Day 11 of 30 Days Wild is all about my recent trip to National Trust for Scotland property Pitmedden Gardens, based a stones throw away from village Pitmedden in Aberdeenshire.

When I was young we were always members of the National Trust for Scotland and my mum would often take me to visit castles in the summer holidays. Back then I went for the ghosts but now I go for the wildlife and gardens, oh and the coffee and cake too! Having never been a member as an adult we decided to join last month.

Pitmedden Garden was our first stop. The gardens which were restored in the 1950s are modelled on how it looked in 1675 when it was known as the Great Garden.

As it is quite early in the season there are still many plants yet to come through, so a visit later in the year is a must. We were lucky we got a glorious sunny day, definitely somewhere to come for a picnic in the summer.

This section of the garden is called The Parterre, which is a formal garden comprising of hedges and symmetrical patterns. The beds were empty at present with a few Violas planted but as the summer progresses will fill out.

As we stood by the hedges we watched as the local Starling and Sparrow population flew around. We quickly noticed that in fact they were nesting in the hedges and the parents were out on their feed runs. Not far from the hedges a Chaffinch was also on a mission to collect some food. I could have stood there all day watching them!

As well as the Parterre, Pitmedden Garden has an orchard, a fountain, a tunnel covered in sprawling apple tree blossom and various other gardens. At the moment the Tulips, Lupins, Bluebells and Poppys were on display giving a lovely cottage woodland feel.

We then also spotted some Swallow nests and weren’t disappointed to see this little guy.

What a perfect combination of beautiful flowers and wildlife. Of course there was so much more to see, this is just a small selection of the photos I took that day. Once you have wandered around the garden you can treat yourself to a coffee and cake whilst sitting outside before embarking on a stroll through the woodland walks. I’d highly recommend going to visit Pitmedden Garden. A great place to relax, eat and get a breath of fresh air!

Camilla-Erika x