When I looked at details about the Scottish Snowdrop Festival (in association with Visit Scotland & Scotlands Gardens) I looked particularly to see if there were any new gardens on the list. The festival has grown over the last few years and it is always nice to support new venues. This year it runs from 30 January - 13 March and is an opportunity for visitors to see snowdrops in a natural setting. Gardens and woodlands that may not be open at any other time of year are open for viewing during the festival. Many of the gardens can be entered for a small ticket price or a donation. Several gardens provide delicious teas during the time they are open and can also offer plants for sale.
We decided to visit a garden that was new to the Festival this year at Barjarg Tower. I had never heard of Barjarg, and only because the information said it was between Auldgirth and Penpont did I have any idea where it was! Turning off the main road at Auldgirth took us along a road we had never been on before. This always gets us excited - as you never know what you might see along the way!
Not having been along these roads before we followed our way on the map to find we were coming up to Glenmidge!! Looking at the river running along the valley and the trees lining the slopes of the hills we could visualise the number of midges that would be here in the summer. What a good job we were here in February!
According to official sources - Barjarg Tower is four miles south-east of Penpont,
Dumfriesshire. It began as a small four-storey L-plan tower house built before
1595, but numerous additions and alterations were made to the buildings over the years. A second tower was added to the original, wings were built on etc etc. As there have been numerous owners of the building it is not surprising that successive owners put their own stamp on the building.
In 1882-4, Frances
Groome's Ordnance Gazetteer of Scotland described Barjarg as "a hamlet and an
estate in Keir parish, Dumfriesshire. The hamlet stands near the river Nith, 3½
miles S of Thornhill. The estate belonged in the 16th century to the Earl of
Morton; passed in 1857 to T. Grierson, Esq went afterwards, by marriage, to C.
Erskine, Esq., advocate, who rose to the bench and took the title of Lord
Tinwald; was subsequently purchased by Dr Hunter, professor of divinity in
Edinburgh University, and now belongs to Wm. Francis Hunter Arundell, owner of
1947 acres in the shire, valued at £1689 per annum. The mansion, Barjarg Tower,
stands amid finely-planted grounds"
As part of the early 19th century works, a walled garden was
constructed in the grounds, and a new approach drive was built. At the end of
the drive is an archway with a contemporary Gothic lodge with crowstepped
gables. The gates across the drive are simple iron yetts, said to have come
from Dumfries prison when it was demolished in 1883.
In 1914, both tower houses were remodelled, large additions
were made at the back (including a new south-east wing), and the interior was
almost entirely changed.Then in 1985 Margaret Jane, the Dowager Countess of Annandale
& Hartfell sold Barjarg Tower while retaining the estate. By 2013 the house was said to be an hotel 'catering mainly
for business executives' although it is believed that the much reduced estate
is still in family ownership.
The house looks to be in a good state of repair and stands majestically overlooking the surrounding countryside. The grounds have some lovely features, both man-made and natural.
We had a lovely wander around the grounds of Barjarg Tower. It's setting was definitely enhanced by the presence of snowdrops, but the views of the surrounding hills on a lovely sunny day, just completed the picture. The Lowther Hills surrounding Barjarg - and Glenmidge! are beautiful to look at and provide opportunities for walkers and runners to explore the area in greater detail then we had time or energy for!
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