2026 Scotland Garden Study Tour offered by the MSU Extension Master Gardener Program®
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EmailJoin Michigan State University Extension to see and experience the beauty, lore and history of Scotland’s gardens, castles and landscapes.
Michigan State University Extension is excited to offer a 10-day international study abroad trip to its Michigan State University (MSU) Extension Master Gardeners. If you would like to experience the majestic beauty of Scotland and its lochs, culture and idyllic gardens, then plan to join MSU Extension’s 2026 Garden Study Tour from May 3-12, with an optional extension May 13-15. Your hosts will be Sarah Rautio, PhD, MSU Extension Master Gardener state leader, and Rebecca Krans, consumer horticulture educator from the Upper Peninsula. We are partnering with Collette Travel to provide an exceptional, educational and horticulturally focused international trip.
For more information or to register, email rautio@msu.edu or kransr@msu.edu. Do not delay—space is limited!
This year’s study trip theme will focus on Scotland’s history, botany and quiet spaces. While visiting historical castles, we will explore the beauty of their extensive gardens. We will tour botanical gardens teeming with vast plant collections artfully arranged for visitors. While we will experience both urban and rural environments, we will revel in the quiet beauty and stillness of tranquil sites, such as the Scottish Highlands, their Lochs, and remote botanical gardens many tourists never see.
After arriving in Glasgow, we will head north to visit the Benmore Botanical Garden. Expect to be amazed by its expansiveness and large conifers, like the magnificent redwood lining the garden’s entrance, and other large trees nestled in rolling hills and along paths. While strolling through this garden, you may find quiet places to enjoy and reflect, and our visit in May means the extensive rhododendron collection should provide a lovely show. We will also make a stop at a local farm and enjoy a traditional sheepdog demonstration.
Returning to Glasgow, participants can explore this city’s architecture, intermingle with locals who call themselves Glaswegians, and observe rich Scottish traditions. We will tour the Glasgow Botanic Garden, which features several world-renowned glass houses like the Kibble Palace Victorian glasshouse with its carnivorous, tree fern and orchid collections.
As we head north, we will experience Loch Melfort and its neighboring National Trust Arduaine Gardens. Here we will be able to wander the grounds in search of spring flowers, with Highland cows and ocean views stretching for miles in the background. We will explore the Ardmaddy Estate, with a castle that sits atop a volcanic mound, and gardens along a horseshoe-shaped bay. At Kilchoan Estate, owners are “rewilding” the landscape and envision a place where “time slows down and wildlife and landscape are inseparable from our lives.”
The Highlands will bring awe and geological wonder. We have taken time to plan a spectacular experience there that is incredibly unique—we hope you are amazed too! Opportunities to learn more about them and stroll their terrain will be included, followed by a visit to Inverness, the capital of the Highlands. A key destination will be the world famous Inverewe Garden, which consists of 50 acres and a wide plant collection. Once a simple barren ground, Inverewe is now part of an estate of over 2,100 acres rich in biodiversity. Here we can overlook the beauty of the edible garden from above, take a stroll through the wooded areas, or enjoy a quiet moment in nature.
Following this garden visit, we will embark on a scenic cruise to look for otters, seals and seabirds. The next day, we will hear from estate owners trying to reintroduce the wild beaver population to Scotland. These wildlife experiences are ways we enhance these garden tours so participants can also obtain some understanding of how landscapes integrate with other parts of ecosystems.
The trip’s final destination is the city of Edinburgh and a visit to the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, which is one of the world’s leading botanic gardens and “home to one of the largest and richest plant collections on earth.” Following this opportunity, we will explore the excitement and flurry of city life in Edinburgh and prepare for the journey home.
In addition to the horticultural expertise of your MSU Extension hosts, most sites on this trip will also include a local Scottish expert who will provide detailed site knowledge. You will also have ample time to explore on your own. The trip will include an MSU Extension trip guide to study before and during the trip, detailing each day’s itinerary, as well as history, botany and science relevant to that day.
If you enjoy the convenience of a travel coach and lodging with many amenities, then this is the trip for you. Past participants have enjoyed how little they manage on their own so they can truly relax and learn. This is also a great opportunity for MSU Extension Master Gardeners to meet other gardening enthusiasts during group meals and self-guided garden times.
For those interested in a trip extension, there is an optional three-day opportunity to visit several interesting places in southern Scotland—Threaves Garden, the Garden of Cosmic Speculation and the Talla Linfoots Natural Area. Experience different cultures as you visit different gardens and another country.
Contact rautio@msu.edu or kransr@msu.edu for more trip details and the registration link.
This opportunity is for MSU Extension Master Gardeners and their travel partners. Registration closes on Nov. 25, 2025, or when the spaces are full, whichever comes first.
