Open days 2027: Sundays 2-5pm, 23rd May, 11th July, 29th August, other days by arrangement. For details see Scotland's Gardens Scheme Kilbeg House started life as a holiday home around 35 years ago. Since then it has seen many changes. It is set in 3.5 acres of mostly light woodland, sloping down to the south, with views to Knoydart, Mallaig and Ardnamurchan. Ben More on Mull can be seen on a clear day.Philip and Nicola Howarth moved to Kilbeg in 2015 and started developing the garden a year later, initially waging war with brambles, dealing with old fallen trees etc. We realised that we needed some professional guidance and have been fortunate to work with Andrew Peters, with ideas coming from both Andrew and ourselves. The garden benefits from its legacy planting with many mature trees, both native and more unusual species. Our hard landscaping additions include the dry stone wall along the drive, a second double garage, workshop and woodstore (‘barn’), greenhouse and new terrace. In 2025 we started work on an all-weather track around the garden, completed in 2026. We also installed drainage in the wettest parts of the garden. At the mid-point of the track on the southern boundary we have built a work area with four large compost heaps, a hut for a chipper (not yet complete), and a bonfire area. We have also added a new seating area, and replaced the bridge over the stream as the old one was past its sell-by date. The far SW corner of the garden is the last to be developed and is still very much work in progress. In 2026 the old bonfire/compost area was cleared, and a new path now leads up to a level area with a gazebo, providing shelter from the elements, seating, and views across to Mallaig. Our first open day, under the auspices of the Skye Gardening Society was held on Saturday, 17th June 2023. We were thrilled to see so many friends and neighbours enjoying our garden. We raised £250 in aid of Parkinson's UK. In 2026 we opened four Sunday afternoons through Scotland's Gardens Scheme and despite three of those afternoons being wet, with your help we raised £1560, of which 60% will go to Parkinson's UK and the rest to SOGs charities. Thank you for your generosity, and we hope to see you again in 2027, to enjoy the gardens, the chat and the cream teas. The garden can be divided into five main areas: the upper garden above the drive, and four sections running east to west, firstly the terrace, lawn and quarry bed, next the new beds surrounded by grass (Azalea beds), thirdly the pinetum and the shelter beds below it, and finally the fernery, birch grove, acer glade and beyond. This is very much a garden under development with many projects still under construction and many more planned. |
| Contact Details |
| Tel: 01471 844260 |
| Email: nicola[at]kilbeghouse.org.uk |
| Address: Kilbeg House, Teangue, Isle of Skye, IV44 8RQ |
| Directions: From Skye Bridge take the A87 for eight miles, then left towards Armadale for 14 miles. After the primary school at the road on the right to Tarskavaig, turn left (towards the sea) to the iron gates. Parking is in the lay-by just before turning and before the gates on the left. There is disabled parking at the house. |
| NGR: NG645061 |
| Maps: Google Map Openstreetmap |
