Dalswinton Gardens were advertised as part of the Scotlands Gardens scheme. This scheme raises money for deserving causes through the opening of gardens to the public.Dalswinton was advertised as an 18th Century house sitting on a hill overlooking the loch, with lots of borders and well established shrubs.The weather forecast said sunshine and showers but we went with a positive attitude!
Walking up from the car parking area showed off the house perfectly as it stood on the hill. The front of the house was just as impressive. It was built in the 1780's by Patrick Miller with the front stairwell added in 1919. The house looks lived in but very well kept.
The garden from here stretched in all directions and we set off for a wander...
The cold weather we are still experiencing meant some of the shrubs etc were still not at their best but we could see their potential. The grounds were immaculate as we wandered around.
The walled garden originally supplied the estate with fruit and veg, although this has now been turned mainly to grass. This is however where you can now find plants for sale in the Walled Garden Nursery. This is open at certain times of the year and can be accessed by a separate entrance.There is a good range of very healthy looking plants at reasonable prices.
Under the trees just beyond the Walled Garden was The Steamboat. This is a life size replica of the boat that sailed across the loch and was the first steam-driven engine in the UK. The original engine is in the Science Museum in London.
We then walked around the man-made loch, which has been cleared to expose the original Victorian landscape. The bluebells and other wild flowers have obviously appreciated this!
The tower, seen in this photo, is Red Comyn's Tower. Red Comyn lived at Dalswinton and was murdered by Robert the Bruce in Greyfriars Church in Dumfries. This marked the start of the Scottish Wars of Independence and had he not been murdered Red Comyn would have been the King of Scotland!
The bridge takes you over to the island where Red Comyn's Tower sits.
Walking back towards the house shows just why they positioned the lake where it is. What a view there is! We went back to the house for home made teas - served in the house or outside on the terrace. You can just see the Portrack Railway Bridge through the trees.
Sitting there we watched youngsters having a try at croquet and tennis, both of which were available for visitors. There was also a trampoline being well used. A teddy bear hunt was also in progress for children - or adults - to participate in. There were teddies placed around the grounds to search for.
This one was sitting on the steamboat, but we saw them on fences, up trees, on the bridge but didn't actually do the hunt. What a good idea though to keep the children interested.
Thinking we had seen it all we set off towards the car, only to find the Thornhill Pipe Band were just marching onto the lawn to perform. After a couple of tunes we then had a dancer too! What a treat to end a lovely afternoon.
No comments:
Post a Comment