Dawyck Botanic Garden

Dawyck is one of the finest tree gardens in Britain, set in a glen in the Upper Tweed Valley. Its cold winters and warm summers suit plants from mountain regions of the world, so trees and shrubs from Nepal, China and Chile thrive here alongside the native Scots pine. You walk through 65 acres of woodland and burnside paths, following themed trails that tell the story of plant hunters such as David Douglas, after whom the Douglas fir is named.

The big trees are the stars. Look for the silver fir, Dawyck's oldest tree at nearly 350 years old, the Dawyck larch planted in 1725, towering Douglas firs, giant redwoods and the famous Dawyck beech, planted in 1860, with its upswept branches. Three of the trees here are listed among the Heritage Trees of Scotland. The Azalea Terrace is a blaze of colour in May and June, Himalayan blue poppies flower in early summer, and the Cryptogamic Sanctuary is the world's first reserve dedicated to mosses, liverworts, lichens and fungi.

For gardeners, Dawyck shows how many trees and shrubs from around the world can cope with a cold Scottish site, and the meconopsis are an inspiration if you garden somewhere cool and damp. The garden also cares for endangered species, including the critically endangered Sicilian fir. The Dawyck Cafe is open daily for breakfast, lunch and home baking.