Benmore Botanic Gardens

Overview

Located on the Cowal Peninsula, Benmore Gardens has a great situation at the southern end of Loch Eck in the Eachaig Valley. Benmore Gardens has a beautiful setting and it is worth climbing the surrounding hills for panoramic views over the valley. 

The gardens boast a world-famous collection of conifers, flowering trees, and shrubs. Its 150 acres feature some of the tallest trees in Britain, including a spectacular avenue of 40 m high Redwoods that form the entrance way to the gardens.

The garden is divided into several different themes with a traditional walled garden and a variety of specialized areas featuring plants indigenous to Bhutan, Tasmania and the Chilean Rainforest.

Like almost all of the Botanic Gardens on Scotland’s west coast, Benmore is home to a large collection of rhododendrons with more than 250 species. Visit the gardens in May to get the most colourful displays.

Benmore Gardens are beautiful and romantic on a sunny day. If you are driving this way, stop by and spend an hour or so wandering around to find a bench where you relax to admire the views.

Every time we have visited these gardens, we have been lucky to see the resident Red Squirrels, but they are shy and move very fast so it is very hard to get a photo of them. If you are lucky, you may also see deer roaming in the grounds.