The Hirsel Estate

A great day out for all the family in a fairytale setting, with wonderful walks around the glassy pool of water and through the mysterious wood, each boasting differing natural features: will you choose the Crooks Walk, Lake Walk, Dundock Walk, Riverside Walk or Dunglass Walk? At the Homestead there is a Museum depicting life over time in the immediate area and some creative craft stores to explore, plus a small children's play area and tearoom. This is also the HQ of Farm To Fork, a family oriented education program teaching the cycle of the meat we eat.

If you're trying to time visits for the notorious explosions of wildflowers, you're looking at mid spring onwards for Snowdrops and Aconites giving way to daffodils; then mid May for Rhododendrons and Azaleas; with the leaves finally turning in October, which is also when thousands of duck, geese, and gulls make their way to overwinter on the Hirsel Lake.