| Dates | 25 April to 30 April 2027 |
| Location | West Coast of Scotland |
| Tour organiser | Robert Bland |
| Assisted by | Tom Christian |
| Difficulty rating | Level 1 to 2: |
| Max. participants | 30 |
Send to: Robert Bland
Send to: Robert Bland
Send to: Robert Bland
A tour focused on coastal districts of Argyll in western Scotland, taking in some of the region’s finest gardens and most remarkable trees.
Argyll is a vast and varied county with a prodigious reputation for its gardens and especially for its trees. A tour of two halves, our first two nights will be spent in historic Inveraray on the shores of Loch Fyne – one of the longest sea lochs in Scotland. From here we are in easy reach of the charming woodland garden at Ardkinglas – a perfect microcosm of Argyll – and the world-famous garden at Crarae. We then move to the west coast proper to spend the next three nights in a fine and very comfortable hotel in easy reach of such gardens as Achnacloich, Arduaine, Ardmaddy and Kilchoan.
The itinerary features young and old gardens, some in public ownership and others that remain in private hands, and participants will be able to compare and contrast gardens at different stages of their development – and with different management regimes – in this very demanding climate where trees grow extremely quickly and often to great sizes. There will also be an opportunity to learn about the distant history of this region where the oldest monuments date back some 5000 years. Participants can expect superb rhododendrons, early magnolias, towering trees, and the constant presence of the sea and all its gastronomic implications!
Arrivals at leisure: convene Inveraray
Visit to Inveraray Castle, subject to opening times (10.00 to 17.00) as a recommended option for those arriving in time: visiting the castle is not part of the tour.
Inveraray Castle © Tom Christian
Participants will convene in Inveraray in time for welcome drinks at 7pm in the George Hotel*, which will be our base for the next two nights. Inveraray has plenty of parking options.
The George Hotel at Inverary
Overnight: The George Hotel Inveraray, 1 Main St E, Inveraray PA32 8TT
* Nestled on the shores of Loch Fyne since 1776, The George Hotel, Inveraray has been a haven of timeless Scottish hospitality in a region renowned for its exceptional food, whisky, and coastal beauty. With 24 bedrooms, a cocktail bar, restaurant, pub with over 500 whiskies, and terrace overlooking the main street, there’s something for everyone to enjoy.
The tour will commence with a visit to one of Scotland’s best-known gardens, Crarae, a few miles down the western shore of Loch Fyne.
Crarae features naturalistic plantings either side of the eponymous burn, which tumbles down the hillside in a series of pools and falls set in a narrow gorge, the sides of which are planted with an excellent collection of rhododendrons and other interesting shrubs, peppered with many fine specimen trees. There is a national collection of Nothofagus and some excellent Eucalyptus.
Eucalyptus at Crarae Woodland Garden © Tom Christian
Wooden footbridges lead over the Crarae Burn and create spectacular viewpoints from which to admire the whole garden © National Trust for Scotland
Carpets of rhododendron flowers at Crarae © Tom Christian
Afternoon
In the afternoon we will visit nearby Ardkinglas Woodland Garden.
This is a gem of a garden, but not nearly so well-known as some of its nearby neighbours. It contains an extraordinary range of giant trees, many of them champions, including an Abies grandis that was for many years the tallest tree in Britain, and a ‘monster’ A. alba that has been famous for centuries. Beneath the towering trees is a fine rhododendron collection and an exciting diversity of under-story tree species, including many rarities.
A jungle-like scene at Ardkinglas © Tom Christian
Admiring the ‘monster’ European Silver Fir at Ardkinglas © Tom Christian
Abies grandis, the tallest tree at Ardkinglas © Ardkinglas
We will return to Inveraray for our second and final night in the George Hotel
We will check out of the George Hotel and travel to the west coast proper by way of the very charming garden at Achnacloich, overlooking Loch Etive.
This 30-acre woodland garden has been developed over the past hundred years or so beneath a canopy of mature trees, including some particularly fine Scots Pines (Pinus sylvestris) and native oak. Achnacloich is a masterclass in the art of restraint in a climate where the temptation is to fill up every available planting spot! Choice rhododendrons are complimented by a sub-canopy of ornamental trees including magnolias, rowans, eucryphias (sadly not in flower in April, of course!) and areas of attractive and imaginative herbaceous planting.
Achnacloich House from the garden © Achnacloich
Afternoon
We will go on to explore the gardens at Ardchattan Priory – just across the water from Achnaloich – in the afternoon.
There has been a garden here for over 700 years after a group of monks from Burgundy settled and founded the priory (sans vines) but in its current form the garden is c. 110 years old and has benefitted from the artistic input of three generations of owners. Ardchattan is rich in dendrological interest but has maintained a lighter, more open feel than some of the other gardens we will visit during the tour, partly through choice and partly due to position.
Ardchattan Priory Gardens © Ardchattan Priory
From Ardchattan we will travel the short distance to the Knipoch Hotel*, south of Oban PA34 4QT, where we will be based for the remainder of the tour.
Knipoch House Hotel, on the outskirts of Oban © Knipoch House Hotel
* Knipoch House Hotel is a beautifully restored, family-run 4-star country house set in a peaceful location on the outskirts of Oban, overlooking the stunning waters of Loch Feochan. Renowned for its warm Highland hospitality, comfortable accommodation, excellent local cuisine, and breathtaking loch views, it is the perfect place to switch off, unwind, and recharge the soul. Just a short drive from Oban – often regarded as the seafood capital of Scotland – Knipoch House Hotel offers a tranquil Highland escape and an ideal gateway to Scotland's spectacular west coast and surrounding islands.
We will first visit the gardens at Braevallich Farm overlooking Loch Awe, where there is a charming garden with mature trees around the house and a younger woodland garden up the hill behind the house containing a range of ornamental trees and shrubs planted in native oak woodland.
From Braevallich we will travel to charming Kilmartin Museum for a light lunch and a brief respite from dendrology to learn about the fascinating history of this part of Scotland. This area has long been an archaeological hotspot in the British Isles and some of the nearby ancient monuments, including burial cairns and stone carvings, have been dated to over 5000 years old.
Afternoon
Trees will soon return to the fore as we visit Arduaine Garden on our way back to our hotel. This famous ‘plantsman’s’ garden enjoys an incredibly mild climate and boasts a superb collection of some of the more tender rhododendrons of Subsection Maddenia which will hopefully be coming into flower by the time we visit. Many other rare and unusual plants thrive in this coastal position. This promises to be a fascinating visit both for the plants themselves but also to see the after-effects of a mature garden losing nearly all its overhead shelter to phytosanitary felling after Phytopthora was detected here some years ago. The way in which the garden continues to adapt from this sudden, dramatic change, and the way in which management continues to adapt alongside, offers a unique perspective on horticultural crisis management!
Arduaine Garden has a good number of Maddenia rhododendrons (R. lindleyi)
Overnight: Knipoch House Hotel
Our day will begin with a visit to Kilchoan Estate near Oban.
Purchased by the current owner in 2015 the estate is managed by the Kilchoan Melfort Trust which is dedicated to multi-disciplinary conservation of biodiversity and ecosystem recovery. The garden at Kilchoan plays a key roll in this mission, hosting many rare and threatened species sourced via the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh’s International Conifer Conservation Programme, including rare conifers of course but also many other plants of interest, including a significant representation of the Chilean flora.
Kilchoan © Tom Christian
Kilchoan © Tom Christian
Afternoon
From Kilchoan we will travel on to our final calling point, Ardmaddy Estate, home of IDS members Charles and Minette Struthers. There has been a garden here for centuries and there are many fine old trees and specimen shrubs planted by Charles and Minette’s predecessors, but much of what we will see has been planted or created by them in the past fifty years or so. The walled garden is a particular highlight, combining traditional walled-garden horticulture with dendrological interest. As Charles and Minette hand over the baton new projects are beginning, including the creation of not one but two young arboreta.
In the walled garden at Ardmaddy © Tom Christian
View across the Ardmaddy Estate © Tom Christian
Evening
We will return to the Knipoch Hotel for our final night together, including a dinner at which our various garden hosts will be our guests.
Breakfast, check out and depart at leisure. Tour ends.
Enjoying the scenery and waiting awhile for the ‘locals’ of Argyll – all part of the Scottish experience © Tom Christian
| Location | West Coast of Scotland |
| Tour dates, arrival | Sunday 25 April 2027 |
| Tour dates, departure | Friday 30 April 2027 |
| Tour organiser | Robert Bland |
| Assisted by | Tom Christian |
| Availability | Maximum number of participants: 30 |
| Accessibility | Walking difficulty and access: 1–2 |
| Weather | Participants should be prepared for four seasons in one day. |
| Tour cost | £1475 per person (based on two people sharing) A deposit of £350 per person will be payable by 1 November 2026. |
| What’s included | All local transport during the tour, accommodation, meals, wine with dinner, guides and tips. |
| What’s not included | International and Domestic travel to and from Inverary and Oban, travel insurance, additional alcoholic drinks, mini bars and laundry. |
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