Exploring “the World’s Trees” in Scotland: a Visit to Dawyck Botanic Garden

Today is the summer solstice- the longest day of the year. Also known as ‘Midsummer’, it is an important event that many cultures celebrate and there is a sense of magic and mysticism about it. For example, in Finland (where Sami, our tour guide, is from), Midsummer is known as ‘Juhannus’, and it is an important part of Finnish folklore. Therefore, our family has always honoured the summer solstice by thanking Mother Nature and being grateful for the beautiful sun and land that she provides. We recently expressed our gratitude when we visited the exquisite Dawyck Botanic Garden. So, join us as we head to the Borders and bring you to one of Scotland’s best landscaped woodland gardens!

Dawyck Botanic Garden is located in the Scottish Borders in Stobo, near Peebles. It has been part of the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh (RBGE) family since 1979 (after reading this post, be sure to check out our article on another RBGE garden- Logan Botanic Garden). Thanks to its continental climate, an abundance of plants from around the world thrive at Dawyck Botanic Garden.

Our visit started in Dawyck’s award-winning visitor centre. We arrived around noon, so we decided to fortify our walkabout with lunch from their café. The food was excellent and reasonably priced- a combination that we often find to be elusive.

The visitor centre also has the Botanics Shop as well as Dawyck Studio- a gallery featuring seasonal exhibitions.

There is so much to see and do at Dawyck and they offer various trails that you can explore based on your interests and abilities. On our visit, we decided to mostly follow their ‘Garden Highlights’ route. This trail featured picturesque stone bridges, water features, an old stone chapel, in addition to the numerous trees and plants.

Mother Nature certainly showed us her best side on the day that we visited Dawyck. The brilliant sun helped the Garden to come to life, and it seemed as if the flowers, plants, and trees were reaching out to touch it. We were also treated to a beautiful symphony of birdsong and buzzing bees that offered an enchanting soundtrack for our exploration.

As storytellers by trade, we are always eager to know the stories behind the places we visit, and Dawyck Botanic Garden has a bounty of them. Each corner of the Garden revealed a new perspective, a unique tale waiting to be discovered. This was particularly apparent as we walked among the towering Douglas Firs. Did you know that starting in the 1820's, these iconic North American trees were painstakingly collected by an intrepid explorer who braved uncharted territories? We can thank their presence (and much more) due to the plant-hunting hero, David Douglas, who was driven by a passion for discovery and a desire to bring a slice of the world back to Scotland’s doorstep.

Visitors might be surprised to find this next tree here in Scotland- the majestic giant redwood. However, according to the Scottish Redwood Trust, Scotland was the first country in Europe to receive the Sequoia giganteum redwoods seeds in August 1853. More specifically, the seeds were “received by Patrick Matthew, a 19th century landowner, pioneering orchard designer and social campaigner from the Carse of Gowrie, Perthshire in Scotland. Two of his sons were in California prospecting for gold and on seeing these majestic trees sent back some branches and cones from the Calaveras grove”. Redwoods are sadly in danger of becoming extinct in California due to climate change and development. Yet, they are thriving in Scotland due to the warmer, wetter environmental conditions that climate change has created.

We are always delighted to come across trees ‘with character’, and Dawyck had its fair share.

Our visit was at the end of May, and we were fortunate to be surrounded by elegant Himalayan blue poppies.

A final highlight of our visit was Dawyck’s renowned Azalea Terrace. According to the Garden, May and June are the best months to appreciate this section as it is “bathed in vivid coloured blooms”.

Please enjoy some more photos from our visit:

Dawyck Botanic Garden is more than a collection of plants; it’s a living, breathing story that invites you to step into its pages. If you are in the Peebles area, we highly recommend that you explore the Garden in person. Head to their website for more information on how to best plan your visit.

Until next time- Explore & Discover!

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