Scotland's Gardens Scheme (Portrack - The Garden of Cosmic Speculation)

Open to the public only once a year, this is one of the UK’s most whimsical and ambitious landscaping projects. The Garden of Cosmic Speculation takes everything you think you knew about gardens and puts it in a blender with a generous splash of science.

Discover enormous geometric landforms, mind-bending distorted architectural follies and absurdist bridges which appear to have been pulled straight from the pages of Alice in Wonderland. The story of quarks, the universe and black holes are elegantly told through the lenses of waterfalls, lakes and elaborate paths.

Everything about this garden is designed to challenge your visual senses and make you think, but it is achieved with a real sense of style, and, crucially, a sense of humour.

How long is a typical visit?

The average visitor spends 2 - 4 hours (Half Day) at Portrack, The Garden of Cosmic Speculation.

Open Day 2021 Details

Scotland’s Gardens Scheme is delighted to be opening Portrack again this year despite the ongoing Covid constraints and we are excited to offer the garden to visitors at a different time of year. The opening will be much smaller because of the continuing Covid restrictions, and also for the reasons listed below, but we hope that visitors will be able to enjoy the extra space and lack of crowds. Please note the following:

1. Visitors may only enter with a pre-booked ticket, including a car parking ticket. There are 2 x 3 hour time slots available. Please do not turn up without booking, as parking is very limited due to the time of year and we would hate to turn you away.
2. There are two time slots available: 10am-1pm and 2pm-5pm. We ask that you only come in the time slot that you booked.
3. Please be aware that the garden is undergoing major remedial and renovation work and some parts of it are inaccessible. We apologise in advance and ask you to be aware of this so that you are not disappointed. There are also new areas of planting and design details to enjoy.
4. There will be no refreshments sold within the garden this year so please feel free to bring picnics with you.
5. As in previous years, toilets will be available in the car parking field, not in the garden itself.
6. The Upper Nithsdale Youth Pipe Band will be performing at 12.15pm and 2.30pm, weather permitting, and the charity Maggie’s will have a stall to tell you more about their work and links to the garden.
7. The usual Covid regulations must be respected

Booking details: We are so pleased to be opening our gates again and we hope you will enjoy your day. We are intending to open again next year, should you miss the opportunity this time round.