights for 2012 will be the Fife Diamond Garden Festival (18th to 20th May) which sees a dozen local gardens opening specially for the Scotland's Gardens charity.

Edinburgh's National Records Office will be showing off its horticultural prowess along with Scotland's largest roof garden, in New Lanark, atop one of Robert Owen’s former cotton mills. The famous Garden of Cosmic Speculation at Portrack House, various botanic gardens and even an ex-council tree nursery in Inverurie, now boasting wild flower meadows, will be on show.

Scotland's Gardens, formerly known as Scotland’s Gardens Scheme, raises money for worthy charities by facilitating the opening of large and small gardens of horticultural interest throughout Scotland to the public. Most are privately owned and normally inaccessible to the public at other times. For 2012 a new-look guidebook has been prepared and there is an easy to navigate website which will be live from the start of 2012.

In the last three years £1 million has been raised for charity by the scheme. Forty per cent of funds go to charities nominated by each garden owner with the net remainder being donated to Maggie's Cancer Caring Centres, the Queen's Nursing Institute Scotland, the Gardens Fund of the National Trust for Scotland and Perennial.

So whether you want to take in the spring bulbs at Ardgowan, visit the outstanding coastal gardens at Tyninghame House, East Lothian,  or enjoy a spectacular walk through wonderful woodlands at Corsock House in Kirkcudbrightshire, the Scotland’s Gardens programme has something for you.

More information can be found by logging onto: www.scotlandsgardens.org

Picture Caption: 9 Osbourne Terrace, Edinburgh. © Scotland's Gardens