A botanical garden is basically a well cared for and well-designed (sometimes not even planned out) garden that is considered a public place for the whole community to enjoy. Mostly you will also be able to see cards with the scientific or botanical names of plants, flowers and trees.
Torosay is a spectacular 150 year old Scottish baronial style castle surrounded by magnificent and unique gardens, just a mile from the ferry pier at Craignure on the south- east of the Isle of Mull. Connected by its very own narrow gauge steam railway, the castle and gardens have become a ‘must see’ attraction for visitors to Argyll and the Isles alike. History and garden lovers are particularly drawn to Torosay, although any visitor can’t fail to have their breath taken away by the spectacular setting of this unique part of Scotland.
FACILITIES
TorosayCastle has a tea-room which is open every day serving light snacks and refreshments, and a shop selling not only souvenirs of your visit but also the work of local craftspeople. For the children and within the gardens there is an Adventure Playground. Free coach and car parking is situated near the entrance to the gardens. Two cottages set in beautiful tranquil surroundings are available for holidays whereas the principal floor of TorosayCastle itself, along with the Gardens, is an elegant venue for concerts, talks, seminars, functions and weddings.
TOROSAY FARM
Torosay is very proud of its farming activities, and if you're lucky you may be able to say hello to some of the natives - our herd of pedigree highland cattle, which sometimes graze in the fields near the castle. These magnificent animals are always a pleasure to see, as is the sight of the shepherd using his collie dogs to herd our flocks of cheviot and blackface sheep.
The Palacio de Generalife (Arabic: Jannat al-'Arif - Architect's Garden) was the summer palace and country estate of the Nasrid sultans of Granada.
The palace and gardens were built during the reign of Muhammad III (1302-1309) and redecorated shortly after by Abu I-Walid Isma'il (1313-1324).
The complex consists of the Patio de la Acequia (Court of the Water Channel or Water-Garden Courtyard), which has a long pool framed by flowerbeds, fountains, colonnades and pavilions, and the JardÃn de la Sultana (Sultana's Garden or Courtyard of the Cypress). The former is thought to best preserve the style of the medieval garden in Al-Andalus. Originally the palace was linked to the Alhambra by a covered walkway across the ravine that now divides them. The Generalife is one of the oldest surviving Moorish gardens.
The present-day gardens were started in 1931 and completed by Francisco Prieto Moreno in 1951. The walkways are paved in traditional Granadian style with a mosaic of pebbles: white ones from the River Darro and black ones from the River Genil.
from wikipedia.org images from flickr users: Nino H, fezaizm, Alan Cordova, Omar Corrales, lylycat, Susan Renee, Chrstopher, mon:que, Monceau
from torosay.com
