The Finest Grounds

At these three castles, the gardens vie with the buildings for interest and beauty

Cawdor Castle

Cawdor Castle, near Nairn, offers formal gardens, exuberant flower borders, a huge organic vegetable garden and woodland dedicated to plants from Tibet. There are intriguing statues, clipped yews and 8km (5 miles) of waymarked trails. The Big Wood of Cawdor is a remnant of Scotland's ancient forest, and is home to capercaillie and red squirrels. The Walled Garden is the oldest at Cawdor and is the original kitchen garden. The impressive Flower Garden sits to the south of the castle and the Wild Garden is situated among the tall trees of the Big Wood, which is accessed by a secret door in the wall of the Flower Garden. Within the Walled Garden, visitors can admire the rare species brought back from Tibet by the 5th Earl in the 1960s. The castle itself is 600 years old and is entered across a drawbridge.

When... Apr 27-Oct 6; 10am-5pm

How Much...£15/£14 (adults/ concessions); £8.50 (children age 6-15 years)