The Wee Garden

The Wee Garden is the oldest formally laid out area in the grounds and is also one of the mildest. Spreading over an area of five acres, anything but wee!, these gardens boast many exotic plants from Chile, Tasmania, Spain and Australia.

The garden was lovingly created in 1823 by Maria North, the first wife of the 2nd Marquess of Bute. It is home to a giant Camellia, believed to be the first to be planted in Britain. Due to its extraordinarily sheltered position, many exotic plants flourish here and others grow to a much larger size than usual - for example, the massive specimen of crinodendron hookerianum, whose red flowered bulk towers to 30 feet.

The garden contains a fascinating array of plant varieties from the Southern Hemisphere, including the magnolia dealbata believed to be one of only two specimens in the country and the wonderful tellopia truncata from Tasmania, whose bright red flowers drip with nectar in June. In the centre stands a magnificent 17th Century obelisk sundial, covered in deeply carved symbols and dials.

Mount Stuart, Britain’s most astounding Victorian gothic house