Argyll and Bute Council Area

Gardens and nature in Argyll and Bute

Argyll and Bute’s landscape features a diverse range of horticultural and natural landmarks. Highlights include the Highland Boundary Fault at Loch Lomond and the 200-acre Balloch Country Park. The region showcases architectural history at Mackintosh’s Hill House and the 19th-century Balloch Castle. Botanical collections vary from the Himalayan-style glen at Crarae Garden and the mountainside Benmore Botanic Garden to the rare, ancient King Fern housed within the restored 1870s sunken fernery at Ascog.

Gardens & Nature — Map

Mimihitam / CC BY-SA 3.0

A

Loch Lomond

Loch Lomond is a freshwater Scottish loch which crosses the Highland Boundary Fault, often considered the boundary between the lowlands of…

E96an / Public domain

B

Benmore Botanic Gardens

Benmore Botanic Garden is a large botanical garden situated in Strath Eachaig at the foot of Beinn Mhòr, on the Cowal Peninsula, in Argyll…

Remi Mathis / CC BY-SA 3.0

C

Hill House

The Hill House in Helensburgh, Scotland, was created by architects and designers Charles and Margaret Macdonald Mackintosh.

StaraBlazkova / CC-BY-SA-3.0

D

Balloch Castle

This 19th-century country estate is a part of Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park - the interesting fact here is that the present…

George Rankin / CC BY-SA 2.0

E

Balloch Country Park

Balloch Country Park is a 200-acre country park on the southern tip of Loch Lomond in West Dunbartonshire, Scotland.

F

Ascog Victorian Fernery

A restored 1870s sunken fernery housing a collection of sub-tropical plants. Its centerpiece is a King Fern (Todea barbara) believed to be over 1,000 years old.

G

Crarae Garden

A Himalayan-style glen garden managed by the National Trust for Scotland. It features a dramatic gorge, waterfalls, and a vast collection of rhododendrons and azaleas set against a steep hillside.

Other Lists

Argyll and Bute Essentials Hidden Gems Historic Castles & Forts Coastal Escapes Whisky Trail