Autumn Tints of Dumfries and Galloway
26th Oct 2025
Key Highlights
• A visit to the Queen Elizabeth Walled Garden, which is one of the best examples of its kind in Scotland
• The private garden at Millhall
• Colin Crosbie’s own garden, Dalswinton Mill
Summary
As the summer fades, autumn colours begin to blaze in high definition in the south-western corner of Scotland. As the warm yellows, rusty oranges and fiery reds consume the foliage we
explore the region’s most delightful gardens. Highlights of the tour include Dumfries House, actually in Ayrshire, which His Majesty King Charles helped to save and home to the Queen Elizabeth Walled Garden; the Glenwhan Gardens spread out over a blustery hilltop with stupendous views of Luce Bay and the Mull of Galloway and Logan Botanic Garden attractively laid out, particularly in the walled garden with its outstanding terraces andwell-planned borders. We also visit a handful of private gardens including Burnside, a mature 6 ½ acre garden home to a wide variety of plants and trees, Millhall with its vast collection of shrubs situated on a hillside running along the shore of the Dee Estuary. A real privilege is a visit to Brightwater tour manager Colin Crosbie’s own garden Dalswinton Mill – a real plantsman’s garden.
Regional Flights are available on this tour as an optional supplement - when you make your booking, please select the corresponding pick up point to your chosen airport as listed below:
Gatwick - Glasgow
Luton - Glasgow
Bristol - Glasgow
What's included
- Accommodation
- Meals as per itinerary
- Entries to all sites as per the itinerary
- Services of a professional tour manager
- Comfortable coach travel throughout
Meet your tour manager
Colin Crosbie
Colin studied horticulture at the West of Scotland Agricultural College. He then worked in the Savill and Valley Gardens in Windsor Great Park before being appointed as Head Gardener to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother at Royal Lodge Windsor. Colin then moved to RHS Garden Wisley, firstly as a Superintendent before being appointed Curator in 2010. Colin is a passionate plantsman with a keen interest in garden design and has appeared on radio and television gardening programmes and is in demand as a guest speaker. Colin is also the immediate past President of the Scottish Rock Garden Club and is currently a trustee for Scotland’s Garden Scheme for whom he opens his garden annually as well as a trustee for The Caledonian Horticultural Society.
Day by Day Itinerary
Dumfries House and Burnside private garden
We depart from your local pick-up point and head for Dumfries House, near Cumnock in Ayrshire. Its stunning interiors are home to a world-class collection of furniture by Thomas Chippendale and many late 18th Century cabinet makers, which recently featured on BBC’s Antiques Roadshow. We are able to make the most of those interiors on our grand tour of the house, followed by tea and shortbread. We will also visit the Queen Elizabeth Walled Garden, which is one of the best examples of its kind in Scotland and in many ways the flagship of the restoration project. You may also wish to venture into the intriguing yew hedge maze and see if you can reach the Japanese pagoda at its centre – and then find your way out again!
This afternoon we visit the private garden of Burnside, a maturing and constantly changing
6 ½ acre garden, home to a wide range of plants from trees to alpines, giving colour and variety all year. Next to the road flows the Drumbowie Burn, parallel to which is a woodland border and closer to the house is a raised bed and large collection of troughs, with an interesting range of alpines. The garden boasts herbaceous beds, ericaceous garden, screes, three alpine glasshouses with award-winning plants, an extensive Streptocarpus collection, polytunnel, pond and arboretum.
Meals includedDinner
Departure Routes
| Location | Pickup Time | Dropoff Time |
|---|---|---|
| To be advised | 00:00 | 00:00 |
| Aberdeen, Opposite Denburn Car Park, behind library where Spa Street meets Skene Street | 05:00 | 21:45 |
| Stonehaven, Bus stop on Market Square | 05:30 | 21:15 |
| Forfar, Bus stop underneath the A90, near McDonalds | 05:50 | 20:55 |
| Dundee, Outside Discovery Point, Riverside Drive | 06:30 | 20:15 |
| Perth, Broxden Park & Ride, A93 | 07:00 | 19:45 |
| Kinross, Moto Services, M90 | 08:30 | 18:15 |
| Dunfermline, Halbeath Park & Ride, Junction 3, M90 | 08:45 | 18:00 |
| Edinburgh, Outside reception of the Delta by Marriott Hotel, Glasgow Road | 09:15 | 17:45 |
| Glasgow, Bus stop on North Hanover Street, opposite Queen Street Station | 10:30 | 16:30 |
** Please note that all timings are approximate and subject to change. Final timings and pick-up points will be confirmed with your joining instructions approximately 10 days prior to departure. **
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