A couple of weeks ago we headed north to Perthshire and Scone Palace on our day off. Having never been there before and with an Itison voucher to use we made the most of a lovely warm sunny day off. We opted not to go into the palace but enjoy some lunch in the cafe and a wander around the grounds with Bracken the dog. A big paws up for Scone Palace from Bracken which allows dogs access to all of the grounds except the maze. After lunch we retrieved Bracken from the car and followed one of the trails on the map we were given at the ticket booth.
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| The cherry blossom was almost over, leaving a carpet of natural confetti on the ground |
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Bracken reckoned peacock for lunch would be good, the peacocks had other ideas,
him being on his lead kept him in check no matter what he thought |
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| An albino peacock looking like filagree lace |
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| Moot Hill and chapel |
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Moot hill where kings were crowned, opposite the palace is Moot Hill, the traditional mound
of soil where Scottish kings of old were crowned. A small chapel now sits on top along
with more peacocks! |
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| It wasn't just peacocks beside the chapel, there were woven willow deer too |
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| Another peacock enjoying the sun |
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| A replica stone of destiny outside the chapel |
From Moot Hill we walked down the road to the track that took us through to the arboretum and walled garden. There was plenty of Forget-Me-Nots under the trees along with ferns and Cow Parlsey. The path ends at a pavilion dedicated to David Douglas the plant collector who was born in Scone village in 1799. Douglas was responsible for bringing many of the plants we now grow in our gardens back from far flung corners of the world.
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| Forget-me-Nots in the woodland |
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| Bracken and the Douglas pavilion in the pineatum |
We diverted away from the pineatum briefly to look at the walled garden. It seems to be split up and you can actually only walk around the first area where there was nothing happening. We left by a side gate and made for the next area of the pineatum. Its wonderful to in among soaring Sequoia and Western Hemlocks, craining our necks to see up those huge trunks.
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| White Thalictrum in the walled garden |
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| A door to where? I loved the old wood and weathered brick, they made a feature on their own |
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| An almost Quirky Bird blue door! |
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| An impressive avenue of Tsuga heterophylla, Western Hemlock, nature's cathedral |
We meandered through the grand old trees of the pineatum, eventually coming to the path next to the maze. We decided not to go in and doglets aren't allowed any way, instead we enjoyed the blazing colours of Azaleas and Rhododendrons in full flower.
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| Wild garlic growing under the trees |
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| Huge Rhododendrons covered in flowers |
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| Big balls of Rhododendron flowers |
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| Rona and Bracken enjoying their day off |
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| These deciduous azaleas were scented too |
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| gorgeous deciduous azaleas |
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| David and Bracken in the old arch way to Scone Palace |
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| I spy a doglet |
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| Tree Paeoias in the grounds of Scone Palace |
We had a great visit and I'd recommend it especially at this time of year when the Rhododendrons are out. The fact dogs can come too gets a big paws up from Bracken and us. Have you been to Scone yourself, if not watch out for another entry voucher online.
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