| Rhododendrons at Dundock Wood |  |
| This is the best time of year to visit the kaleidoscopic colouring and breathtaking scents from the collection of rhododendron and azalea's at Dundock wood within the Hirsel Estate. The wood is perhaps the most bizarre part of the Estate. A severe storm on the night of 14th October 1881 resulted in the destruction of an area of woodland next to the Greenlaw Road. A family member suggested that the now largely bare area might look good planted with rhododendrons. Undaunted by the prospect of planting acid loving plants into an alkaline soil, the plan went ahead. To overcome the soil problem, peat was imported from the Bonkyl Estate, then owned by the Home family, invloving endless 24 hour round trips with horses and carts. This painstaking process took some time but was well worth it.
A car park next to the A697 serves as easy access to this well kept and picturesque garden, or combine Dundock with a walk around the Hirsel in this beautiful way marked walk |
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