Cambo Gardens
Kingsbarns
St Andrews KY16 8QD
Why Should We Visit?
Cambo is one of Scotland’s most exciting gardens. It lies on the east coast of Fife, seven miles south of St Andrews, and its classical layout contains vibrant contemporary planting as well as traditional garden features.
As well as the gardens, there are woodlands, rare birds, access to the Fife Coastal Path and a wide stretch of sandy beach to explore.
Story of the Garden
The estate has been in the Erskine family for over 300 years and it is an important example of a designed landscape, with stables, carriage house, coach house and walled garden.
Its history as a tourist attraction began in the 1980s when Catherine Erskine recognised that the snowdrops that grow in profusion on the estate contained some rare varieties, so she began holding open days and selling bulbs.
Other areas of the garden were then developed to exceptionally high standards and today Cambo is run as a charitable trust and social enterprise, providing skills and wellbeing opportunities for the local community.
Highlights
Cambo’s two and a half acre walled garden, complete with burn and waterfall, dates from the 1800s and Head Gardener Katherine Taylor works continually on the planting to create interest throughout the seasons.
In summer, the historic rose collection fills the walled garden with colour and fragrance before the double herbaceous borders reach their flowering peak in rich reds, purples and blues, with the clouds of asters giving an almost neon glow in autumn.
Don’t Miss
In June, the contemporary cut flower garden is filled with colourful annuals, while the one and a half acre edible garden provides produce for the Stables vegetarian café where chef Gillian Veal creates inventive dishes.
Anything Else To Look Out For?
Along the banks of the Cambo burn the garden team is developing a wildflower meadow where species diversity is increasing. They have introduced yellow rattle (Rhinanthus minor) which draws nutrients from the grasses, and the long grass is cut in September using hand scythes.
There is also a potager where annual flowers grow among perennials and herbs.
This year the annuals were chosen from the RHS Plants for Pollinators list which is all part of the aim to encourage wildlife in the garden.
Cambo is in its first season as beekeepers with Websters honey so there should be honey for sale soon.
Best Time to Visit
Cambo is a year-round attraction and its planting has been designed to unfold in waves as the seasons progress. It also has a regular programme of activities and this year, as part of Discover Scottish Gardens’ Summer Garden Festival, Cambo is offering Babes in the Woods activities for children, as well as regular outdoor yoga and Pilates sessions.
Any Recommendations in the Area?
Close to Cambo is an innocent-looking farmhouse that is part of the UK’s Cold War heritage.
It is, in fact, the entrance to Scotland’s Secret Bunker, an underground nuclear command centre from where military operations would have been planned in the event of a strike.
Now a museum, it offers a fascinating and decidedly scary glimpse into recent history.
Directions
Cambo is on the A917, near the village of Kingsbarns.
Details:
Open daily, 10am - 5pm Tickets: £6.50/free to carers and under-16s
St Andrews Botanic Gardens is undergoing far-reaching changes as it continues with an ambitious programme of regeneration.
It has pulled down its old glasshouses and is developing The Tangled Bank, an area of grassland and seaside habitats where it is nurturing native species.
The garden has a new focus on sustainability, research and conservation and tomorrow there will be a chance to walk around the garden with curators Dr Harry Watkins and Beccy Middleton, while they explain the exciting developments.
The walk is part of a wide programme of activities throughout the summer, including a Garden Explorers’ Kids Club and, on 30 July, a Family Fun Day.
The garden is a green oasis in the very heart of St Andrews, with meadows, lawns, woodland, a huge pond and a large collection of rare and unusual plants.
As well as a team of professional horticulturists, the garden is also supported by volunteers and all money raised from ticket sales goes towards its upkeep, however there is free entry on the first Friday of every month.
St Andrews Botanic Garden
Canongate
St Andrews KY16 8RT
Why are you making commenting on The Herald only available to subscribers?
It should have been a safe space for informed debate, somewhere for readers to discuss issues around the biggest stories of the day, but all too often the below the line comments on most websites have become bogged down by off-topic discussions and abuse.
heraldscotland.com is tackling this problem by allowing only subscribers to comment.
We are doing this to improve the experience for our loyal readers and we believe it will reduce the ability of trolls and troublemakers, who occasionally find their way onto our site, to abuse our journalists and readers. We also hope it will help the comments section fulfil its promise as a part of Scotland's conversation with itself.
We are lucky at The Herald. We are read by an informed, educated readership who can add their knowledge and insights to our stories.
That is invaluable.
We are making the subscriber-only change to support our valued readers, who tell us they don't want the site cluttered up with irrelevant comments, untruths and abuse.
In the past, the journalist’s job was to collect and distribute information to the audience. Technology means that readers can shape a discussion. We look forward to hearing from you on heraldscotland.com
Comments & Moderation
Readers’ comments: You are personally liable for the content of any comments you upload to this website, so please act responsibly. We do not pre-moderate or monitor readers’ comments appearing on our websites, but we do post-moderate in response to complaints we receive or otherwise when a potential problem comes to our attention. You can make a complaint by using the ‘report this post’ link . We may then apply our discretion under the user terms to amend or delete comments.
Post moderation is undertaken full-time 9am-6pm on weekdays, and on a part-time basis outwith those hours.
Read the rules here