The carefully constructed garden at Cuthberts Brae on the Moray coast is a balancing act, teetering on a vertiginous slope that needs special maintenance and protection but is worth the extra effort
WORDS NICOLA TODD-MACNAUGHTON PHOTOGRAPHS RAY COX
Boasting a microclimate that is both warmer and drier than that of most of Scotland, the Moray coast may seem like a hospitable place for a pair of keen, green-fingered enthusiasts to learn the ropes of gardening. Yet Malcolm and Liz Schofield – the owners of Cuthberts Brae, an old fisherman’s cottage that nestles on a hillside in the coastal village of Buckie – would certainly beg to differ. The journey they have been through to create the colourful and vibrant outdoor oasis that they enjoy today has been a particularly steep learning curve… in more ways than one.
Malcolm and Liz are both primary school teachers, and they bought Cuthberts Brae in 2006 when they were fresh out of university. The property came with a tiny patch of grass that was used as a clothes-drying area. “It was ideal for us not to have much in the way of a garden back then,” says Liz. “The council even cut our little front lawn for us!”
It was only after having their first baby in 2012 that they started to consider the benefits of having a garden. Fortunately the cottage had an area of 30 square metres immediately surrounding it, which was owned by Moray Council, and so the couple set about acquiring the land to create a garden.
“After four years of negotiating, the council eventually granted us permission to buy the land, but that came with one condition – that we also buy the 870 square metres of heavily sloping wild land that lay adjacent to it, too,” Malcolm explains.
The slope in question had been untended for many years and was thick with brambles. But the couple, who openly admit they relish a challenge, agreed to the terms of sale. They had no gardening or landscaping knowledge between them, so it was a colossal undertaking. And with Liz on maternity leave after the birth of their second child, their budget for transforming the space was virtually nonexistent.
“It might sound crazy, but I had a strong vision for our garden from the start. I wanted a low-maintenance gravel garden around the house with an area of lawn for the girls to play on. As for the slope, I dreamt of a vibrant space filled with colour
