Pitmedden Garden

Pitmedden Garden is a Scottish Renaissance walled garden first laid out by Sir Alexander Seton in 1675 and re-created by the National Trust for Scotland in the 1950s, its parterres of clipped box filled each summer with around 30,000 bedding plants. The Great Garden sits on two levels joined by the original stair, espaliered apples line the walls, an orchard of more than 200 fruit trees stands beyond, and in 2021 the upper terrace was replanted as a meadow that shifts in colour through the season. The Museum of Farming Life shows the tools and kitchens of Aberdeenshire farms, and waymarked trails loop through the surrounding woodland. Reviewers love the topiary, the apple arch and the tearoom, and say the walk outside the walls is worth doing for the trees. Tips from visitors: the tearoom counter is in a separate room from the seating, 16 steps link the upper and lower gardens, with a longer level detour for wheelchairs, and the car park is locked overnight.