Threave Garden & Estate

About Threave Garden & Estate

A garden for all seasons and a haven for wildlife, with an osprey platform and bat reserve

•Visit the only Scottish garden dedicated to the training of horticulturists, home of the School of Heritage Gardening since 1960.
•Discover the unique garden design, where each ‘garden room’ showcases a different gardening style and planting scheme.
•Enjoy stunning views over the Galloway Hills and the Ken/Dee valley, and keep an eye out for soaring ospreys, red kites and peregrine falcons over our wetlands nature reserve.
•Join a guided walk around Scotland’s only Bat Reserve! We have eight species of bats and a dedicated conservation programme to protect them.
•Explore one of Scotland’s most biodiverse nature reserves, with a remarkable collection of wildlife, flora and fauna.

Threave’s wonderful garden has been created over the years by students of the Trust’s School of Heritage Gardening – and is a fine example of landscaped beauty. The garden is divided into a series of smaller gardens to showcase different styles, including a rose garden, rockery and walled garden.

At the centre stands Threave House, designed in the Scottish Baronial style in 1871 for the Gordon family. Many of its rooms are displayed as they were in the 1930s.

Follow our Diamond Trail to see the 60 new trees we’ve planted to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the National Trust for Scotland’s School of Heritage Gardening.


The wider estate caters for more adventurous tastes, and includes our flagship bat reserve. The nature reserve is a Special Protection Area for breeding waders and wintering wildfowl – pink-footed geese and much more

For further information visit www.nts.org.uk/visit/places/threave-garden and look at the highlights that we offer