Mount Stuart House & Gardens

The extensive gardens at Mount Stuart extend over 300 acres, with globally significant plant and tree collections that will delight and inspire visitors to this beautiful Scottish island. Set against the spectacular backdrop of the Firth of Clyde, the spring blossoms of Rhododendrons and Magnolias add extra sparkle to the grounds, which stretch all the way down to the shoreline.

Established over a number of centuries by the Bute family, the collection of plants here is quite remarkable, including a rock garden from the landscape designer Thomas Mawson and the arboretum - an outstanding collection of over 800 towering conifers. At ground level, exotic tropical plant life is surprisingly abundant, and autumn visitors will love the maple and birch trees, which glow gold in the late afternoon sunlight.

If you’re visiting the estate, you really won’t want to miss visiting the house itself, which is a marvellous melange of architectural styles - a sort of gothic palace. There’s also a handy courtyard cafe for visitors who are looking for a bite to eat after exploring the enormous grounds.