School of Heritage Gardening - National Trust for Scotland

School of Heritage Gardening

Cultivating the art, craft and science of
practical horticulture

The School of Heritage Gardening offers a range of practical gardening courses in several

National Trust for Scotland gardens across the country, covering all the heritage and modern craft
skills necessary to back up the artistic and scientific knowledge gained in an academic course in
Horticulture.

Some of our studentships, apprenticeships and gardener trainee placements are run in partnership
with other organisations. All studentships and apprenticeships are full time courses or posts.

Training locations at the School of Heritage Gardening 2011/2012

Threave Garden  Kellie Castle & Garden  Drum Castle & Garden
Pitmedden Garden  Crathes Castle & Garden  Inverewe Garden
Geilston Garden  Branklyn Garden

Learning options at the School of Heritage Gardening

One-year Certificate in Heritage Horticulture Studentships
One-year Practical Gardening Trainee posts (In partnership with the Professional Gardener’s Guild)
Two-year Garden Apprenticeships
Three–year Modern Garden Apprenticeships

Practical Gardening Courses

The One Year studentship
The School of Heritage Gardening Certificate in Heritage Horticulture Studentship follows a
structured learning path, in the practical skills of heritage gardening. Through practical learning from
experienced instructor gardeners, skills are taught, by following clearly defined teaching plans to
deliver the training in a way that allows all students to become competent in all the required skills,
with clear criteria used to assess competence and the need for further training to embed
understanding of the practical skills.
Students will also be required to undertake a number of assignments throughout the year, including
the keeping of a diary of skills learned and practiced, and the creation of plant profiles and plant
family profiles. Students will also be required to undertake regular plant identification assessments.
The two-year garden apprenticeship offered at Inverewe requires applicants to hold an RHS level one
qualification or equivalent.

Bursaries & Accommodation
Students, who are offered a place on a School of Heritage Gardening studentship may apply for a
NTS Trust studentship bursary, as well free self-catering accommodation within the training site
estate.

Apprenticeships

We offer two-year and three-year apprenticeships. The final year of all our apprenticeships follows
the same structured learning programme of practical skills of heritage gardening outlined in the
studentship above, however these are aimed at individuals who don’t have the formal qualifications
required for entry to the craftsman gardener studentship schemes.

The two-year garden apprenticeship offered at Inverewe requires applicants to hold an RHS
level one qualification or equivalent.
The three-year modern garden apprenticeships require applicants to have a basic level of
gardening knowledge and an interest in a career in horticulture.

Students will also be required to undertake a number of assignments throughout the year, including
the keeping of a diary of skills learned and practiced, and the creation of plant profiles and plant
family profiles. Students will also be required to undertake regular plant identification assessments.

Inverewe Apprentice Gardener Kellie Castle Student Gardener Threave Students

Training locations at the School of Heritage Gardening

Threave Estate
Threave has a long history as a centre of excellence in practical
horticultural training.

In spring, the magnificent gardens are carpeted with over 200
varieties of daffodil complementing the spring-flowering shrubs and
trees. Later you can admire succulent fruit and vegetables in the
walled garden and glasshouses. There is a rock garden, rose
garden, heathers, conifers and herbaceous perennials. There are
ponds and water gardens, and beautiful specimen and champion
trees in the parkland surrounding the Scottish baronial Threave
House.

Studentship Course available: Certificate in Heritage Horticulture
(General Heritage Gardening)
Course duration: 1 year
No. of places offered: 6
For further details please see syllabus.

Kellie Castle
The magical four-hundred-year-old walled garden containing a
mixture of old roses, beautiful herbaceous borders, shrubs, wall-
trained fruits, and orchard and vegetables was restored by the

eminent Lorimer family in the late 19th Century. The garden is in the Arts and Crafts style with many
delightful design features, including a catmint and delphinium border, a secret garden and a
beautiful carved stone bowl. The elegant summer house was built to Sir Robert Lorimer’s design in
1900. The wider estate contains parkland, a pond, woodland, a fernery and meadow walks.

Studentship Course available: Certificate in Heritage Horticulture (Organic Gardening)
Course duration: 1 year
No. of places offered: 1
For further details please see syllabus.

Falkland Palace & Hill of Tarvit Mansionhouse
The gardens at Hill of Tarvit were designed by Sir Robert Lorimer, who
also designed the Edwardian country house there. With formal lawns,
yew hedging, flowering borders and a sunken rose garden and the
walled garden to the north which contains sumptuous mixed borders –
this is a plantsman’s garden. There is also a range of glasshouses with
vines in the former kitchen garden –
walled on three sides.

At Falkland Palace, the gardens contain borders designed by Percy Cane
between 1947 and 1952. There are colourful herbaceous borders, lush
green lawns and many unusual shrubs and trees, as well as a small herb
garden featuring quotations from John Gerard’s book Herbal (1597).
There is also an orchard, water features and a charming ornamental
glasshouse.

Studentship Course available: Certificate in Heritage Horticulture
Course duration: 1 year
No. of places offered: 1
For further details please see syllabus.

Drum Castle
The Garden of Historic Roses is remarkably peaceful. It contains
roses from the 17th, 18th, 19th and 20th centuries. The garden is
divided into rooms by a high hedge with a central walkway leading
to a charming gazebo. There are herbaceous borders, pond and
woodland.

Training Post available: Professional Gardeners’ Guild Traineeship
Duration: 1 year (of a three year PGG Traineeship)
No. of places offered: 1 (working at both Drum & Crathes)
Further information is available on the PGG website:
http://www.pgg.org.uk/page/traineeship/ also please see syllabus.

Crathes Castle
The walled garden is separated into eight gardens by massive Yew
hedges, ranging from formal to the modern. There are the two famous
‘June’ borders, colour themed gardens, terraces, glasshouses and a huge
range of interesting plants and other features in an arts and crafts style.

Training Post available: Professional Gardeners’ Guild Traineeship
Duration: 1 year (of a three year PGG Traineeship)
No. of places offered: 1 (working at both Crathes & Drum)
Further information is available on the PGG website: http://www.pgg.org.uk/page/traineeship/ also
please see syllabus.

Inverewe Garden
Osgood Mackenzie’s garden, created from windswept moorland on a rocky peninsula beside loch
ewe is truly awe inspiring. With some of the world’s largest growing
trees planted into holes hewn out of the bedrock, the site was well
chosen. The garden is nurtured by the warm currents of the North
Atlantic Drift, and is set amidst some of the country’s finest scenery.
Over time a kaleidoscope of exotic plants has been cultivated,
giving colour and interest throughout the year – a plantsman’s
paradise with Chinese Rhododendrons, Tasmanian eucalypts,
Himalayan blue poppies, New Zealand daisy bush, Chilean lantern-
trees, Californian dog’s-tooth violets, South African bulbs, and
Mediterranean rock roses, and many more besides. There is also a
collection of Wollemi pines – the most northerly in the UK.

Training post available: Garden apprenticeship (Woodland
Gardening & Kitchen Gardening)
Course duration: 2 years
No. of places offered: 1
For further details please see syllabus.

Branklyn Garden
This attractive garden is a haven of peace within walking
distance of Perth. There is an outstanding collection of
plants – in particular Rhododendrons, alpines, herbaceous
and peat-garden plants. Branklyn also holds national
collections of Cassiope and Lilium (Mylnefield Lilies) and
is developing a collection of Rhododendron taliense.
Course available: Modern garden apprenticeship
Course duration: 3 years
No. of places offered: 1
For further details contact us by email: shg@nts.org.uk

Pitmedden Garden
This garden, planted on an extravagant scale, is a 1950’s
re-creation of a 17th Century formal garden, with over 5
miles of box hedging arranged in intricate patterns to form
six parterres. These parterres are filled with some 40,000
plants bursting with colour in the summer months.
Extensive herbaceous borders provide an abundance of
colour and texture throughout the season and there is a

spectacular lupin border and topiary and sundials. 80 varieties of apple trees adorn the high granite
walls, offering a spectacular show of blossom and scent in spring. In addition honeysuckle, jasmine,
roses, an herb garden, and fountains add to the sensory experience.

Studentship Course available: Certificate in Heritage Horticulture (General Heritage Gardening)
Course duration: 3 years
No. of places offered: 1
For further details please see syllabus.

Geilston Garden
Geilston is an intimate and tranquil garden best enjoyed at an
unhurried pace. On entering the walled garden, the giant
Wellingtonia tree will instantly impress, as will the spring displays of
azaleas, followed in summer by colour on a grand scale in the
herbaceous border. There is a woodland garden complete with
waterfall, bridges over the Geilston Burn and mossy paths. Beneath
the tree canopy, the pathways are carpeted in spring with wood
anemones and bluebells. A large vegetable and fruit garden supplies
fresh produce for the popular sales area.

Post available: SAC Diploma In Horticulture Trainee work Placement (in partnership with Glenarn

Garden)

Course duration: 1 year
No. of places offered: 1
For further details contact us by email: shg@nts.org.uk

For further information please contact:
Sinclair Williamson, Gardens Advisor – School of Heritage Gardening
The National Trust for Scotland, Hermiston Quay, 5 Cultins Road, Edinburgh, EH11 4DF
Direct Dial: 0844 493 2283 Mobile: 07748 766 791
Email: shg@nts.org.uk