Happy New Year all!

Batsford Arboretum looks relatively close to Westonbirt, about an hour?

I have the Meetings With Remarkable Trees book, in fact I heard the author speak at a symposium a few years ago. If I ever win the lottery I will travel the world to see all the big trees in the world!

Thorpe Perrow Arboretum? "During the early summer of 2004, 67 trees within the Arboretum were recorded and designated as "Champion Trees" by The Tree Register of the British Isles." Looks like it's the perfect stop after Sherwood Forest!

After Westonbirt and Batsford I was going to head towards Cardiff, but now I am leaning towards driving through the Wye Valley area or over to the midcoast to head north. Any opinions?

Canajoharie

Another idea - if you are going to go to Thorp Perrow it would be a shame to miss one of North Yorkshire's greatest attractions - Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal Water Gardens (World Heritage site). Loads of ancient trees around the Abbey, in the water gardens and in the Deer Park (which dates back to medieval times).
www.fountainsabbey.org.uk
You will also be in easy reach of Castle Howard. If you look at www.castlehoward.co.uk and follow the link on the left to Kew at Castle Howard, you may find this interesting.
M

Thank you Morgana!

I have emailed Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal Water Gardens to find out more about thier trees, it looks like a possibility.

I need to look more at the website for Kew at Castle Howard, it looks like some of it is a new arboretum, but some of it is old?

Canajoharie

North of Edinburgh, and before you get to Blairgowrie, you might like to stop for a few minutes and admire the Meikleour Beech Hedge (120 feet tall and 580 yards long!)...supposedly the longest hedge in Great Britain. It's *really* tall and longer than you an imagine. When we stopped there a couple of years ago, we looked through the dense foliage and could see the trunks of the beech trees, including the initials carved on the trees.

We also enjoyed some of the trees at Scone Palace, including the oldest Douglas Fir in GB.

While we're clearly not as fascinated by trees as you are, we have managed to note some magnificent ones during our travels.

Traquair House (south of Edinburgh), Crathes Castle (fabulous garden, including trees; up east of Braemar), Fortingall (the oldest yew tree in GB - I haven't actually been there yet - maybe this year!), etc., etc.

You've posed an interesting question - I'll look forward to reading other replies.

Gayle

Thanks Gayle!

It's quite a coincidence, you must have been sending out telepathic messages!

Last night I was highlighting areas in a book 'Drive Around Scotland' as because of an earlier post about Perthshire Big Tree Country I changed our tentative route to head north to pass through this area on our way to the Highlands and Skye. I highlighted Glamis Castle, The Dunkeld Larches, the Cathedral ( one of the original Larches from 1738 supposedly is still there) Scone Palace and the Meikleour Hedge. So it's wonderful to see this morning your support of these places!

I've known of Crathes Castle and haven't decided yes or no yet depending upon time, and will check up on Traquair House and Fortingall, thank you!

Anyone have any suggestions as the best base for this area? Dunkeld? I'd like a small charming town or village or B&B or hotel.

Let me know if you remember any other magnificent trees!

Canajoharie

In 1998 we drove up from the Lake Country, turned toward Edinburgh, went through the Highlands and flew out of Glasgow. We felt the time we saved by not driving back to London was well spent in Scotland. However, now we realize we want to go back someday to see the 'other coast'. However, the websites you've been given are great. You will see beautiful things you'll remember forever. If you are adept at boating at all, rent one of the little 2 person boats on Lake Windermere.

There are some fantastic gardens in Scotland, even apart from the great tree places thet have been mentioned.

Apart from all the open all year round places, there are a lot of gardens which only open one or two times a year for charity, and you can find their details on

www.gardensofscotland.org

Again, apart from the Perthshire scheme, you might get some good information about places to visit from this

http://www.treefestscotland.org.uk/t.../heritagetrees

The Fir at Ardkinglas was the tallest tree in Scotland when we visited it in our honeymoon. It's been demoted since but teh garden is still pretty fantastic.

You must also visit some of Scotland's native pine forest. Depending on your route, you could go to either the Deeside forest at Balmoral or Glentanar, the Speyside forest at Abernethy or Rothiemurchus, or the Affric Forest in Glen Affric or Glen Cannich.

In the area round Dunkeld, good places to stay would include the meikelour hotel, just a few miles from the hedge, the Atholl Arms in Dunkeld, and the Moulin in Pitlochry; oh, and the Fortingall hotel itself is nice.

Crathes is nice, but it's a better garden than arboretum, and Scotland's gardens are past their best by that time of year.

When you've decided your route, I'll fill in some gardens on it for you.

Thanks everybody!

As many people do, we have decided that there is no way we can do this whole trip! There is way too much to see!

So....we are only doing Scotland this time, saving Wales and England for another trip.

At the moment I have our "Scotland Garden & Tree" routes in two large loops. One north of Edinburg, incorporating Perthshire Big Tree Country (THANK YOU!) and some other recommended sites such as Scone Palace, Stirling Castle, Kenmore, Blair Castle, the Meikleour Beech Hedge, Dunkeld, one of the old Pine Forests, and maybe Cluny House Gardens. Would love to stay at Ardeonaig House for a 2 or 3 nights if not too difficult to use as a base. I'd love other recommendations also.

Our second "Loop" will be in the Argyll area, found this great website: http://www.gardens-of-argyll.co.uk/

Haven't figured out a base there yet, Inveraray, Tarbert, Dunoon? Anyone have any ideas?

Thanks again for all your help, I copy comments and paste in my "Travel" folder. Only problem is, I now have so much information that I have had to create a separate "Scotland" folder!

Canajoharie

Here's a few suggestions for the North and North West of Scotland-

Balmacara Estate and Lochalsh Woodland Garden
Inverewe Garden
www.nts.org.uk

Cawdor Castle garden and grounds -
www.cawdorcastle.com

Armadale Castle, Skye
www.clandonald.com

Two thoughts to add to the many splendid suggestions.

The river banks at Durham have marvellous trees, dominated by the finest cathedral in Europe and a castle.

Drummond Castle near Crieff. Wonderful symmetrical gardens with lovely trees approached by an endless, almost claustrophobically narrow avenue on the way in.

I must put my voice in for the SW of Scotland. The Logan Garden on the Mull of Galloway should be one of your stops, although it may not work into your itinerary.

Oh well, keep this link for future reference.

http://www.rbge.org.uk/rbge/web/visiting/lbg.jsp

On your way up to Scotland visit Alnwick Castle... now famous as part of Harry Potter filming, but with gardens which are very pretty.