Mount Stuart :: Gardens

Explore the Grounds

Mount Stuart hosts an incredible collection of both exotic and native flora spanning several spectacular gardens, each set against the dramatic backdrop of the Firth of Clyde.

Bask in the individual characters of each, from mysterious woodlands to vibrant landscapes, as you wander around our occasionally peculiar policies.

Don't forget to pick up our handy map to help guide you around.

So Many Gardens to See

Follow in the footsteps of the Victorian plant hunters and marvel at the realisation of their vision.

Recognised as some of the finest gardens in Europe - from seeds to tall trees, herbaceous to hot house, follow streams to shore line, and woodlands to wetlands, walled gardens to Wee gardens - and with every step, make delightful discoveries of your own.

The Kitchen Garden

Nurturing a variety of vegetables, fruits and flowers and home to our happy company of chickens and bees. Here you'll also find the fabulous David Austin new English rose.

Tended by our team of dedicated and capable gardeners, you can find the fruits of their labour in the eatBute Farm Shop and also in the delicious food on offer in the Visitor Centre Restaurant.

Related Information

House
Visitor Centre
Gardens
Shop & Eat

Daily	11am – 5pm (last entry 4pm)
Saturday	Closed at 1pm on occasional Saturdays, please ring to confirm. Confirmed dates for early house closure are as follows: 20 July Tel: +44 (0) 1700 503877

Daily	10am - 6pm

Daily	10am - 6pm (last entrance 5pm)

Restaurant
May/June	10am - 5pm
July/August	10am - 6pm
September	11am - 4pm
October 1-3 & October 22-31	11am - 4pm
October 4-21	11am - 5pm

Courtyard Tea Rooms
Selected Dates	11am - 5pm

Farm Shop
Daily	11am - 5pm

Garden Centre
Daily	10am - 5pm

Dates	Open 28 March to 31 October 2013

«'Policies' is a peculiarly Scottish word which refers to the pleasure grounds around a mansion. »

Did You Know?

Mount Stuart

Garden Map (pdf, 2346KB)

Explore the gardens with our handy map.

Wildflower meadows and a distinctly west-coast shoreline wilderness provide an apt contrast to the carefully composed beauty of our lawns and gardens. The lower policies can be explored from the shore walk, leading you through a mixture of both broadleaf and conifer, indigenous and international trees.

'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.

Each year, the trees give shelter to carpets of vivid daffodils, followed by prolific bluebells. Architectural features too can be found dotted around woodland walks - from the coastal village of Kerrycroy to Augusta's column; a striking dedication to the Dowager Princess of Wales.