Sheperd's Lodge (Garden)

The garden at Shepherd's Lodge is a proper haven if you're after something genuinely different from the usual Highland tourism circuit. It's a private garden that opens sporadically, so you'll need to check ahead before making the trip out to Pitfichie - and yes, it's worth the call.

What makes it worth visiting is the scale and ambition of what's been done here. The owners have created something that feels both intimate and expansive at once - mature plantings mixed with contemporary design touches that shouldn't work but somehow do. There's woodland garden stuff, open lawn areas, and the kind of borders that make you take photos you'll never quite show anyone because they won't capture what you actually saw.

For garden enthusiasts this is proper territory - the kind of place where you'll see plants and combinations that make you think differently about your own garden. Families with young kids might find it a bit thin on entertainment unless they're genuinely keen on plants. Walkers doing a Highland circuit could make it a morning detour, though it's not a circular walking route.

Being so close to Glamping Bothie, it slots nicely into a longer stay exploring Aberdeenshire's quieter corners. Allow a couple of hours if you're taking your time, less if you're rushing. The garden's relatively small, so you're not committing an entire afternoon. Phone ahead - opening is limited and unofficial - and dress for Highland weather regardless of the forecast.