Being brought up in a village 800' above Edinburgh, I always thought that anything other than leeks and lupins were totally exotic. On my first trip to the south of England I saw a passion flower and was determined that one day I would have one. So one of the joys of the west of Scotland is the wonderful things that will happily grow - even despite last winter. So I now have my passion flower, the wisteria is coming into bloom, I have 5 different species of abutilon - the star being the blue version which is found in countless estate gardens up and down Argyll, and meconopsis grown in abundance.

So if you are a keen gardener, or just love trees and flowers, you will find a wealth of beautiful gardens to visit, unusual plants to spot, and delightful untamed corners , and no one will stop you wandering anywhere.