The garden

This wild ravine was begun to be tamed in the early 19th century when the landowner at the time planted larches on the hillside. However, it was Grace, Lady Campbell, who started to develop the garden was know it today a century later, in 1912. She established a woodland area with shrub borders and groups of rhododendrons, an epitome of Edwardian fashion and taste. Lady Grace was the aunt of intrepid plant collector Reginald Farrer, who brought back trees and shrubs for her from China, Nepal and Tibet.

Beautiful trees

Her son Sir George Campbell further enhanced the garden. His passion for trees led to the planting of rare conifers and exotic trees that remain here today. Southern beech (Nothofagus) was a particular love, and the garden is now the proud home of a National Collection of that species. There are also 30 champion trees to be found around the garden – look out for their special tags or pick up a trail sheet from the visitor centre.

Sir George added a eucalyptory in the north-east corner – admiring the bark on these trees is a real highlight of any visit, especially in winter when they bring striking colour to the season. In spring, the azaleas and rhododendrons burst into life but don’t miss our Meconopsis river that winds its way through the lower garden. In autumn, the leaves of decorative hardwoods such as maples and tulip trees turn gold, yellow and red.

We also have an important collection of ‘living fossil’ trees, Wollemi pines. Thought to have died out 2 million years ago, the species was rediscovered in Australia in the 1990s. A number were planted in different locations at Crarae, to see how they respond to different conditions.

Champion trees

Crarae is home to some outstanding specimen trees. The Tree Register of Great Britain and Ireland is a registered charity that maintains a record of trees that are the tallest and/or the broadest in girth of their genus and species. The records catalogue those that are Champions of Great Britain and Ireland (GB&I), of Scotland, of the county of Argyll and Bute (A&B) in this case, or are of sufficient size/interest to merit an entry as a ‘Remarkable Tree’.

Following the last round of measurements in 2012, Crarae Garden merited 136 entries in the register, including an impressive Champion count of 14 Champions of GB&I, 38 of Scotland, 30 of A&B and 54 remarkable trees. During the winter of 2021/22 the Friends of Crarae began the task of tracking down the Champions from the details included in the register, focusing initially on those that can be found within the public areas of the gardens.

The Friends have put together a trail that takes you to view 16 distinct trees.

View and download the Champion Tree Trail

Rhododendrons

Crarae Garden is perhaps most famous for its rhododendrons. The name rhododendron comes from the Greek words for rose and tree. A mild, moist, maritime climate and acid soil overlying rock and boulder clay provide the ideal conditions to cultivate these flowering shrubs.

The garden now has over 600 different rhododendrons and azaleas. Although many species grow wild in the Himalayas, a special feature in the Crarae collection is the number of hybrids. Flowering starts before Christmas and continues well into July and August, with the peak time being May and June for the explosion of colour.

Sir George Campbell initially received packets of seeds in the 1920s, mainly from the Rothschild Collection in the New Forest, including R. cinnabarinum roylei, R. arboreum and R. rubiginosum. This collection was enhanced in the 1950s with the red-flowered Noble hybrids from Crarae’s neighbours Michael and John Noble. They include a ‘Secretary of State’ and ‘Shadow Secretary’, reflecting Michael’s political career.

Below are a few of our collection highlights: