Carolside House & Gardens

Carolside is one of Scotland’s finest private gardens and regarded as one of the most romantic gardens in Britain, best known for its collection of ancient roses and garden rooms. Carolside holds The National Collection of Gallica roses, many of which are rare today.

The Georgian mansion is 18th century and thought to have been built on a design by Sir. Isaac Ware for Chesterfield House, Mayfair, London. Carolside has been cultivated for over 200 years and was a well-known rose garden in Edwardian days. The gardens are set in a natural amphitheatre, a designed landscape and area of natural beauty, in a former deer park, flanked by wooded hills & nestling in a bend of the River Leader.
The garden has evolved into a series of rooms in the last 30 years each with a unique atmosphere and planted in different colours, each filled with roses amongst the soft, delicate and subtle planting of herbaceous plants.

Carolside House & Gardens were used as a Film Location for the film, The Buccaneers in 2023.

Come and walk in the footsteps of Lady Sarah Lennox, one of the five daughters of Charles, 2nd Duke of Richmond who walked along the River Leader with her cousin and love, Lord William Gordon. Sarah, having left her husband, Sir.Charles Bunbury, fled to Carolside and took refuge there in 1769.
Walk through the Rose gates and sit under the new Arbour, planted in white roses in her memory and enjoy the serenity & beauty. Look for the wonderful bird life in this valley, enjoying the view to the 18th century Bridge – – you may see the Kingfisher darting across the river or otters at play.

Carolside was described as “one of the nation’s most romantic gardens” by the Daily Telegraph in 2025.