Lothian gardens open for Scottish Snowdrop Festival

The Scottish Snowdrop Festival returns for 2022 and some of the finest gardens in the Lothians will be joining those across the country that are inviting visitors to enjoy mid-winter’s loveliest bloom.

Snowdrop carpet at the House of the Binns at Linlithgow.

The Festival runs throughout the peak of snowdrop season, January 25 – March 11, with all kinds of private gardens, public spaces and grand estates showing off their snowdrops.

On Sunday, February 27, Hopetoun House near South Queensferry will be holding a special snowdrop day, when visitors can discover the sheets of snowdrops that grow on the estate. And nearby House of the Binns at Linlithgow will be open daily, allowing for strolls through its snowdrop.

The Scottish Snowdrop Festival is organised by Discover Scottish Gardens, in collaboration with Scotland’s Gardens Schemes, whose members open their gardens for charity, and Dougal Philip, director, Discover Scottish Gardens, said: “From very humble beginnings this festival has grown to become a much-cherished celebration of the beauty of our gardens at that moment when winter starts to give way to spring. It’s a chance to get outdoors, take some exercise and appreciate the beauty that nature brings our way.”

And Liz Stewart, director, Scotland’s Gardens Scheme, said: “Our members range from large estates to small private gardens so the Festival offers the chance to be wowed by snowdrops growing in large numbers or enchanted by close-ups of the blooms in intimate settings.”

A full list of participating gardens is available at www.discoverscottishgardens.org/snowdropfestival and from www.visitscotland.com/snowdrops and for a list of gardens opening for Scotland’s Gardens Scheme visit www.scotlandsgardens.org.