Between the Highland villages of Comrie and St Filians lie the remnants of a grand Victorian mansion. Surrounding it are the tangled remains of what was once the finest garden in all of Scotland – the so-called Lost Garden of Dunira.
In 2016 the site of the house and gardens were put on the market. The new owners were granted planning permission to build a large house with separate staff quarters, but with a proviso: that permission was on condition that the 17-acre gardens were restored to the original designs. This challenge is now being met and Dunira is rising like a phoenix from the ashes.
By kind permission of the owner, FOIL members and their guests have been granted a unique opportunity to visit Dunira and marvel at this astonishing project. During the visit there will be guided tours of the gardens, led by arborist, Julian Schad and plants woman, Jan Buchanan. Jamie Thomson, son of the founder of FOIL, will detail the history of the house and estate.
