Osgood Mackenzie began the gardens in the 1860.s on the shores of Loch Ewe,
a place which is on the same latitude as Moscow and Hudson Bay in Canada.
However, due to its proximity to the shore and the gulf stream the winters are relatively mild
The area in which the gardens are situated will support some of the least hardy plants grown anywhere in the
United Kingdom.
Indeed at the time of writing, southern England is enveloped in fog and frost,
Heathrow Airport has been closed for three days,
whilst Inverewe has been enjoying temperatures touching 10 degrees.
Ten miles south of Laide are Inverewe Gardens.
The gardens contain an extraordinary collection of plants from many parts of the world
including South America, New Zealand, the Himalayas and China.
The gardens are particularly spectacular when the Azaleas and Rhododendrons are in bloom.
The walled garden contains a wide variety of vegetables, herbs and flowers.
Most of our visitors spend part of their day walking gently along the well laid out paths admiring the wealth of colour and variety of trees, shrubs and flowers.
Indeed several return for a second visit during their stay in the area.
Owned by the National Trust for Scotland, there is a reciprocal arrangement to welcome
members of the National Trust. The gardens are open from spring through to late autumn.
Details of opening times can be found on the National Trust for Scotland website www.nts.org.uk.
Parts of the gardens are open at other times when the entrance is through a small gate beside the visitor centre. At these times the gardens are always grateful for any donations which may be left in the box as you leave.
The main path through the gardens is relatively flat with only slight inclines but many of the small, side paths do contain short lengths of steep slopes or steps. In common with most visitor centres belonging to the Trust, the shop contains a selection of books, clothes and gifts.
There is also a popular cafe on the opposite side of the car park which can become very crowded at busy times.
Beside the restaurant is the start of a woodland trail.
A waymarked short walk through the forest on the opposite side of the road to the gardens.
