Poolewe Things to Do

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After agood hour of wandering along the pathways, around lily ponds and woodland walks, we headed back to the van for some lunch. By the time we reached it, the sweat was pouring from us, it was so incredibly hot. I stripped off down to my bra while I prepared lunch. Could this really be northern Scotland we were in?!!

After lunch in the shade and watching the tour coaches pour into the car park, we headed off back to the gardens, this time to look at the walled garden. (Your admission ticket allows you to come and go all day.)

There was an impressive array of vegetables growing, even if many of the lettuces had been left to go to seed. We both enjoy veg. growing so were in our element here. Vegetables are interspersed with colourful flowers, herbs and shrubbery, so it doesn't appear too uniform. We watched the cheeky robins stealing the berries from the fruit bushes, right in front of us!

From the walled garden, there are nice views to Inverewe House, with it's beautifully manicured lawns and flower beds.

We finally made it back to the van where we collapsed in the shade with a drink.We had thoroughly enjoyed our time here and were glad we had made the time to visit.

Inverewe Gardens are in the hands of the National Trust for Scotland and are open daily, with changeable hours, depending on the time of year. There is, of course, a gift shop and plant shop, as well as the visitor centre. Across the car park, there is an award winning restaurant that opens at 10am.

More photos in travelogue.

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After a damp start to the morning,we arrived at the gardens around 10.30am, just as the sun was trying to make an appearance. We were pleased to see there was a seperate parking area for motorhomes, making parking a doddle. (We later discovered we had got away with not paying for parking as in the main car park there was a pay and display machine, yet in the motorhome part, there was no mention of paying to park!!)

As it was likely to be a little midgey, we doused ourselves in midge repellent and changed into shorts. This turned out to be a wise move, as once the sun came out, the day turned incredibly hot.

Admission is £8 per adult. We were canny as we had a B.O.G.O.F so our visit turned out to be a bargain!!

Inverewe was just a barren, windswept piece of land before Osgood Mackenzie turned it into an oasis of plants and trees,creating the gardens in 1864. Inverewe's mild, damp climate has enabled a remarkable variety of plants to thrive in this northern landscape and trees such as the gum appear as the norm here.

You begin from the visitor centre and follow the map provided or take an audio tour.The map marks easy paths in one colour and those not suitable for less mobile people, in another. It also marks on gradients and steps. The fantastic walled garden is close to the entrance and knowing this would be the "best"part for us, we left it until the end.

The pathways have names, so it's easy enough to recognise where you are on the map. We walked along avenues of spectacular trees, many of which are named so you know what you are admiring. Unfortunately, we were too late in the season for the rhododendrons but what we were impressed with was the "giant rhubarb" which we have come across before.

We followed the paths to the loch, where there is a small landing stage for anyone who may want to arrive in a boat. A notice asks you to please pay at the visitor centre!! From here you can sit and admire the loch views in the shade of fir trees.(Cont. in part 2)

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This is a National Trust site.It is on Loch Ewe and affected by currents from the Gulf stream, that give it a warm climate.
Sir Osgood MacKenzie had the vision in1862 to make the gardens. There are plants from all parts of the world. These include rhododendrons, azaleas, dahlias, gum trees and many many others. There are ornamental and woodland gardens, as well as borders.

There is a visitor centre, restaurant and gift shop.

The gardens are open:
15 March - 15 October 9.30 -17.50
guided walks 15 April -15 September 13.30
1 November -14 March 9.30-17.30