Battered, but not defeated, Dawyck Botanic Garden near Peebles in the Scottish Borders is about to finally open its doors for the 2025 season, on Saturday 22 February, following damage wrought by Storm Eowyn.
The storm, the worst to hit Scotland in a decade, felled or damaged over 100 trees at the world-class arboretum, forcing the Horticulture team to postpone the expected February 1 opening.
Now, after several weeks of clearing debris and removing hazardous hanging branches, the small team at Dawyck is preparing to reopen, following welcome support from specialist tree contractors and colleagues at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh and Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew in London. Together, they are helping with the formidable task of recovering the Garden.
Dawyck will also benefit from the support of the public, with over £100,000 raised to date in a storm appeal set up to help the four Gardens of the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh recover from the impact of the gales.
Graham Stewart, Curator of Dawyck Botanic Garden said: “We were devastated to lose so many mature trees, including our beautiful incense cedar (Calocedrus decurrens), Lawson’s cypress (Chamaecyparis lawsoniana) and Marie’s fir (Abies mariesii). While the storm destroyed hundreds of years’ worth of trees in just one night, it will take many months before the recovery project is complete.
“However, we’ve been deeply moved by all the support we’ve received – from the generous response of the public to the appeal, to physical help from our colleagues at Edinburgh and Kew. Thanks to them, and the dedication of the team here, we are now able to safely reopen the Garden, and we look forward to welcoming visitors back to Dawyck.”
While the recovery process is progressing well, evidence of storm damage is clear to see throughout the Garden. Visitors should be aware that some areas may still be partially restricted to ensure their safety.
One of the main attractions in the Scottish Borders, Dawyck is home to magnificent displays of snowdrops which carpet the banks of the Scrape Burn, around the Dutch Bridge and beyond. The thousands of tiny white alpine gems are a delight to Galanthophiles who flock to the Garden in late winter to enjoy these seasonal beauties.
Elsewhere, there are giant redwoods (Sequoiadendron giganteum), Douglas firs (Pseudotsuga menziesii), a grove of wild-collected Brewer’s weeping spruce (Picea breweriana), a species classed as vulnerable by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and not forgetting the oldest tree in the Garden, the famous silver fir (Abies alba) from 1680.
Meanwhile, the first exhibition of the season is on display in the Gallery. Photographer Sam Laughlin’s new series of atmospheric black and white images “Gathering Light” focuses on the minutiae of nature – the architecture of seed heads; spider webs strung with beads of drew; reflections in the surface of a stream – to highlight the interplay of light, water, growth and time. The exhibition runs until May 4, 2025.
Also in the visitor centre, Borders husband-and-wife team Susie and Andy Kerr have been appointed to manage the café and are now producing tasty breakfast and lunch treats, with a strong focus on locally sourced and sustainable produce.
For romantics, the spectacular Dawyck Chapel is now available as a truly magical wedding venue for the first time. Dating from 1837, the picturesque stone-built chapel, with adjoining panoramic viewing platform, offers stunning views over the Garden, providing the perfect spot for wedding photography.
