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Garden Name: Brodick Castle
Last Modified: 27/01/2010
Garden ID: 0203

pic: 0203_brodick.jpg

Owner: National Trust for Scotland
Address:
Isle of Arran
North Ayrshire

Postcode: KA27 8HY
County: Scotland

tel: 01770-302202
fax: 01770-302312
website: www.nts.org.uk/gardens/
email: brodickcastle {at} nts.org.uk

Features: 
Damp, dank crevices with hanging valleys of mosses, liverworts and ferns
Native woodlands with a superb network of trails
A stunning castle with a superb history and stunning collections of art, furniture, silver and more.

English Heritage Grade:


Opening Times:
Garden & Country Park: all year; 7 days a week; 9.30am - sunset
Walled Garden, Reception Centre etc.: 1st Apr - 31st Oct; 11am - 4.30pm, (closes 3.30pm in Oct). 1st Nov - 21st Dec; Fri - Sun; 10am - 3.30pm
Last admission 30 mins. before closing.

Best Times of Year to Visit: 
Spring - autumn

To see: 
Rhododendron collection, walled garden, tree & shrub collection

National Collection: 
Rhododendron sub-section Grandia, Falconeri, Maddenia

National Garden Scheme days: No
Comments: 

Parties / Coaches: Yes 
Comments: Yes, phone 01770-302202

Viewing by Appointment: Yes
Comments:  

House Open for Viewing: Yes
Comments: 1st Apr - 31st Oct, Sun - Thurs; 11am - 4pm (closes 3pm in Oct)

Admission Prices:
Castle & Garden: Adult £10; Concession £7; Family £25; Family (1parent) £20; Groups £7.50
Car Park Pay & Display £2

Parking: Yes
Lavatories: Yes
Disabled Access: Yes
Shop: Yes
Plants for Sale: Yes
Lunches: Yes
Teas: Yes
Refreshments: Yes
Picnics: Yes
Dogs allowed: Yes
Only on Lead: Yes
Events: Yes

Other Facilities:
Limited facilities for disabled. Ranger service and Adventure Playground


Designer: 
Description of Garden:
Brodick Castle and Country Park are situated on the Isle of Arran and lie within an extensive and significant historic designed landscape influenced by W A Nesfield. The gardens at Brodick Castle cover approximately 80 acres and contain one of the major plant collections within the Trust's care. Some 75 acres are woodland garden, planted since the 1920's with a notable collection of rhododendron species and specimen exotic trees, and including a reserve collection of plants propagated from the Horlick Collection at Achamore House, Isle of Gigha. There are also two walled gardens, the one near the Castle (of around 2 acres) dates from 1710 and is now used for a flowergarden reconstruction of the Edwardian period; the other (of around 3 acres) was formerly a kitchen garden and is now used for a propagation facility and nursery.


History: 
The key phases in the development of the garden and designed landscape (part-owned by the Trust) are the introduction of the Castle Parks in the late 1 700s, the laying out of the Romantic Walks in the mid-1800s, the involvement of W A Nesfield in the 1850s, the development of the woodland gardens by the Duchess of Montrose in the 1920s and the development of the plant collection since the acquisition by the Trust.

The Brodick estate now consists of approximately 7,000 acres of woodland and countryside. It came to the Treasury in lieu of death duties, and the Trust then accepted responsibility for managing it on behalf of the nation. In 1980 the Trust reached an agreement with Cunninghame District Council (now North Ayrshire Council) to establish a Country Park at Brodick, including the garden.

Local Inns: 
Wineport Restaurant

Accomodation: 
Auchrannie Hotel

Restaurants: 
Creelers
Wineport

Village/Town/Sightseeing: 
Aran Heritage Museum
Duchess Cocert (Cheese shop & Arran Aromatic)
James's Chocolate shop - Brodick
Arran Brewery at Claddach