Plan A Visit
Educational Visits
Group Visits
Food & Drink
The Scottish Borders
Bowhill House & Gardens
The Buccleuch Collection
History
Bowhill House Gardens
House Tours
The Adventure Playground
Soft Play
Love & Respect Victorian Age Exhibition
The Victorian Kitchen
Our Sister Estates
Walking and Hiking
Wildlife & Biodiversity
Fishing
Ranger Service
Stay
Contact
What’s been going on at Bowhill this Summer?
Ranger Activities
No school break at Bowhill is complete without a bit of family-friendly nature fun. This summer, adventurous families have tackled the den-building challenge, explored the Loch to spot a variety of aquatic creatures, and uncovered the many wonders of Bowhill’s rich and diverse natural habitats.
Celebrating NHS Day
During the Borders Book Festival, Duke Richard hosted a series of events to thank NHS staff, featuring lawn games, ice cream from a 1923 Rolls Royce, and a performance by the NHS choir, Health and Harmony. Guests also enjoyed a mini Ranger activity, including pond dipping, bug hunting, and listening to the incredible birdlife across the Grounds.
A Midsummer Night's Dream
This summer, Bowhill House and Grounds hosted a wonderful open air performance by the Borders Youth Theatre. I couldn’t resist and bought some tickets, and wow, it did not disappoint!
Having seen the effort that had gone in to the set up and costumes, the young performers brought the whole performance together beautifully. Constantly in character, weaving in and out amongst the audience, I felt a part of the story and it was mesmerising to watch. Oberon and Bottom were both standout performances, really capturing the essence of the characters.
If you get a chance to, catch a future performance!
Nature Watch
Summer always sees an explosion of new life and aside from all the mallard and little grebe fledglings on the Upper Loch, it is the amphibian lifecycle that is the most fascinating.
The frog and toad lifecycles are a fantastic example of metamorphosis, going from egg to tadpole, tadpole to froglet/toadlet. Especially fascinating is the transition from gills to lungs as they transition from an aquatic environment to life on land.
If you have visited Bowhill during the early summer months, you will have likely seen froglets and wondered why are they heading away from the loch?
Well, the truth is that juvenile amphibians, whilst never straying far from water, spend up to 2-3 years on land as they mature. Only then do they fully return to the water to breed. This mass migration also keeps the gardeners busy, checking drains and culverts for stranded frogs, toads and newts.
Coming Up...
As summer ends and autumn creeps upon us, it is time to celebrate the circle of life… and decay. For those who enjoyed a house tour this season, you will have seen the amazing textiles created by Amanda Cobbett. I am currently putting together a short blog on her work and how you can discover the diversity of fungus and lichens on the estate.
Remember as an Annual Pass Holder, you will get to marvel at the delights of Bowhill in autumn and for myself, I cannot wait to watch the shift in seasons.
Discover Bowhill
Up next