Architectural Features
Achamore House, listed B, was built in the early 1880s to the designs of John Honeyman. It is a two-storey building which was remodelled in 1900 following a fire, and since 1944 has been subdivided into flats. The Gate Lodge, listed B, stands at the south entrance and is dated 1895. The architect again is thought to be Honeyman. The gateway on the East Drive, listed B, has four square ashlar gatepiers with moulded caps and bosses connected by curved walls and two other piers of the same form. The gates and railings are cast iron with arrow-heads. The farmhouse and steading, listed B, lie to the south-west of the garden.
Woodland
The main woodland areas lie to the north and south of the house and were largely planted by Captain William Scarlett following the completion of the house, to provide shelter and cover for game. Species include a core of sycamore, beech, ash, horse chestnut, elm, alder and some ornamental conifers which have grown despite adverse weather conditions, in particular, south- westerly gales and salt spray. Some older trees remain in the area between the Green Walk and the North Drive. Reference to the 1st edition OS map confirms that this area was a woodland before 1860, as was the now coniferous strip on the roadside edge to the north of the site. Sir James extended the woodland largely with Sitka spruce and Pinus radiata to the west of the house up and over the brow of the hill. The woodlands were used by Sir James Horlick to shelter the collection and thinning was, and still is, a practice used to allow more light into the plant collection.
New woodland shelterbelts are being established on the site, comprising mainly mixed deciduous trees with some Sitka spruce. A coniferous shelterbelt to the north of the nursery garden is now mature.
Woodland Garden
The garden lies mainly to the east and south of the house and was established by Sir James Horlick. Sir James developed the garden incrementally, adding at least one new compartment every year. Each compartment has been named, eg the Pond Garden, the Theatre, the Hospital Garden, the George Taylor Garden and the Malcolm Allen Garden (named after the Head Gardener for 52 years until 1970.) Mid-May is regarded as the best time to see the garden when the beauty of Sir James' planting for colour and texture can most be appreciated. The plant material thus dates mainly from 1944 with the exception of a few older specimens of plants such as the Cordylines and the Desfontainea behind the house. Rhododendron ponticum was cleared from the north drive and clearings were made in the woodland by removal of dead wood, to form over 50 separate named compartments. Shelter to individual compartments is provided largely by Griselinia littoralis spp. and, amongst others, Rhododendron ponticum, Olearia, Senecio, Eleagnus and bamboos.
Achamore is renowned for its collection of plants, far too numerous to be detailed in this report; however, they have been catalogued and are well documented. The plant collection includes an excellent range of the Maddenii, Lacteum, Triflorum, Irroratum series, as well as both the larger leaf and dwarf Rhododendrons. The Horlick Hybrids are those bred by Sir James both at Titness Park and at Achamore, the former name featuring often in the resulting hybrids. R. `Titness Park', a cross between R. `Shilsonii' and R. edlophytum , received an RHS Award in 1954, as have many others over the years.
Azaleas are planted through the Rhododendron collection and particularly on the drive and provide a brilliant display of colour in May and June. Many other plants, in particular Pieris and Enkianthus, thrive here, as do Drimys, Magnolia and Hydrangea, alongside many Chilean and Australasian plants. A collection of Sorbus spp. was also established, among them S. megalocarpa. Since being gifted to the National Trust for Scotland in 1962, the collection has been widely propagated.
Walled Gardens
The garden was built by the Scarlett family in a clearing in the woodland to the north- west of the house. The walled garden is divided into two areas. In the north walled garden, a collection of specimen conifers is grown in grass including Abies kakawamii and A. nordmanniana. The greenhouses stand in this area and house tender plants and fruit. The south walled garden is totally cultivated with vegetables and cut flowers. An excellent view of the garden is gained from above on the Spring Bank. Climbers were established on the third of a mile of plantable interior wall surface of the garden, among them jasmines, honeysuckles and climbing roses; the effect is stunning.