Fife's beautiful gardens open their gates to Scottish Snowdrop Festival

The KIngdom has some of the finest snowdrop gardens in the country, with acres of bulb-covered woodlands and prized collections of rare and unusual varieties, and the festival offers the chance to get outdoors, embrace the season and catch the first stirrings of nature as it reawakens.

From candlelit snowdrop walks to talks by snowdrop experts and the opportunity to explore a number of private gardens that are seldom open to visitors, it promises that spring is just around the corner.

Amongst the gardens participating are:

• Cambo Gardens, St Andrews

Cambo Gardens is where the Festival began almost 20 years ago and its combination of white-carpeted woodlands and specialist bulbs remains one of the most outstanding snowdrop collections in the country. A variety of events including ‘A Day of Spectacular Snowdrops’ (February 14) when a talk by expert Callum Halstead will be followed by a walk through the woods.

• Dunimarle Castle, Culross

The gardens at Dunimarle cover 52 acres. Snowdrops spread across the woodlands, which is home to Giant Redwoods and a Monkey Puzzle tree. The gardens will be open on Saturday, 10 and Sunday, 11 February from 10am until 4pm.

• Lindores House, Newburgh

From 12 noon until 2pm on February 24, the gates of Lindores House will be open to allow visitors to enjoy the extensive banks of snowdrops that line its woodland and lochside walks. Lindores is home to a 17th century yew tree that is believed to be the largest in Fife.

• Teasses, Leven

This traditional sporting estate has been transformed over the last 20 years into one of the most exciting gardens in Scotland, with sunken herbaceous borders and a productive walled garden. From February 23 to 25 the garden will be hosting candlelit snowdrop walks through its woodlands after dusk.

Full details at: www.discoverscottishgardens.org.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​