Oh, Flowers of Scotland

As the RHS Chelsea Flower Show opens, national tourism organisation, VisitScotland, is highlighting some blooming marvellous attractions in the regions associated with the Scottish garden exhibits.

The RHS Chelsea Flower Show runs from 20-24 May 2025, with four exhibiting gardens inspired by Scotland.

Three of those gardens (Seawilding Garden; Hospitalfield Arts Garden; and Down’s Syndrome Scotland Garden) are funded by Project Giving Back, a charity that funds gardens appearing for good causes at RHS Chelsea Flower Show.

Nature is hugely important for visitors to Scotland. Outdoor Therapy has been identified by VisitScotland as a popular travel trend (Trends for 2025: the experience economy), while research shows that 38% of all visitors to Scotland are searching for a holiday “to connect with nature” (Scotland Visitor Survey).

There is also a clear appetite for green-fingered experiences from Scots, with online searches for “Chelsea Flower Show” showing a +350% increase in the past quarter in Scotland, with around 15,600 searches per year.

Find below the Scottish gardens appearing at this year’s RHS Chelsea Flower Show, with suggestions of attractions in those regions associated with the exhibits, where visitors can take their love of nature further:

Please note that not all gardens when relocated to Scotland will be accessible to the public.

The Down’s Syndrome Scotland Garden The Down’s Syndrome Scotland Garden is designed by Burton Hall Garden Design for Scottish charity, Down’s Syndrome Scotland and sponsored by Project Giving Back, it features a meandering path, a water pool with a submerged bridge, and a beautiful garden building designed to feel like a warm embrace. It aims to celebrate and reflect the unique qualities that people with Down’s syndrome bring to society. It will be relocated to Palacerigg Country Park, near Cumbernauld, North Lanarkshire, where it will be managed by charity, Watch Us Grow, in partnership with Down’s Syndrome Scotland.

Check out… Palacerigg Country Park, North Lanarkshire

Palacerigg Country Park is more than the future location of the Down’s Syndrome Scotland Garden, it is also home to a 10km network of nature trails and footpaths, children’s play areas, a visitor centre, and a golf course. Wildlife watchers can keep an eye out for the thriving furry residents, including roe deer, owls and badgers.

For a more exotic experience, journey south to Glasgow Botanic Gardens, or north to The Japanese Garden at Cowden in Clackmannanshire.

The Hospitalfield Arts Garden The Hospitalfield Arts Garden takes its inspiration from the coastal location of Hospitalfield (pictured above), a contemporary arts centre in Arbroath, and encompasses an ‘artist bothy’ studio and workspace surrounded by sand dunes and coastal and mediterranean plant-life. The garden will be relocated to Ladyloan Primary School in the Angus town, following the Show.

Check out… Hospitalfield, Angus

Hospitalfield is an attraction in its own right. Visitors can wander its walled garden, which was designed by horticulturalist Nigel Dunnett, who also designed the Hospitalfield Arts Garden at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show. Rio, a bronze sculpture created by Scottish artist Eduardo Paolozzi, on loan to Hospitalfield from the Hunterian in Glasgow until 2027, can be found in the grounds of the House.

For a glimpse of the future of horticulture, journey south to the City of Dundee where visitors can see the latest exhibition at V&A Dundee, Garden Futures: Designing with Nature, and discover groundbreaking designs.

The Fettercairn Wilderness Retreat The Fettercairn Wilderness Retreat, designed by ssh scapes, is a balcony garden. Inspired by the landscape and wild plants of the Cairngorms, it features a copper bathtub for a cold-water plunge. Nestled in the foothills of the Cairngorms mountain range is Fettercairn Distillery, sponsor of the Fettercairn Wilderness Retreat and where the balcony garden will be relocated after the Show.

Check out… Fettercairn Distillery, Aberdeenshire

Set in the picturesque village of Fettercairn – notable for its striking archway erected in the 19th century to celebrate the visit of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert – Fettercairn Distillery offers visitors stunning views across the undulating landscape to sample a dram of its single malt whisky.

For more historical connections, journey northbound to Crathes Castle, Garden & Estate where its estate, including walled garden, offers visitors a chance to wander through the sculpted yew hedges thought to have been planted in the early 18th century.

The Seawilding Garden The Seawilding Garden, which as part of its installation will feature seagrass, the ocean’s only flowering plant – a first for the RHS Chelsea Flower Show – is designed by Ryan McMahon and inspired by the landscape found at Loch Craignish in Argyll, home of community-led native oyster and seagrass restoration charity, Seawilding. Following the Show, the garden will be relocated to the charity’s base in Ardfern, Argyll.

Check out… Benmore Botanic Garden, Argyll

Set on the Cowal Peninsula, in Loch Lomond & the Trossachs National Park, Benmore Botanic Garden is famed for its towering conifers and spectacular rhododendrons. Visitors can take in the scenic views of this 120-acre garden – maybe catch a glimpse of red squirrels and, even, a golden eagle – and wander among a collection of globe-spanning plants, from the Himalayas and Japan to North and South America.

Nearby is the unique Caol Ruadh Sculpture Park, where visitors can discover a diverse array of unique artworks throughout the 20-acre estate overlooking the Kyles of Bute or indulge in a variety of activities and workshops.

For more, see: Scotland’s Gardens & Country Parks | VisitScotland

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