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Our Estate, gardens and maze, are only open to residents and guests staying on the Estate at this time.

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Gardens

Stop and Smell the Flowers

Beauty in Full Bloom

Dunskey’s gardens are home to a vast collection of flowers and plants which provide an ever-changing palette of scents, textures and colors throughout the seasons. Our gardens are a source of beauty; from the carpets of bluebells in Spring, to snow-flocked tree boughs in Winter.

Winter’s end is signaled by a sea of snowdrops while Spring explodes into life with fragrant daffodils and rhododendrons. Traditional herbaceous plants shine in Summer, while the rich hues of the trees and shrubs in Autumn are complemented by exotic flowers located in our gorgeous Victorian glasshouse.

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The Walled Garden

Our Shining Jewel

Built in the 18th century, our award-winning walled garden was designed to provide fruits and vegetables to the country house. Having been neglected for some time, it was restored to its original splendour in the 1980s. Featuring a historic Victorian glasshouse and a representative sample from the National Collections of Clianthus and Nicotiana, this garden is a private space meant for both contemplation and celebration. The fragrant garden is sweetly perfumed throughout the year, with the heady scents of viburnum, honeysuckle, verbena, or garden roses.

Gardens are not open to the public. Private guided tours, however, can be available to groups. To arrange a tour, contact us here.

Victorian Glasshouse

A Captivating Feature of Our Botanical History

Built originally by Mackenzie & Moncur, this fine example of 19th-century garden architecture houses a selection of shrubs, fruit and exotic plants, including the tropical-looking Passiflora antioquiensis. It is one of the last-standing Victorian glasshouses of its kind and is currently undergoing restoration.

Located inside the Walled Garden, the Victorian Glasshouse is where the majority of our stone fruits and vines are grown. A carefully curated selection of flowers and plants also live in the glasshouse, such as cherry blossoms and lemon trees.

The Woodland Garden

Explore the Natural World

The Woodland Garden takes visitors on circular walks past our lochs, through mossy dense woods, and across pastureland. The woodlands are home to ancient trees, shrubs, heather, and rhododendron, which are at their peak beauty in early summer. Azaleas line the woods and make for a stunning display, rain or shine, thanks to the brilliant hues of their blooms. Kissing gates and small bridges dot the manicured woodland trails filled with sweetly perfumed Camilias, making for a romantic stroll.

 

The Hedge Maze

Delight in Every Twist and Turn

For both the young and the young at heart, the Dunskey Hedge Maze is the perfect place to lose oneself for an afternoon. Added to our historic grounds in 2003, the maze is thought to be the first of its kind planted in southwest Scotland.

The maze is constructed of ten-foot-tall New Zealand broadleaf Griselinia littorals and measures 23×27 metres in size. While it takes 30 minutes to complete on average, we are happy to provide a little assistance, or a tall ladder, when needed.

Since its opening, the maze has proven popular with visitors. Though it is typically only available for guest use, on special occasions throughout the year we’ve opened the maze to the general public.

Flowers Collection

Scents and Scents-ibility

Dunskey Gardens is home to the largest collection of snowdrops in Southwest Scotland, including one of the newest species, which was found right on our property. Since the discovery, this particular snowdrop has been formally named Galanthus Nivalis ‘Dunskey
Talia,’ after the estate owner’s niece.

Flower lovers will revel in a wide diversity of stunning plant species, including Chilean Holly, Seven-son Flower, Tupa Rosada, Jasmine Tobacco, Falling Star and Doone Valley Thyme.

Book Your Stay

The Dunskey team is excited to introduce a new platform for lodge booking. If you have any questions or need assistance during the booking process, please email us at hello@dunskey.com.

*Dunskey Estate currently accepts a minimum three-night stay throughout the year, with flexible check-in and check-out dates. During Christmas and New Year 2023, we have a seven-night minimum stay, with check-in and check-out dates as Wednesday December 20th, Wednesday December 7th, and Wednesday January 3rd.

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