My blooming lovely day out at Cambo Gardens snowdrop festival

Snowdrops are the “venturous harbinger of Spring”, says William Wordsworth in his famous ode to the delicate yet hardy blooms.

And I’m told there are few better places to soak up the tiny white flower’s optimism for the changing seasons than Cambo Gardens.

Gardens across Scotland take part in the annual Scottish Snowdrop Festival.

But the event has its roots (pardon the pun) in Cambo, starting there almost 20 years ago.

So I headed along to spend a gloriously sunny winter’s morning at the estate near Kingsbarns, immersing myself in the spirit of anticipation delivered by its vast collection of snowdrops.

Snowdrops are a ‘venturous harbinger of Spring’ according to Wordsworth. Image: Kim Cessford/DC Thomson.

As Lady Catherine Erskine, the founder of the festival, says: “Everyone loves a snowdrop. They bring us hope at the darkest time of the year.”

The gardens, visitor centre and café are dog-friendly, so I brought along my schnoodle (schnauzer-poodle cross) puppy Ivy for company.

Cambo Gardens’ snowdrop carpets

Being the first few days of the festival and still January, I was worried it was too early to witness the carpets of snowdrops Cambo Gardens are renowned for.

But I needn’t have been. From the moment we entered the estate’s long and splendid drive, I could see crops of the blooms dotting the surrounding woodland.

From the estate’s Stables visitor centre we headed out to the gardens, stopping first to admire the manicured North American prairie gardens.

Even early in the season the woods are bursting with snowdrops. Image: Kim Cessford/DC Thomson.

For anyone who thinks a snowdrop is a snowdrop, you’re in a for a lesson at Cambo Gardens.

The gardens have 200 different types of snowdrops, or to give them their Latin name, galanthus.

They have delightful titles, including Lady Beatrix Stanley and Grumpy. The latter takes its name from the green markings which look like a sad face on the centre petals – or to give them their Sunday name, inner perianth segments.

Scores of different types each with their own markings and petal shapes are labelled in the beds.

How Cambo Gardens snowdrop collection was cultivated

After a stroll round the nearby walled garden, where gardeners and volunteers were hard at work preparing for the spring and summer season, we headed out for the main event, the woodland walk.

A network of paths meander through the trees around the estate. We passed by grand Cambo House, the Erskine family home since it was built in the 1880s.

Cambo House remains home to Lady Catherine’s son James Erskine and his young family. It’s a popular wedding and event venue.

Iron bridges crossing Cambo Burn date to the 1800s. Image: Kim Cessford/DC Thomson.

Crossing quaint little iron bridges over Cambo Burn, we stopped every now and again to admire the crops of snowdrops throughout the woods.

While Lady Catherine is credited with preserving and expanding today’s Plant Heritage national collection of snowdrops, receipts for the flowers date back to 1801.

Her great-grandmother Lady Magdalen Erskine encourage their proliferation in the 1930s. She would spend hours upon hours with her eight children digging, dividing and replanting the bulbs in 70 acres of woodland.

From woodland to beach

On reaching Cambo Sands Ivy had a quick run off lead. Although welcome throughout the gardens, dogs must be on leads.

The estate walk continues between the beach and Kingsbarns Golf Links. Then it winds round towards the village of Kingsbarns and back past the Erskine family mausoleum to the visitor centre.

A visit to Cambo Sands. Image: Kim Cessford/DC Thomson.

After all that walking it was time to refuel with a visit to the café.

Lunch was an extremely tasty Mediterranean chickpea soup with a spicy kick, accompanied by a brie and cranberry toastie.

How was lunch in the café?

The toastie was delicious and generously sized, although a little pricey at £11 with either soup or a salad.

We sat in one of the charmingly rustic stables stalls. There’s also plenty of seating in the main café area and outside.

Old stable stalls provide seating for the café at Cambo Gardens. Image: Kim Cessford/DC Thomson.

And no such visit is complete without a visit to the gift shop, which includes ceramics decorated with, of course, snowdrops.

There is also a selection of different types of snowdrops to take home.

Children will love the natural play area and fairy trail.

The Lost Elf Village play area. Image: Kim Cessford/DC Thomson.

If walking among the snowdrops isn’t enough for you, there is a series of special events throughout Cambo Gardens Snowdrop Festival.

These include heritage tours taking in Cambo House, talks and tours with senior gardener Callum Halstead, family craft sessions, a full moon snowdrop walk and live music nights in Cambo Kitchen.