Falkland Palace, East Port Falkland, Cupar, Fife, KY15 7BY
In the middle of an orchard, filled with ripening fruit and surrounded by a sea of wildflowers stands an imposing sculpture. Made by artist Trevor Leat, this larger-than-life figure, called The Willow Queen, is a poignant reminder of how Scotland’s tragic monarch, Mary Queen of Scots, found peace in this beautiful space.
At the time when the Scottish queen was a regular visitor to Falkland Palace, the countryside around here were covered in woods where the court would hunt deer and practice falconry.
Today this part of Fife, which sits under the shadow of the Lomond Hills, is home to some of the richest farmland in Scotland and behind the walls of the Palace are pleasure gardens and orchards, which at the moment are filled with ripening fruit.
The gardens at Falkland Palace have been in existence for at least 500 years, when a magnificent royal hunting lodge was built to replace an earlier castle on the site, but much of the historic detail was lost during the long period of more than 200 years when the Palace, which had been damaged by Oliver Cromwell’s English troops in 1654, lay neglected and in partial ruins.
The Palace was taken in hand by the 3rd Marquis of Bute, who also built Mount Stuart, and restoration began in the 19th century, however during World War II the grounds were dug up and turned over to growing potatoes as part of the war effort.
After the war a bold plan was needed and it was developed by Percy Cane, the celebrity garden designer of the mid 20th century, who devised a scheme that reflected on the ground the beautiful outlines of the French renaissance palace, reputedly using a portrait of the gardens from 1693 as his starting point.
Today it is one of the most complete Cane designs still in existence and work is underway to restore his original planting scheme, replacing later additions with flowers, shrubs and trees that he used to bring the garden back to life.
At this time of the year the garden’s herbaceous borders are in full flower, while climbing roses and wisteria cover the walls. Ceanothus blooms here in the protected climate and conifers stand sentinel at the corners of an elegant lily pond.
One unique feature of the garden is the oldest Real tennis court still in use. This ancient game, which is the basis of today’s modern game, was once played by court members and the site is still used for matches and tournaments.
One fascinating part of the grounds is the physic garden where medicinal and culinary herbs provide an insight into the use of the plants through the centuries and their importance to daily life, including brewing and dyeing. There is also a beautiful sundial, designed by Schomberg Scott for Michael Crichton Stuart, the Hereditary Keeper of the Palace, who in 1952 invited the National Trust for Scotland to take over responsibility for its care.
As befits a royal palace of such significance and antiquity, the gardens and the palace itself are said to be inhabited by their fair share of ghosts and on Saturday, 7 September, the staff will be leading ghost tours across the estate.
Details
The gardens are open daily, 11am - 5pm Tickets: £6.50/£5 (additional charges apply for the Palace).
Tel: 01337 857397 falklandpalace@nts.org.uk www.nts.org.uk Falkland Place sits within Falkland village, 11 miles south west of Cupar.
In association with Discover Scottish Gardens www.discoverscottishgardens.org.uk
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