Branklyn Garden

Branklyn Garden is two acres on the side of Kinnoull Hill overlooking Perth, planted from 1922 by John and Dorothy Renton beside their Arts and Crafts house from seeds sent back by plant hunters such as George Forrest and Frank Ludlow. The result is a garden of pilgrimage for plant lovers, cared for by the National Trust for Scotland since 1968: alpines, dog's tooth violets and Himalayan blue poppies in spring, magnolias and rhododendrons, a feathery purple Japanese maple in summer, and a katsura tree whose leaves smell of burnt sugar in autumn. A tearoom with a terrace looks over the garden to the rooftops of Perth. Reviewers call it one of the finest small gardens in Scotland, praise the staff and afternoon teas, and say an hour or two is enough. Tips from visitors: the main car park is on Fairmount Terrace with a 300-metre walk down to the gate, disabled parking is at the entrance, and it is a walk across the river from the city centre.