Our gardens

Dunimarle Castle gardens were laid out by the original estate gardener Jasper Wallace who was a Scottish Horticultural Society Silver Medal winner around 1840 to 1866. The grounds remain very similar and authentic today and garden lovers will enjoy what nature and thoughtful planting have provided at our ‘Fort by the Sea’.

The Bastion Garden

The formal Bastion Garden has a pristine circular lawn that was used as an early bowling green. It’s surrounded and planted with colourful, scented roses and herbaceous borders. Bastion Garden leads to Snowdrop Woodland Walk, a delightful place to meander no matter the season. Thousands of snowdrops lay a carpet of pure white in spring which turns into a kaleidoscope of colourful flowers and ferns in summer.

Terrace Walk

An important feature on the south side is the Castle Terrace which leads to the Terrace Walk and the glasshouse. Irish yew trees, various fruit trees and an aromatic herb garden are planted here. Look out for the castellated wall with towers serving as stokeholes. These holes would have been fed with fuel to heat the wall to benefit the fruit trees in the 1800s.

The North Avenue

The North Avenue is around three quarters of a mile long and was the original driveway to the castle. Planted with a mix of monkey puzzle and Wellingtonia trees, it makes an impressive entrance, especially when the rhododendrons are blooming.

Snowdrop walk

Snowdrop Woodland Walk, a delightful place to meander no matter the season. Thousands of snowdrops lay a carpet of pure white in spring which turns into a kaleidoscope of colourful flowers and ferns in summer.