The first time we visited
the Teviot Smokery and Water Gardens it was not our intended destination. Situated
in the Scottish borders between Kelso and Jedburgh the weather in
this part of the country can best be described as 'changeable'. So
it was while we were driving along in heavy raining that we decided
to stop at for a while at what we thought was just another garden
centre...
If you stop here wanting to
see a smokery at work you'll be disappointed as it's not open to the
public. Although I will point you to the way of the deli counter in
the shop where you can buy their delicious smoked salmon. If you're
after some fine terraced water gardens then walk this way.
If you go out of the back of
the shop you'll find the start of the water gardens. It overlooks the
River Teviot, a tributary of the River Tweed, which is known for its
salmon and sea trout.
On the day we visited it had
just stopped raining giving the water garden the perfect fresh feel
as if there should always be raindrops on the leaves.
There are various paths you
can make your way down. Along each one you'll find inspiration for
waterfalls and lily ponds.
The red bridge gives a nod
to oriental influence in the design. Painted in a traditional lucky
colour bridges are used as a point to contemplate and to enjoy the
garden without any other barriers in the way. The water it crosses
over is an expression of nature and symbolizes renewal and continuity
in life.
If you have the time you can
continue walking along the river enjoying the swans as they
gracefully glide along the water. If you're lucky you may also spot a
kingfisher or the woodpecker that had knocked a perfect hole into one
of the trees.
As we made our way back up
through the lythrum and pink Japanese anemones we could see the
clouds coming over again. Before we knew it the rain was coming down
again but by then we were waiting for our lunch in their restaurant.
I recommend the cullen skink.
what a beautiful place! must have been magical with the sound of water around
ReplyDeleteLooks lovely!
ReplyDeleteHope you'll swing by http://image-in-ing.blogspot.com/2015/09/nighttime-paddle-on-jordan-lake.html to link up.
It made me think of you walking through a magical back door. There's something rather special when you come upon a beautiful place when you're not expecting it.
ReplyDeleteSounds like you timed it right - I've been dodging the rain this week (mixed results!) - fab photos and yes what Claudia said about the water x #hdygg
ReplyDeleteYou got lucky with a clearing in the weather! I always say that if the British waited for the rain to stop before going out, we'd never go anywhere :) Nice to see there's still some bright colour dotted around.
ReplyDeleteI've driven that road so many times, and I had no idea this was here! It looks beautiful, magical in fact x #hdygg
ReplyDeleteBeautiful gardens? Smoked salmon?
ReplyDeleteBook me in for a weeks visit!
Well done dodging the rain and enjoying the gardens. Any garden where you can buy good food is always a win in my books. I'm longing to spend some time up in Scotland, goodness only knows when that will happen though.
Thanks for sharing a lovely spot Jibber Jabberz x
This place looks so atmospheric - from your photos it feels like it's perfectly match to the local weather. It's so great to find more than you bargained for when you visit somewhere isn't it - particularly if there's nice food involved ;)
ReplyDeleteThe scenes here are just awesome! I could wander around there for hours :)
ReplyDeleteOoooh - I see echoes of Monet's Garden at Giverny here.
ReplyDeleteWhat a great find, a nice surprise to find such a beautiful garden. I saw a kingfisher a few days ago in Pembroke, darting along a stream - I was so giddy!
ReplyDeletethe water gardens look like somewhere i could spend quite a bit of time at
ReplyDelete