Wester Ross - Inverewe Garden

Thanks to the extremely mild climate a lush, subtropical garden overlooks a sheltered bay by Loch Ewe near Poolewe (5mi/8km north of Gairloch). Rhododendrons, azaleas and magnolias, eucalyptus from New Zealand, Japanese ferns, Himalayan lilies, South American water lilies, giant forget-me-nots from the South Pacific, rock gardens, ponds, Scotch pines and rare varieties of palms are just some of the unusual plants and features to be admired in the delightful Inverewe Gardens. Osgood Mackenzie was only 20 years old when in 1862 he proved that plants from distant lands could survive on the poor Torridon sandstone and acid peaty soil, if it is enriched by loam from the coast and the wet peat is drained.