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| Dunrobin Castle |
I had never been to Dunrobin Castle before my trip home to Scotland last year, but since it's a pleasant driving distance from my brother's house, on a picturesque route, I put that to rights. It is a magnificent property, looking very much like a Fairytale Castle or French Chateau. The gardens are magnificent, and the views from the Castle, across formal beds and topiary, and out to the sea, are quite beautiful. When I was a kid, I always misheard the name, and thought it was "Done Roamin' Castle", and if I had the where-with-all to own this little pile, I would certainly be done roaming for good. I would become a hermit and never leave the place....although on second thoughts, if I had the kind of fortune required to own this place, I would surely need the odd trip to Monaco, or Capri, or Biarritz, just to make sure I didn't start to take things for granted at home!
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| The elevation of the house above the gardens allows for great views of the formal beds |
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| You half expect Rapunzel to let her hair down from these turrets |
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| The damp weather in these sheltered, northerly climes clearly suits Gunnera - the leaves are immense! |
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| A charming path down to the beach |
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| The potager is highly productive and decorative. Love the terracotta forcing pots for the rhubarb. |
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| Potted trees are a feature of the gardens |
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| Another feature are these rose pyramids. We had missed their bloom peak, but these structures still made a good impact |
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| Low profile apple and pear espaliers formed low hedges. Their bark was fuzzy with lichen. |
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| Every crack in the ancient stone staircase was bursting with self-sown plants - all looking perfectly happy in their cramped quarters. |
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| What perfectly crisp hedge lines! |
