Only an hour from Glasgow or Edinburgh, the garden uniquely combines Scottish scenery with Japanese design.
A rare Japanese garden in Clackmannanshire, once left in ruins, is flourishing again more than a century after it was first created.
The Japanese Garden at Cowden Castle, near Dollar in the Ochil Hills, is the only one of its kind in the world designed by a Japanese woman. Taki Handa, then studying in England, was recruited in 1908 by the Scottish explorer Ella Christie to bring her vision to life. Together, they created what became known as “the most important Japanese garden in the Western World”.
Christie, born in Midlothian in 1861, was no ordinary woman of her era. A seasoned traveller fluent in four languages, including Finnish, she journeyed across Europe, the Middle East and Asia, becoming the first Western woman to meet the Dalai Lama.
A story from her great-niece captures her spirit: “Aged 50, while waiting for the train at Dollar station, Ella was asked if she were travelling to Edinburgh; her short reply, ‘No, Samarkand’, perfectly encapsulates the fearless spinster who was fluent in four languages including Finnish.”
Now partially restored, the garden is a peaceful Scottish attraction, with the best time to visit being in autumn(Image: Ken Jack/Getty Images)
After visiting Japan in 1907-1908, Christie dammed a burn to create a seven-acre loch and set about building her own Japanese garden at Cowden. She invited Shinzaburo Matsuo, a Japanese gardener who had lost his family in an earthquake, to Scotland to help maintain it, reports Scottish Daily Express.
Matsuo later settled in the area and is buried in Muckhart Churchyard. Christie herself died in 1949, aged 87, just three years before the castle was demolished.
Tragedy struck the garden in 1963 when vandals set fire to tea houses, smashed antique lanterns and destroyed bridges. For decades, the once-celebrated site lay neglected.
It was not until Christie’s great-niece, Sara Stewart, launched a restoration campaign that its revival began.
Reopened to the public in 2019, the garden continues to be restored under the guidance of Professor Masao Fukuhara, who also worked on the Japanese gardens at Kew in London and Tatton Park in Cheshire.
Michael Innes, formerly part of the team restoring King Charles’s Dumfries House estate, is horticultural consultant, working with estate gardener Robert Grindrod.
The site, now more than halfway through its restoration, has become one of Scotland’s most serene visitor attractions. Autumn is considered the best time to visit, as the trees erupt in brilliant shades of red and gold, combining Scottish landscapes with Japanese aesthetics.
Earlier this year, the garden received fresh international attention when a TikTok video went viral. Travel vlogger chrisybrownlie shared footage describing the grounds as a “peaceful escape”.
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Speaking to the Daily Record, chrisybrownlie added: “The Japanese Garden at Cowden is a wonderful area to explore for those seeking adventure or relaxation, embracing both Japanese aesthetics and the natural beauty of the Scottish countryside.”
The video has been viewed more than 1.2 million times and liked over 66,000 times, drawing new visitors to the site.
The garden remains a work in progress, but its history and unique story continue to resonate. Tickets are priced at £10.90 for adults, with concessions available.
Located just an hour from both Glasgow and Edinburgh, it offers visitors a rare combination of Scottish scenery and Japanese design that exists nowhere else in the world.
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