Tresco of the north

Today is the group visit to Logan, Scotland's answer to the garden at Tresco, in the Scilly Isles and one of the three outstations of the Botanics in Edinburgh. Quite a drive west from Dumfries, it's worth going any distance to see as it's stuffed full of exotic plants. We were given an introduction by my good friend Richard Baines, who is the curator, and who for the last few years has participated in a group expedition to Vietnam, the latest hotbed of plant collecting. This is Schefflera macrophylla, from that country.

On the way back I had intended to take the group to the Cairnholy chambered cairns, but in spite of Historic Scotland telling me that we could drive the coach up the lane to the start of the 300 yard walk to the cairns, our driver, Brian, gave up trying to get up there and we had to drop the visit. A 4x4 on the way down told him that it was extremely tight and not recommended. So much for Historic Scotland!

The day was completed with a tour around the studio and garden at Broughton House in Kirkcudbright, former home of the artist Edward Atkinson Hornel, and now owned by the National Trust for Scotland. Head Gardener Mike, whom I'd met before, was kept on his toes checking plant names!