Inverewe Gardens Scotland – A Fab Garden for All To Enjoy

Looking to visit Inverewe Gardens Scotland?

Great – it’s an amazing place and it is well worth a visit.

In this article you will find details of what is where at Inverewe plus some photographs to give you and idea of what there is to see, although it will of course change depending on the seasons.

Inverewe Gardens Scotland Location

Inverewe Gardens Scotland is located at;

Poolewe

Achnasheen

IV22 2LG

(Like many Highland postcodes it is actually quite a long way from Achnasheen so bear that in mind!)

Telephone: 01445 712952

Travelling from Inverness to Inverewe Gardens Scotland

Travel time is around 1 hour and 45 minutes with a distance of 76 miles.

There are some lovely photo stops along the way so allow plenty of extra time if you want to stop at these.

There is a section of single track road with passing places as you get closer to Gairloch.

Travelling from Ullapool to Inverewe Gardens Scotland

The travel time is around 1 hour and 15 minutes with a distance of 50 miles.

There is no single track road travelling from Ullapool to Poolewe.

Inverewe Gardens Scotland Opening Times

1 Jan–3 Apr, closed

4 Apr–30 Apr, daily 10.00–16.00

1 May–31 May, Wed–Sun, 10.00–16.00

1 Jun–1 Oct, daily, 10.00–17.00 (last entry 16.00)

2 Oct–31 Oct, Wed–Sun, 10.00–16.00

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Arriving at Inverewe Gardens Scotland

On arrival you will see plenty of coach parking as you enter Inverewe, this is immediately on the right and also seems to be used by lots of camper vans and motor homes too.

There are picnic tables and rubbish bins in the parking area.

There is parking for cars outside the visitor centre.

inverewe gardens scotland the professional traveller main entrance
Inverewe Gardens Scotland Facilities

There is a visitor centre directly opposite the car park which has an entrance clearly marked.

It is free to enter the visitor centre itself.

You will find toilets immediately to the left on entering the visitor centre.

There is also a shop and towards the back of the visitor centre is the desk where you pay your entry to the gardens.

The entrance to the gardens is through a door located beside the payment till.

Facemasks are required for entry into the visitor centre.

Dogs are allowed into Inverewe gardens and you take them through the visitor centre also. There is some guidance about taking dogs into Inverewe as 2021 is the first year they have allowed this.

inverewe gardens scotland the professional traveller new cafe

Inverewe Gardens Scotland – Cafe/Restaurant

A new feature is the onsite cafe, which is accessible without going into the gardens actually so well worth a visit if you are passing by.

The cafe was operating within stricter Covid regulations when I visited, so much of the food and drink was pre wrapped. Nevertheless there was a good selection and it was great to see a Vegan pie option on the specials board.

Plant milks are available too.

The cafe itself is large, bright and airy. There is a lovely mural on the wall together with a model of the water processing plant.

Just beside the cafe are toilets which were spotlessly clean when I visited.

Osgood’s is open as follows;

1 Jan–early May, closed

1 May–31 Oct, Wed–Sun, 09.00–16.00

Inside the gardens themselves there is also a Coffee Bothy, located just beside the main house.

Bothy open as follows;

1 Jan–11 Jul, closed

12 Jul–31 Oct, Mon & Tues, 11.00–15.00

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Inverewe Gardens Scotland Layout

On entering the gardens from the visitor centre you’ll come to a lovely musical tree sculpture. It’s really lovely and is made up of lots of tiny leaves which are dedicated to people or quotes. So many people seemed to miss this on their way to visit something in the garden.

On your right you will see a path that will take you around to the Azalea walk.

On the left you will come to the entrance to the walled garden, although this can be also be entered via steps at the far end of the walled garden.

Continuing past the walled gardens (previously kitchen gardens for the main house and still featuring fruit and vegetables) you will come to a little covered look out point.

You will then reach a junction. You can turn up the hill and explore such delights as the very rare Wollemi Pines, the Bambooselem and the Peace Plot amongst other things. This area seemed to be a little quieter, perhaps because the paths were a little smaller and rougher and there are more gradients to deal with.

If you continue straight on you will come to Inverewe House. This was closed during July 2021 due to Covid19 restrictions. However, the toilets were open. The Sawyer Gallery was closed and the Bothy Cafe was closed, although this is open on Mondays and Tuesdays.

If you bear left and follow along with the water on your left hand side you will come to the Rock garden area.

inverewe gardens scotland central path the professional traveller

Visiting Inverewe Gardens Scotland July 2021 (Level 1 Covid19 Restrictions)

This was my first visit to Inverewe Gardens and it was quite quiet when we first arrived as it was 9.30am. Infact when we first arrived we were the only people there. The gardens gradually got busier and the car park was full by the time we left at 1.30pm. However, the gardens didn’t feel crowded at all.

The paths were clearly signed as to what they were so getting a bit lost wasn’t a problem. Having headed for the Jetty I found mysel up in the higher part of the gardens and stumbled across some lovely bamboo woven figures in the woods.

inverewe gardens scotland the professional traveller jetty view

Inverewe Gardens Scotland – The Jetty

The jetty is tiny with wonderful views across the small bay. Whilst there I saw a heron fly across to it’s nest and I could hear the chicks. However, I wasn’t able to find the spot where you could look down into the nest and a few people I met seemed unable to find it either.

Boat trips run from the jetty. These weren’t running on the day we visited as it was a Sunday but they looked great and it’s something on the agenda for the next visit. The boat trips take 1 hour, in a relatively small boat and cost £17.50 per person.

Cuddy rock is another viewpoint although this requires a bit of scramble over rocks to get down to. This was a particularly peaceful spot.

On the return from the jetty there is a walk up the hill signed Devils Bow. This has a lovely little lookout on the way up to the high viewpoint.

The high viewpoint was well worth making the effort to see. Unfortunately I can’t share a photo as I got busy chatting to some other visitors, who were also there trying to spot the heron chicks.

On the way back down I went through the pond garden, which was very peaceful and quit and I found myself coming back through the Big trees area to Inverewe House, getting a very pleasant view of the house from the lower part of the garden.

The walled gardens were absolutely stunning and I particularly liked the sculpture, the detail on the handrails which looked like climbing ivy and the stunning gates.

The gates are not locked and if you head through them you will find a number of benches looking over the sea.

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Visiting Inverewe Gardens Scotland with Children

There are a number of interpretative panels for children, which give interesting facts about particular plants or parts of the garden. I found these interesting too!

There were also some interactive points with QR codes but I couldn’t get these to work – perhaps because of a poor phone signal?

The main paths are suitable for buggies and pushchairs. The main paths are shown in green on the map you are given at the visitor centre. The red paths would require quite a lot more effort and were steeper in places too.

inverewe gardens scotland the house the professional traveller

Inverewe Gardens Scotland – Entry Costs

Entry for an adult is £13.00

Entry for a family is £33.00

Entry for a one adult family is £25.00

Young Scot Entry is £1.00

Inverewe Gardens Scotland – Membership Option

Have you thought about becoming a National Trust for Scotland member?

Membership offers alot of benefits and is surprisingly affordable.

Not only do you get free entry to National Trust properties in Scotland, but also in England and in quite a number of other countries around the world thanks to their partnerships (entry is either free or discounted).

There are also local members groups that arrange activities, alongwith members events such as deeper insights into properties, and sneak peeks behind the scenes.

On top of all that there is also a members magazine too. It’s a real community.

Adult membership is £63.00 per year or £5.25 per month.

Annual membership for two adults and up to 6 children is £117.00 per year or £9.80 per month.

As you can see if you enjoy visiting properties and gardens it’s great value.

Check out more about National Trust for Scotland membership right here.

Further Reading

If you are interested in visiting the Gairloch area then check out my guide to a 1 day or overnight route which takes in some fantastic views along the way – Scottish Highlands Road Trip.

Other Articles

Check out my other articles related to the Scottish Highlands here and Scotland here;

Book Recommendation

If you want to learn more about Inverewe then check out this book by Osgood Mackenzie who designed Inverewe Gardens.

Want to Stay in a Holiday Cottage Near Inverewe?

Check out these holiday cottage options in and around Poolewe which is very close to the gardens.

poolewe cottages the professional traveller inverewe gardens scotland

See what’s available now!

Want to Stay in a Hotel in the Area?

Find prices for local hotels quickly via the search box below.

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