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Creating the Gardens
The magnificent formal gardens at Kinross House were originally laid out and planted between 1679 and 1685. Owner Sir William Bruce and his wife Mary worked with the head gardener and their son John to produce a splendid garden in the contemporary Franco Dutch style, with terraces, parterres and orchards. The considerable effort and money put into creating the gardens at Kinross can be explained by the fact that the 17th century aristocracy saw gardens such as these as a symbol of wealth and status. The fame of the gardens at Kinross was widely known even before the house itself was finished. Sir Charles Lyttleton says in a letter to Bruce from London dated October 1687….
" I hear Lady Lauderdale's gardens at Ham are but a wilderness to be compared to yours at Kinross "
Following the death of Thomas Graham in 1819, Kinross House remained unoccupied for the next 80 years or so and the gardens became an overgrown wilderness. In 1902 Sir Basil Montgomery decided to live in the house and to restore the gardens.
The Gardens Today
Sir Basil Montgomery created the formal rose garden, planted yew hedges and trees and laid out the lovely herbaceous borders. He added the boy and the swan statue to the fountain, and introduced other statuary such as Atlas in the rose garden and the two lions in front of the house.
Sir Basil's sensitive, yet imaginative, reconstruction of the gardens in the early years of the 20th century has resulted in them ranking once again as one of the finest formal gardens in Scotland.
The Fish Gate
Kinross House is built on a slight rise overlooking Loch Leven, with the formal gardens falling gently down to the 'Fish Gate' and Loch Leven Castle beyond. High park walls surround the garden on three sides, broken twice (in the north and south walls) to provide vistas from the house. The design of the Fish Gate is a typical example of the architect's employment of novel features. His icicles and 'freezings' predate any others in the north and clearly derive from De Bosse's Medicis Fountain in the Luxembourg Gardens in Paris. Above the opening to the Fish Gate, between a quite extraordinary pair of cornucopias, is an upstanding basket of fish containing, it is said, the seven varieties of fish that could be caught in the loch at that time. They have been listed by the late Walter Montgomery as being salmon, char, grey trout, speckled trout, blackhead, perch and pike. The two lions, supporting the shield of Sir William Bruce and his wife Mary Halket respectively, sit on either side of the gate about a third of the way along the garden wall.
Opening dates and times
1st April to 1st October
Open 10am to 7pm daily
Kinross House itself is a family home and, as such, is NOT OPEN to the public.
Directions
Exit the M90 motorway (Edinburgh - Perth) at junction 6 and take the road into Kinross. After 0.6 miles, turn RIGHT at the T-junction with mini roundabout. Then take the FIRST LEFT turning after 100 yards and the main gates to Kinross House are at the top of the hill. The entrance to the gardens is through the archway to the left (north) of the house as you approach.
Parking Facilities
There is plenty of parking space available on the gravel in front of the house.
Special Features
The Fish Gate: as detailed above
Views of Kinross House: Sir William Bruce was a gentleman architect and was responsible for major works at Hopetoun House, Thirlestane and Balcaskie. Bruce built Kinross House for himself and his family at the end of the 17th century - it was to be his masterpiece. Kinross House is a family home and is NOT open to the public. However the grace, beauty and individuality of the building are easily admired from the gardens.
Views of Loch Leven: The gardens at Kinross sweep down to the shores of Loch Leven, from where there are expansive views over the water to Castle Island, where Mary Queen of Scots was imprisoned in 1567. Loch Leven is one of the most important nature reserves in Scotland and is famed for its rich birdlife.
Seasonal Highlights
The herbaceous borders are at their very best in July/August
Prices
Adults £3.00
Children (School Age) Free
Students and Senior Citizens £2.00
Disabled Facilities
The gardens are accessible for wheelchairs.
Guide Dogs are permitted in the gardens (otherwise, no dogs please)
Catering Facilities
There are no catering facilities at Kinross House Gardens.
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