Lip Na Cloiche

26 Jul

Written By Bryonia

Tootling around the Isle of Mull in our simple but reliable camper, we nearly missed it.

Having just had an orange & whiskey ice cream on Calgarry beach, we almost drove straight past the gardens & nursery at Lip Na Cloiche (you’ve got to keep your eyes locked firmly on the single track roads in Mull), but we decided to back up and retrace our steps to pop in. Wow, how glad I am that we did, it was an absolute wonderland.

This private, independent garden is run by Lucy and open daily to the public, with plenty of hand propagated plants for sale. You can make a small donation to climb up the steep, winding paths and gardens behind the house, spotting panoramic views of Loch Tuath, Ulva and beyond, which is definitely recommended if you have the time.

I spent almost an hour here, breathing in the sea air (it was very breezy that day, so I probably didn’t have much of another choice) whilst gazing and photographing the vast assortment of flowers & fauna that Lip Na Cloiche have established there. These plants are wind hardy, ready to face the brunt of the Scottish elements, and range from native wildflowers, to alpines and many more.

A wide array of recycled, reclaimed and rescued treasures could also be found scattered amongst the gardens. Broken, rusty spades, driftwood, shells and beach combed sea glass, which made for a lovely backdrop for the flowers to nestle amongst.

Here were some of my favourites which I’d love to share…