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Perthshire

Drummond Castle Gardens

A formal garden near Crieff, first laid out in 1630 below Drummond Castle, its Italian parterre centred on a sundial by the King's master mason, open in summer.

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Between Crieff and Muthill, a long avenue of beeches leads to Drummond Castle, and from its terrace the ground falls away to one of the great formal gardens of Europe.

Visited and photographed by Simon Hird

It was first laid out in 1630 by John Drummond, the 2nd Earl of Perth, and in 1830 its parterre was remade in the Italian style that it keeps today.

From above, the garden is a vast pattern of clipped box and yew, gravel walks, statues and bright beds, cut through by a long central walk. At its heart stands a sundial with many faces, made by John Mylne, master mason to King Charles. The old castle keep looks down over it all, and a loch below the woods mirrors the castle on a still day.

The gardens open from May to October, from eleven. The castle itself is not open, but Little Red in the courtyard serves coffee and home baking.

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The Daily for 31 October, from Scotland with love. A ring of standing stones set among mist and autumn birch
Before you go

Open from 1 May to 31 October, from eleven in the morning until five, or four in October.

Adults £12.50, children £5. Dogs on a lead. The castle itself is not open; coffee and baking at Little Red in the courtyard.

Where
Muthill, Crieff PH7 4HN, reached by a long beech avenue off the A822.
Season
1 May to 31 October.
Tickets
Adults £12.50, children £5, family £30.

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Did you know

A castellated tower house stands on a wooded hillside beyond an arched stone bridge, autumn trees reflected in the still water below.
Did you know

A king's mason.

The sundial at the centre is the work of John Mylne, master mason to Charles I.

A turreted stone castle overlooks a reflecting pond, a stone bridge and topiary garden framed by dark conifers.
Did you know

Remade in 1830.

The parterre was changed to the Italian style in 1830, two centuries after the garden was first made.

The same formal garden seen from a different angle, its hedged parterres, statues and autumn-coloured trees spread across the grounds.
Did you know

The castle stays shut.

The gardens are open to visitors, but the castle above them is a private home.

Ben Lerwill

From our guide to Perthshire

There are formal gardens, then there are the Drummond Castle Gardens. Considered one of the finest of their kind in Europe, they date back to the 1600s but found further fame after being redesigned and terraced in the 19th century. A vast beech-lined avenue and an Italianate parterre are among the highlights. The castle itself is a spectacle too, although it’s not open to the public.

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Where it is

Between Crieff and Muthill, at the end of a long beech avenue.

Close byCrieff and Strathearn.
  1. Gallery interior with framed artwork on white walls and ceramics on plinthsThe Strathearn GalleryA gallery of contemporary Scottish painting, ceramics, glass and jewellery on West High Street in Crieff, founded in 1994.6 miles 14 min by road
  2. Sourdough loaves, seeded rounds and baguettes stacked on wire racks with price cards at Damsel Bakery in Crieff.Damsel Bakery6 miles 14 min by road
  3. The fountain in the square at Crieff under bunting.CrieffThe market town of Strathearn, once the drovers' great cattle tryst.6 miles 15 min by road
  4. Hansen's KitchenHansen's Kitchen7 miles 22 min by road
  5. Lady Mary's WalkLady Mary's WalkA riverside walk of oaks and beeches on the Earn at Crieff.7 miles 16 min by road
  6. Cultybraggan CampCultybraggan CampA Second World War prisoner of war camp at Comrie.8 miles 20 min by road
Directions
Glass-fronted bookcases and a sliding ladder in a library beside an arched windowAttractionsInnerpeffray Library3.6 miles as the crow flies
Farm stall with baskets of apples, pumpkins, leeks and citrus fruitShoppingComrie Croft Farm Shop4.0 miles as the crow flies
A landscape view of Whitehill on its hill: the steadings, the farmhouse and its red-roofed wing in low sun across a field of young crop.AuchterarderWhitehill Farm HouseSleeps 8 · 6.4 miles
Small stone hexagonal hut with slate roof on a grassy knollAttractionsThe Earthquake House7.1 miles
The dining room at the Glenturret Lalique Restaurant, with tables laid in white under a beamed ceiling, a golden Lalique chandelier, tartan chairs and tall windows onto the garden.RestaurantsThe Glenturret Lalique Restaurant7.3 miles
Stepped gable end of a stone chapel with a tall arched windowAttractionsTullibardine Chapel8.4 miles
The Wild Hearth Bakery shop in Comrie, with sourdough loaves on wooden shelves behind a glass counter of pastries and cinnamon buns.CafeWild Hearth Bakery8.8 miles
Gleneagles Hotel's long sandstone facade curves around a terrace with outdoor seating and a colonnade.WalksGleneagles9.3 miles
A pear soufflé with a crumble topping, beside poached pear and a scoop of ice cream on a gold-rimmed plate, at Restaurant Andrew Fairlie.RestaurantsRestaurant Andrew Fairlie9.6 miles

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Stay nearby

Places to stay near the gardens, and when each is next free.

A landscape view of Whitehill on its hill: the steadings, the farmhouse and its red-roofed wing in low sun across a field of young crop.Whitehill Farm House
  • Sleeps 8
  • In Auchterarder
  • 4 miles from Drummond
Free 9–13 NovA grand stone mansion with multiple gables and chimneys stands behind a lawn set with wicker chairs, seen through overhanging leaves.Cromlix
  • To stay
  • In Kinbuck
  • 8 miles from Drummond
Check datesThe Old Farmhouse, PerthshireThe Old Farmhouse
  • Sleeps 8
  • In Logiealmond
  • 11 miles from Drummond
Check datesA red sandstone and grey stone Victorian house stands wreathed in morning mist, a shrub with orange autumn leaves in the foreground.The House at Dun Aluinn
  • Sleeps 18
  • In Aberfeldy
  • 19 miles from Drummond
Check datesPlaces to stayEvery stay in PerthshireAll our places to stay nearby, to search by date and by who is coming.See them all
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