What’s It Like To Visit The Japanese Gardens Near Dollar

Estimated reading time: 6 minutes

Introduction

Seeking a quiet refuge from the chaos of daily life? Can you imagine a Japanese garden in the Scottish town of Dollar?

Video of the Japanese Gardens

The Gardens at the Japanese Gardens

One of the most cherished gardens in Scotland is undergoing repair.

Clackmannanshire, Scotland is home to the famous Japanese Gardens Cowden. The beautiful gardens may be seen on the grounds of Cowden Castle.

A Scottish woman named Ella Christie established the Japanese Gardens Cowden in 1908 to bring a little of Japan to her own country. The gardens’ beauty and peacefulness were sadly lost when they deteriorated in the 1960s. Thankfully, work is underway to restore them to their former glory so that tourists may once again relax and take in the sights in tranquilly.

The history of Cowden Japanese Garden is as complex and interesting as its layout.

The garden, which Taki Handa planned, first opened its gates around the turn of the twentieth century.

Taki Handa was born in the city of Kurume in the Japanese prefecture of Kyushu in the year 1871. She worked as a landscape architect and horticulture, and rose to the rank of fellow in the Royal Horticultural Society. It’s not hard to find her art everywhere in the globe, and The Japanese Garden Cowden is no exception.

Local vandals tore down the Japanese Gardens Cowden, which had been built in the early 1960s. Japanese gardeners and dedicated volunteers have laboured for years to create these beautiful gardens.

The gardener, explorer, and landowner Ella Christie.was born in 1864 at Millbank, Bonnyrigg; by the time she was 21, she had already visited Japan with her industrialist father, John Christie.

Ella Christie, whose father bought three acres of property near Dollar to establish the Japanese Gardens Cowden, is responsible for the garden’s inception.

The Japanese Garden at Cowden is a remnant from the past, but it also serves as a metaphor for the way in which history may be preserved via the tales of people who were there.

Food and Drink at the Japanese Gardens

Cafe at the Japanese Garden

I’d been intending to check out the Japanese Garden at Cowden’s café for a while, so my friend and I recently took use of our Historic Houses membership to do so at no cost. It was a beautiful day, and the cuisine here is fantastic. There is a lot of value for the price, therefore I plan to come back soon.

Wildlife at the Japanese Gardens

Seeing the Japanese Gardens is the major draw, but while you’re there, you should also look about for other natural animals and plants.

There is a healthy bird population in the Cowden region. Some of the most frequent bird species you could encounter are as follows:

• Sparrows
• Pigeons
• Robins
• Blue tits
• Blackbirds and thrushes (the latter eating insects)

Nests are constructed high up in trees, usually conifers or man-made structures in metropolitan settings, where the eggs are placed. Animals and plants of various kinds may be told apart by their physical characteristics, colour schemes, and habits (for example, many hawks soar overhead). Different kinds of birds have unique songs, and many have easily identifiable cries. If you hear a songbird singing loudly throughout the months of April through August (and perhaps September) it is probable that the bird is displaying its territory or engaging in courting behaviour.

There are many different types of animals to view here. Red and grey squirrels are the most frequent, and both species are active now. They often do aerial acrobatics and treetop chases.

In addition to the aforementioned, foxes, badgers, and moles may also be seen living in this area. During the day, deer may be seen grazing on meadows or racing through open fields on their way to and from the woods, where they can find safety from predators and where people are less likely to encounter them. Sometimes after a rainstorm in the woods, you may see deer tracks in the muck.

Conclusion

The Japanese Garden at Cowden is a remnant from the past, but it also serves as a metaphor for the way in which history may be preserved via the tales of people who were there.

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