This month, we’re using the 2 for 1 Gardens entry card to spot some of the most exciting wildlife the UK has in late winter
Raptor-ous reception
As well as being home to Scotland’s first dedicated bat reserve, Threave, near Galloway, is a great place to spot winter wildlife. Keep an eye out for red squirrels in the woodland or take a gander at the flocks of visiting geese. Peregrine falcons can also be spotted, sitting sentry-like atop the castle ruins. Threave’s real guests of honour, though, are the breeding ospreys that begin to arrive around March after their long flight from Africa.
ENTRY OFFER
Garden and nature reserve open daily. For details, visit nts.org.uk/threave
Out for a duck
As well as being a great place to spot ducks, geese and swans, the serpentine lake at Clumber Park is home to woodpeckers and birds of prey. Make sure to visit the walled kitchen garden, where you can escape the chill in the 140m-long greenhouse – the largest of any National Trust property. The walled garden also boasts an impressive apple and rhubarb collection – the first shoots of which will be starting to appear in no time.
ENTRY OFFER Open all year, daily. For details, visit nationaltrust.org.uk/clumberpark
Otterly magnificent
Inverewe is something of a horticultural marvel – an improbable paradise carved out of the rugged coastline of Wester Ross. Despite being home to Nepalese rhododendrons and towering California redwoods, it is Inverewe’s native wildlife that really steals the show – whether on land, in the air, or in the sea. Perhaps the easiest to spot are red deer, true monarchs of the glen. A more elusive sight is the lofty wheeling of a visiting golden eagle. By far the cutest visitors, however, are the romps of gambolling otters that call the loch their home.
ENTRY OFFEROpen all year, daily, and on an honesty-box basis during winter months. Suggested donation until 29 March is £5. For details, visit nts.org.uk/inverewe
Having a hoot
Pembrokeshire’s Picton Castle Gardens is home to the Welsh Owl Garden and Zoo, with 25 species of owls as well as a pair of otters. Just next door is the walled garden, which in spring is a riot of colour, but for now retains a
