Coastal Retreat

Famous figures have played their part in moulding the gardens of Glenapp Castle in South Ayrshire, but fresh ideas are shaping its future.

Glenapp Castle, just south of Ballantrae, enjoys an enchanted setting. The approach is through a secluded glen, where dippers feed in pools along a tumbling stream and bluebells carpet the woodland.

The castle itself is sheltered from sea breezes by surrounding trees, but the view from the Italian Terrace is unobscured and guests at this exclusive five star hotel enjoy a spectacular view over Alisa Craig.

This corner of south west Scotland has a favourable climate, thanks to the Gulf Stream that brings warm air to the coastline, often ushering in spring while the rest of the country still shivers. This year in particular the season has raced ahead and according to head gardener, Annmaree Mitchell, the collection of large-leaved rhododendrons had finished flowering by the end of April. "Everything is two weeks early this year. It is as if all of spring has arrived at once," she says.

Around the pond the air is filled with the heady scent of the dozens of azaleas that grow here and the grassy slopes that lie beneath the castle are studded with wood anemones.

The gardens at Glenapp spread out across 36 acres and contain many fine trees, including redwoods and monkey puzzles and one of the finest Cercidiphyllum japonicums in the country.  Red squirrels live in the branches, red deer roam the woodlands and the only sounds are birdsong and the wind in the trees.

The walled garden lies to the south of the castle and it is both decorative and productive. Within the beautiful Mackenzie and Moncur glasshouse that occupies almost one entire wall, apricots and figs flourish and an original vine produces dozens of bunches of sweet grapes that the chefs turn into a delicious jelly.

Much of the produce served at the Castle is grown here and Annmaree has plans to increase production. The herb garden is about to be turned into a potager for unusual edibles and part of the lawn has been earmarked for a new vegetable garden.

The gardens also supply the castle with flowers and as well as the double herbaceous borders that line the central path, the florist will soon have free run of a new cutting garden, filled with annual blooms.

Outside the walls, two new polytunnels have doubled the volume of crops that can be grown under cover.

"Microgreens are a favourite with the chefs," says Annmaree. In return for growing them, she gets a constant supply of fish boxes from the kitchen for raising seedlings.

As well as developing the garden, Annmaree has also been digging into its history. She has managed to substantiate the rumours that celebrated Edwardian gardener, Gertrude Jekyll, played a part in its design, tracking down plans for the Italian terrace from the Jekyll archive held by the University of California in Berkley.

She has also obtained plans by Scottish architect, Robert Lorimer, which show an adaptation of Jekyll's design and are closer to what was actually created at Glenapp.

But for all the work of these towering figures, it is one of Glenapp's former owners, Mrs May Stock, that Annmaree credits with creating the sprit of the garden.

"She commissioned Lorimer and Jekyll but she was very much her own woman and I think she had her own ideas about what was planted."

The upper terrace still resembles what is drawn on the plans, but trees and grass now cover the lower terrace, yet underneath these lies twin paths that form a fluid, Art Deco shape, similar to Paisley pattern and Annmaree is itching to uncover them.

"It wouldn't take too much effort and it would be wonderful to see the original design reinstated in full."

Garden Notebook
Glenapp Castle, Ballantrae, Girvan, KA26 0NZ

Country house garden with woodland, a secluded glade, large pond, lawns, terraces and walled garden producing fruit, vegetables and cut flowers for the hotel.

www.glenappcastle.com