The Policies

'Policies' is a peculiarly Scottish word meaning the 'pleasure grounds around a mansion'. At Mount Stuart, it describes the wooded areas stretching away along the drive and Forty-Five Avenue down towards the Firth of Clyde; the very first part of the gardens laid out when the 2nd Earl moved from Rothesay.

It all began with an order of seeds and trees from William Miller, a seedsman in Edinburgh and son of the Royal Gardener at Holyroodhouse. Further orders followed, including 1000 elm, 3000 beech, 3000 hornbeam and 18,000 alders. Later, in the 1730s and 40s, the 3rd Earl of Bute planted an abundance of oak, sycamore and ash throughout the policies and the fine Lime Tree Avenue that runs down towards the shore.

Each year, the trees give shelter to carpets of daffodils, followed by prolific bluebells. Wandering through the Policies, you will be treated to various views designed to highlight different features of the Firth of Clyde, including the island of Great Cumbrae. The impressive stone Column originally stood in the grounds of Luton Park and was dedicated by the 3rd Earl to Augusta, Dowager Princess of Wales and founder of Kew Gardens.

Mount Stuart, Britain’s most astounding Victorian gothic house