'Behind The Potting Shed' Garden Breaks

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'Behind The Potting Shed' Garden Breaks

Two of Scotland’s finest gardens have joined forces to offer a gardening break with a difference.

Drummond Castle Gardens in Crieff and Hercules Garden at Blair Castle, Blair Atholl, are running four special breaks in 2006 designed to give an insight into life ‘Behind the Potting Shed’.

The Head Gardeners at both properties will be running a behind the scenes tour not normally available to members of the public, where guests can find out about the history, design, planting and maintenance of the gardens, whilst enjoying good food and fine wine in the company of other like-minded gardening enthusiasts. The breaks will include overnight accommodation at the 4 star Royal Hotel in Comrie.

Drummond Castle

This has one of the finest formal gardens in Europe. Laid out in about 1830 as a St Andrew's cross, the complex parterres have been filled since the 1950s with roses, statues, clipped cones, herbaceous plants, and lots more beside. More recently, the gardens featured in the United Artists film “Rob Roy”.

Guests will have access to The Keep, a 16th century fortification not normally open to the public, followed by an early evening tour of the gardens in the company of the Head Gardener, which will include a chance to see ‘behind the potting shed’.

Blair Castle

The castle's Hercules Garden is a walled enclosure of about 9 acres developed by the 2nd Duke of Atholl in the mid 18th century.

Named after the life-size statue of Hercules which overlooks it, this stunning garden incorporates landscaped ponds and planting. Other features include statues, urns, a Chinese bridge and a folly, as well as productive fruit trees, vegetable beds and stunning herbaceous borders.

Guests will enjoy a morning guided tour of the gardens, followed by a special picnic lunch in ‘The Folly’.

The breaks will take place on 10/11 May, 17/18 May, 6/7 September and 13/14 September 2006 and are priced at £149 per couple.

Further information from The Royal Hotel in Comrie 01764 679200, or reception@royalhotel.co.uk