My winter minibreak in England is over, so let´s head back to last summer. During my days at Loch Lomond, I stayed in the smallest of the Gardeners Cottages near Bellanoch adjoint to a walled garden.
The Gardeners Cottages
Once the home of the gardeners who planted and tended the ground of Arden House, the Gardeners Cottages form a row, their backs against the wall of a Victorian walled garden. And today they are very cosy and comfortable holiday cottages!
Arden House must have been a grand estate once, along the driveway to the cottages are many other stunning buildings and cottages, a coach house and I think one sees a little bit of the former big house, now divided into flats and apartments.
Once called Bannachra Estate until the Glasgow merchant George Buchanan bought it in 1770.
The Buchanan family sold Arden and Bannachra to the Lumsdens in 1864. The Lumsden family, perhaps best known latterly for their connection with Burmah Oil, continued in residence at Arden House until the 1980’s when it was sold and converted to flats. (The Vale of Leven)
I tried to find out a little bit more about the history of the estate and found some stories about big parties around Christmas for all the children from the surrounding areas.
The Walled Garden
My days at Loch Lomond were quite wet but the walled garden must be a beautiful place to relax and slow down during drier days. Such a beautiful place!
Loch Lomond
And there is even more! A little pathway brings you to the shores of Loch Lomond and a little private beach.
Disclaimer: I paid my stay at the Gardeners Cottages, as I also paid for every other stay during my time in the UK, but felt so in love with the place that I wanted to share it!
