Black Isle open gardens 2024

> Background and general information

Next opening dates

Sunday 29 September  2.00 - 4.00
Drumsmittal Park, Drumsmittal, North Kessock  IV1 3XF
Anne and Steven Thomas

Previous openings

Sunday 15 September  2.00 - 4.00
Marowan, Balnakyle Road, Munlochy  IV8 8PF
Julian and Mary Paren

Location:  Uphill from Munlochy village on the road signposted from the A832 that  leads to Knockbain and Balnakyle.  Marowan is entered just after the Knockbain road forks left before the electricity sub-station.  Keep right at the sub-station and immediately turn right along the drive and right again to our house.   There is car parking for a fair number of cars.  Alternatively, park beside the sub-station and walk down the drive past our woodland.

 

Mary and Julian write

 

Marowan is not an " Open Garden" to admire plantings and tidy perfection.  Ours is a plot that we have modified with the aim of having a low planetary impact whilst being of benefit to nature and ourselves.  We hope that it is in its own way beautiful, whilst providing us with food and the pleasure of observing nature close-at-hand; red squirrels, pine marten, lizards, hares, deer, voles, mice, and many insects, orchids and fungi. 

 

In 2010 when we bought Marowan the gravel drives and house surrounds were impeccably maintained and weed-free.  We installed four large raised beds to both reduce the amount of gravel to maintain, and to produce food without the need to battle the wick grass elsewhere.  The original lawn has been turned into a wildflower meadow by introducing yellow rattle from seeds collected on Drumderfit Hill.  We have yet to perfect the grass-cutting routine that would both allow for orchids flowering and remove vegetation at the end of the growing season. 

 

We started our orchard soon after moving in and have added to it over the years, now with over 20 fruit trees.  We divided off the orchard from the rest of that field to give us two fields for sheep, a cheaper easier-to-care-for option than alpacas or a ride-on mower.  Our two sheep stop the forest from reclaiming the field and provide fibre for Mary's hobby.  The hens in the orchard provide plenty of amusement and occasionally eggs.  Mary attempts to bring colour to the garden with small patches where she hopes plants might fight the grass, and adding pots around the house.  Julian keeps access open by grass cutting and tree trimming.

 

The biggest modification to our plot has been to the woodland.  It was a Norway Spruce and Scots Pine plantation when we bought the property.  Some of the Scots Pine overshadowed the house and would have made solar panels inefficient so they were removed first from our "garden ground" to be replaced by Sweet Chestnut trees.  In consultation with Forestry and Land Scotland  the Norway Spruce were felled but not before they had started to fall in the winds and had reached maturity.  These have been replaced by our planting of 100 Scots Pine, 100 Oak, and hundreds of other various native species of trees and hedging plants.  Much of our planting has not survived, but has been augmented by regeneration of the native Silver Birch and the non-native Beech.  We maintain a network of paths through our wood for dog-walking, and to allow us access for re-spacing of trees and collection of firewood to burn on our wood-burning stoves.  

 

As age and other interests have limited the amount of time spent "managing" our plot, we tell ourselves that it is a space for nature that the surrounding farms are less and less able to provide, but is becoming increasingly important to the wellbeing of nature, the planet and ourselves. 

 

 

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Sunday 1 September  2.00 - 4.00
Rowan Cottage,  Drumsmittal,  North Kessock  IV1 3XF
Rachel Butterworth

From North Kessock drive up the hill towards Drumsmittal/ Drumderfit. Pass the old Drumsmittal School and keep climbing the hill.   After the brow of the hill, look for a black and white traffic bollard on your left, and take that left.  Pass a cow shed and Rowan Cottage is on that lane on the right, nestled between Cherry and Willow Cottages. If you get to the stables, you have just gone a little too far.

From Munlochy take the turning to Drumsmittal and follow the road all the way until you see the Kessock Equine Vet sign. Don't take that turn, but keep straight and look for a black and white traffic bollard on your right (the next right!).  Take that right, pass a cow shed and Rowan Cottage is on that lane on the right, nestled between Cherry and Willow Cottages.  If you get to the stables, you have just gone a little too far.

Rachel writes

We've been at Rowan Cottage, Drumsmittal since December, and we have started turning a grass lawn with leylandii hedges into a permaculture-ish veg garden and orchard.  We also have a toddler, so everything has to be done with him around - so you'll see that nothing is tidy, and everything is functional.  We also have very little money after the move, so anything we can scrounge for free is incorporated. We are also very keen to close waste loops, and we bokashi compost all of our food waste and use all our cardboard waste too. Our plan is to become partly self-sufficient in fruit and veg during the summer and autumn months, and this coming winter we hope to plant a mini orchard.

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Tuesday 20 August  6.30 - 8.30
and
Sunday 25 August  2.00 - 4.00
Firth View,  Craighead,  Cromarty
Caroline Biscoe

Firth View is on the high point of the Black Isle on the Eathie Road between Rosemarkie and Cromarty, about 1/4 mile from the BBC Rosemarkie Mast, roughly 4 miles in each direction from Rosemarkie and Cromarty on the opposite side of the road from Craighead.

Fortrose - Cromarty road map 

Openstreetmap Craighead

Google maps destination  Craighead, Cromarty

What 3 Words - jumps.flexed.regrowth

The garden is on an exposed plot of about 3/4 acre at 200m above sea level, and has been developing year on year since we completed construction of our home in 2012. From a huge patch of dock, nettles and scrub it is now a mix of lawns, flower beds, a pond, a pergola and decking, a productive area with a polytunnel and a rather scrappy orchard.

There is also a wildflower area and a small hide looking out into the neighbouring woodland where we have set up a feeding area for the local wildlife species that call our area home too, from badgers, pine martens, voles and wood mice, roe deer and hares to the woodland birds, house martins, crows and even a pair of mallard ducks who like to wash and brush up on the pond!

We also have the rare privilege of views to north and south over both the Moray and Cromarty Firths from the garden.

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Saturday 17 August  2.00 - 4.00
Rosemarkie Allotments  Greenside Avenue  Rosemarkie IV10 8XA
Co-ordinated by Trish McKeggie

Openstreetmap Greenside Avenue

Rosemarkie Allotments are located at the end of the second cul-de-sac on the right as you descend Greenside Avenue in Rosemarkie.  From Fortrose take the first tarred road on the right after the 20mph sign. From Cromarty drive through Rosemarkie and Greenside Avenue is the last tarred road out of Rosemarkie on the left before the 40mph sign. The allotments are through the large barred gate.  Please park on Greenside Avenue on the left side as you descend, and not in the cul-de-sac.

The sunny open south-easterly facing site on a slope looking towards the Moray Firth is a good spot, protected from the cold north-easterly winds, but open to the prevailing south-west wind. The soil drains well and is fertile, and some plot holders use seaweed as a mainstay.  The Allotment Society started in 2010 and still has six of its original members.  The land is leased from a private landlord.  

There are eight full-sized plots,  twelve half-plots and one two-third sized plot. Sheds are shared one between two, and there’s one big shed which contains all of the shared tools.  We grow a very big range of vegetables and fruit, all interspersed with many flowers, some of which are used as companion plants.  We encourage plot holders to grow organically, with the least possible amount of pesticides, herbicides and artificial fertilisers. 

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Sunday 11 August  2.00 - 4.00
The Old Mill, 1 Marine Terrace, Rosemarkie  IV10 8UL
Helen Robinson

The pictures show what my garden looks like in April but as you will see when visiting I have grown to love Ground Elder, Goosegrass and Nettles as I have not allowed pesticides on this land for 25 years. Please come and see and experience my rewilding experiment.  Refreshments available.
Helen Robinson.

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Sunday 4 August   2.00 - 4.00
Cromarty double bill

We now have two gardens opening in Cromarty on 4 August, making it doubly worth your while travelling to the end (almost) of the Black Isle.

The Haven,  15 Duke Street,  Cromarty  IV11 8YH
Sheila Currie

Openstreetmap Cromarty
Park carefully in local streets, or car park at far end of the links.

Sheila would prefer people to mostly come at the same time, so perhaps aim for 2.00 if possible.

Mature walled back garden - which was a tree nursery 30 years ago - but now has a greenhouse (tomatoes, cucumbers, chillies), pond, fruit trees, pleached tree arches, flower beds (all perennials) with herbs and some veg, compost bins, watering system, sitooterie, stone and grass paths.   Fairly wild and allowed to spread.  Smaller front garden with hedging, shrubs and leafy plants. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Old Police Station (formerly the Cheese House), Bank Street, Cromarty  IV11 8UY
Jon and Emmy Palmer

Openstreetmap High Street and Bank Street, Cromarty

'From this to this (see pictures).  Creating a garden applying, unwittingly, permaculture methods.  Lots of trial and error and plenty to discuss.  There may even be cake!'

 

 

 

Sunday 28 July  2.00 - 4.00
Stoneybank,  Culbokie  IV7 8JH
Martin Sherring and Penny Edwards

Openstreetmap east Culbokie
Down the hill past Findon Hall, on the left after Fowler's Croft.

 

 

 

 

 

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Wednesday 17 July 7.00 - 9.00 and Sunday 21 July 2.00 - 4.00
1 Station Court,  Munlochy  IV8 8NA
Julie Gibson

Openstreetmap Munlochy
First house in terrace on the right after the bend.  Turn at the end and park in the layby or carefully in the street.

A small cottage garden, mainly wild self seeded flowers allowed to grow where they plant themselves; veg plot, fruit bush area, fruit trees, pond, a strawbale outhouse, plastic bottle greenhouse. 
 

 

 

 

 

 

Julie's garden before and after       (PDF)

Tuesday 9 July   7.00 - 9.00
Druim Ard,  Newton Kinkell,  Muir of Ord,  IV6 7RF
Peter and Marion Moffatt
 

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Background and general information

During Covid lockdown we ran a Black Isle Gardens scheme under which, as visiting was not possible, gardeners submitted photographs of their gardens to be displayed on a dedicated page of the TBI website.

Now, as lockdown restrictions are no more but we believe that curiosity about other people's gardens remains, we are hoping to start a series of very informal local 'open garden' events, in which people would volunteer to open their gardens for an hour or two on an evening or weekend and perhaps offer light refreshments.  It is important to emphasise that we are not talking about 'show gardens' - we hope people will be willing to show their gardens as they are, weeds and all, without any special preparation.

For this to happen we need volunteers and a programme, preferably with a pattern - say Tuesday evenings and occasional Sunday afternoons.  We would probably want to limit to one opening  per day, except perhaps if we had offers form two gardens located conveniently close together.  These are the dates for Tuesdays and Sundays from June to September:

    Tuesdays      (7.00 - 9.00?)         Sundays    (2.00 - 4.00?)
    June            4, 11, 18, 25           June          2,  9, 16, 23, 30
    July             2,   9, 16, 23, 30     July           7, 14, 21, 28
    August         6, 13, 20, 27          August       4, 11, 18, 25
    September   3, 10, 17, 24          September  1,  8, 15, 22, 29

So if you would be willing to open your garden, please email info@transitionblackisle.org  and offer a date.  Dates other than Tuesdays and Sundays will be acceptable, but a degree of pattern is probably an advantage.  Some negotiation may be required if there are clashes.  Over to you.

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