Popular visitor attractions across the country, including sites in Dumfries & Galloway, are taking part in one of Scotland’s most spectacular garden festivals.
Blossoming across the country from 28 January to 11 March 2018, the Scottish Snowdrop Festival comprises of more than 50 events nationwide displaying carpets of snowdrops in their gardens and woodlands, signalling the end of winter and the promise of spring.
The festival is being organised by garden tourism organisation Discover Scottish Gardens, and supported by VisitScotland and Scotland’s Garden Scheme.
Venues taking part in the festival around Dumfries & Galloway include Castle Kennedy Gardens near Stranraer, Brooklands in Crocketford and Broughton House in Kirkcudbright. Logan Botanic Garden, the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh’s regional Garden in Port Logan will also be taking part in the festival, which comes after the garden’s highest visitor figures for 2017 in ten years. Each venue across the region will be hosting activities and snowdrop walks for all the family.
Many Brits have fallen in love with the versatile herbaceous plant, scientifically known as Galanthus. There are now over 2,500 named varieties of the winter flower and its adaptability and hardiness means it grows in a great range of locations across the world.
Now in its 12th year, the Snowdrop Festival aims to encourage locals and tourists alike to enjoy the wonders of Scotland’s gardens during the snowdrop flowering period and to highlight the diversity of the country’s array of snowdrop collections.
Catherine Erskine, chair of Discover Scottish Gardens and founder of the Snowdrop Festival in Scotland, said: “We are very lucky in Scotland to have a fantastic climate for snowdrops, with many species thriving here and creating stunning displays. Many of the festival venues are within the grounds of some of Dumfries & Galloway’s most historic buildings with beautiful surroundings. Adding snowdrops to these landscapes creates a spectacular sight for any visitor.”
VisitScotland Regional Director Paula Ward said: “In the last 12 years, the Scottish Snowdrop Festival has grown to become an annual calendar highlight with the first snowdrops of the year a sign that spring is just around the corner.
“Dumfries & Galloway’s gardens are a huge draw for visitors with record numbers of people through the doors to Logan Botanic Gardens last year. The festival also provides a welcome boost for attractions during a traditionally quieter period of the year and a great opportunity for local businesses to use this well-established festival to tell their customers that they are open for business and it is never too early to visit the region.
“I would also encourage people in Dumfries & Galloway to get out and about to enjoy this great seasonal sight in some of the region’s most stunning houses, gardens and estates.”
To find a Snowdrop Festival garden near you, visit www.discoverscottishgardens.org or www.visitscotland.com/snowdrop
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