Benmore Botanic Garden |
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Benmore Botanic Garden tel: 01369 706261 Area: Scotland |
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| Visitor Information | www.rbge.org.uk | ||||||||||||
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| Benmore Botanic Garden Scotland All details updated* as of: 19/02/2008 |
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| Opening Days and Hours | |||||||||||||
1st Mar - 31st Oct; 7 days a week; 10am - 6pm; closes 5pm in Mar & Oct. |
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| Parties
/ Coaches: Yes |
Groups
/ Coaches need Appointment: Yes |
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House
Open for Viewing: no |
National
Garden Scheme days: no |
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| Best
Times of Year to Visit: Peak summer months & autumn |
To
see: Woodland, pond, hillsides, conifers & rhododendrons |
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| Admission Prices | |||||||||||||
| Adult £4, Child £1 (under 5s free); Over 60s £3.50; Family (2A + 4C) £9 | |||||||||||||
| Onsite Facilities | |||||||||||||
| Parking:
Yes Lavatories: Yes Disabled Access: Yes |
Shop:
Yes Plants for Sale: Yes Lunches: Yes |
Teas:
Yes Light Refreshment: Yes Picnics: No |
Dogs
Allowed: Yes On Lead only: Yes Special Events: Yes |
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| Other
Facilities: Courtyard gallery - exhibition area. |
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| Garden Features | |||||||||||||
| Natural woodland setting, surrounded by dramatic scenery. West Coast climate. Magnificent collections of trees and shrubs, especially rhododendrons and conifers. Impressive avenue of Giant Redwoods |
English Heritage Garden Grade: | ||||||||||||
| National Collection: | |||||||||||||
| Description of Garden | Designer:
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| From the formal garden, through the hillside woodlands, follow the paths to a stunning viewpoint with a spectacular outlook across the Garden and the Holy Loch to the Firth of Clyde and beyond. Amongst many highlights are the stately conifers, the magnificent avenue of Giant Redwoods, and an extensive magnolia collection. Reflecting the two collections that dominate the Garden, Benmore has been rightly described as both a living textbook of the genus Rhododendron, and, with its unrivalled diversity of coniferous trees, as a national Pinetum. Both collections serve as biological standards for the scientific research work of the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh. The rhododendrons are famed not only for their brilliant flowering displays, but also for the rich texture and tone of their leaves and bark. More than 400 species and subspecies, and 300 hybrids and cultivars, can be seen here. The historic plantings of previous owners provide the backbone of the Garden's collection of hardy temperate conifers. These have now been supplemented, particularly with endangered species, as part of the Conifer Conservation Programme. The Garden's vital role in conservation is also demonstrated by its innovative ecological plantings, such as the Bhutanese Glade and, for the end of the decade, a new Chilean Glade is under construction. Such new developments will ensure that Benmore remains an enthralling place for future generations of visitors to explore. |
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| History of Garden | |||||||||||||
| The garden is named after the mountain Beinn Mhor and from Harry George Younger who donated the garden to the nation. The first conifers were planted in about 1820 but the magnificent Redwood Avenue, for which the garden is famous, was planted in 1863. Ten years later James Duncan, a local entrepreneur and benefactor, planted 6 and a half million conifers and undertook many building projects, transforming the garden and indeed the entire area. In 1889 the Younger family took over the garden and introduced many ornamental trees and shrubs. After the garden was given by Harry Younger to the nation in 1925 it was decided that it should become part of the Royal Botanic Garden, Edinburgh, and this came into effect four years later. The Royal Botanic Garden has continued the policy of planting begun by Younger. | |||||||||||||
| Nearby Scotland Hotels, Facilities & Amenities | |||||||||||||
| Hotels
& Accommodation: in Dunoon |
Restaurants: |
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| Inns & Pubs: |
Villages / Towns
/ Sightseeing: 7 miles north of Dunoon in Cowal Peninsula |
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- Scotland |
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*Information
Updates
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0017_arlington.jpg - Benmore Botanic Garden (Scotland)
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