The garden at Leith Hall is, in fact, a series of smaller gardens, each sheltered by a wall or hedge and each with its own special character, rising on a gentle slope from the West Drive. Particularly eye-catching is the solid carpet of blue catmint filling one entire border, and providing an attractive foil to the colourful palette of the more traditional herbaceous and rose beds.

Redesigned by the Trust is the rock garden with a little stream twinkling its way through winding gravel paths and stone crevices to which heather and alpine plants cling.

At the top of the garden, near the curved stables, is the circular Moon Gate leading to the old turnpike road, once the main thoroughfare to Aberdeen. Close by is a collection of historic stones, and two of the most interesting, scheduled as Ancient Monuments, are Pictish in origin.

The Salmon Stone was once part of a much larger stone and along its broken top edge are fragmentary traces of the fish which gives it its name. The main decoration, rather like a horseshoe, is thought to depict a torc or neck ornament. The Wolf Stone has a well-executed outline of a wolf carved on its face.

In contrast to the walled gardens is the open vista to the front of the house where a careful choice of trees and shrubs creates a parkland effect. The estate is fairly modest in size (236 acres) but its interest lies in the variety of scene - pasture and glade, woodland and moorland - and also in the variety of wildlife. There are two nature trails, each about one and a half to two miles long. There is also a new pond walk especially designed to accommodate wheel- and push-chairs.