St Mary's Pleasance

Colonnade of Trees, St. Mary's Pleasance, Haddington
©2011 Gazetteer for Scotland

An important garden located behind Haddington House (1648) in Haddington (East Lothian), the St Mary's Pleasance was established in 1972 by Douglas Douglas-Hamilton, 14th Duke of Hamilton (1903-73). Extending to 0.65 ha (1.59 acres), it takes its name from the historic St. Mary's Church, which lies adjacent, and was designed in the form of a 17th-century garden by the architect W. Schomberg Scott (1910-97) to the specification of Sir George Taylor (1904-93), former Director of the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew (London). The garden includes a wildflower meadow, orchard, sunken garden, colonnade of pleached laburnum and 'mount' - which provides an outlook over the surrounding area.

In 2006 the trustees launched a renewal project to refurbish the garden after a lengthy period of under-investment.

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