The Estate Reimagined: A Landscape Rooted in Beauty and Legacy
Wander through the grounds of Mar Hall today and you will notice something stirring. It is not loud or showy. It moves with grace, with intention. The rustle of leaves, the curve of a new path, the gentle bloom of colour where there was once quiet green. This is a landscape being reawakened, a transformation as poetic as it is practical.
Set within 240 acres of ancient woodland, Mar Hall has always been deeply tied to its surroundings. The towering trees, the wide skies, the River Clyde winding in the distance. Nature has always been the backdrop to our story. But now, under the careful guidance of landscape designer Wayne Simon Page, it is becoming something more, a destination in its own right.
This is not simply a garden redesign. It is a restoration of memory, a celebration of place. Wayne and his team are crafting a landscape that honours the estate’s rich past while shaping a new future. Each element has been chosen to complement the Gothic grandeur of the house, to echo the rhythm of the seasons, and to create moments of beauty that linger in the mind.
The original three fountain pools on the south terrace, long since hidden from view, have now been revived, with a striking four-metre square central fountain at their heart. On the north terrace, a new parterre and knot garden introduce symmetry and structure, while two maze gardens, to be planted in early winter, will offer quiet intrigue for years to come.
Nearby, a new formal rose garden is already in bloom, home to fourteen varieties of perpetual flowering roses, with ten more to come. In spring, over a thousand alliums will burst into colour, their violet domes nodding in the breeze.
Throughout the estate, new species of trees and shrubs are being introduced, carefully layered into the existing woodland. Biodiversity is being nurtured, with invasive species gradually removed to allow the native forest to breathe again. Paths meander through newly restored woodland, inviting guests to explore the deeper quiet of the west estate, or pause along the forest edge beside the golf course.
There are moments of gathering too. Sunken seating and fire-pit areas now offer places to connect, regardless of the weather. The reimagined spa garden will soon include a glass-walled reading room, tucked amongst greenery, inviting stillness and reflection. Bee gardens have taken root nearby, where five hives yielded their first golden harvest, the beginning of something wonderfully local.
At the entrance, a young maple forest is taking shape, its leaves catching the light in every season. While just beyond the clubhouse, a charming new planting bed called ‘In the Rough’ features birch, grasses and clipped box balls, a gentle wink to golf balls lost among the wild.
And this is just the beginning.
In the coming months, new lighting will softly illuminate the house and gardens by night. A working kitchen garden will take shape, complete with orchard, herb beds and topiary, alongside chickens wandering contentedly nearby. A petanque court and croquet lawn will add a touch of leisurely tradition. The reading room will be fitted out in style. And throughout it all, nature will continue to guide the way.
This landscape has always been part of the story. But now, it is becoming a character in its own right, shaped by heritage, inspired by beauty, and designed to welcome you back again and again.
