SRGC Discussion Weekend 2016
After three years of superb Highland hospitality in Grantown-on-Spey, we now venture south to Peeblesshire to the delights of the Scottish Borders. This area of outstanding beauty and rich history offers ruined castles, sweeping valleys, magnificent forests and wonderful things to see and do.
The organizing team invites you to the modern Cardrona Hotel, sitting by the River Tweed, midway between historic Peebles and Innerleithen. With views of the Border hills, this 4-star hotel offers spacious and comfortable accommodation, an award-winning restaurant, an 18 hole golf course and a spa. Even dogs are welcome. Peebles and the Borders are easy to reach, with major routes touching the boundaries of the region. Peebles is about thirty minutes by car from Edinburgh and an hour from Glasgow, Newcastle and Carlisle. Airports at Edinburgh, Glasgow and Newcastle are within easy distance. There is a twice-hourly bus service between Peebles and Edinburgh.
Saturday morning offers you free time at the hotel or further afield.
Peebles is a Royal Burgh and a picturesque market town of unspoilt character. Stroll through its medieval alleyways or follow its walkways along the beautiful River Tweed. The traditional High Street boasts fine
independent shops and a good selection of top quality eateries. A guided visit to the Royal Botanic Garden’s satellite at Dawyck promises magnificent trees and autumn colour in mid-October. Traquair House, one of the oldest and most romantic in Scotland, is only seven miles away and is well worth a visit; it houses a privately run brewery. Staying with the historic theme, Neidpath Castle, dating from 1370, lies on a bend on the river Tweed and is a pleasant walk one mile out of Peebles. Both Peebles and Innerleithen are within easy walking distance along the river from the hotel and the latter also provides a wide range of attractions. For those who wish to stay longer, there is a wealth of possibilities within driving distance of the hotel.
A full breakdown of prices and a booking form may be found in the 2016 Year Book and Secretary’s Pages and attached to this post.
For other queries, please contact E.MacKintosh@rbge.ac.uk
Booking forms and remittances to
The Registration Secretary, Mike Hicks, 11 Lidgate Shot , Ratho, Newbridge, Midlothian, EH28 8TY
Programme
Our programme offers you a veritable ‘Quality Street’ selection of speakers, a box of classic favourites interspersed with new flavours. Our home-grown ‘classics’ feature Jack Drake’s world-famous alpine nursery,
bulbs and plants at home and away, and two genus-specific lectures on the cultivation of fritillaries and hellebores. Scotland’s native plants are not neglected and three ‘new flavours’ are also introduced: growing alpines in the Bavarian Schachen, gardening on rock (USA), and botanizing in Peru.
The only question is ‘Who is the big purple one?’
Friday 14th October
● Bob Wallis, Wales: The Jim Archibald Bulb Lecture: ’Fritillaries in the
Wild and in Cultivation’
● Small Bulb Exchange
Saturday 15th October
Morning
- Optional activities
- Plant show
- Plant sales
Afternoon
● Jim Jermyn, Scotland: The John Duff Lecture: ‘Inshriach Nursery’
● Jenny Wainwright-Klein, Germany: ‘The Alpine Garden on the
Schachen’
● Anne Spiegel, USA: ‘Gardening on Rock’
Evening - Drinks reception, dinner and plant auction
Sunday 16th October
● Rannveig Wallis, Wales: ‘A Plantaholic, Home and Away’
● John Massey, England: The William Buchanan Lecture: ‘The World of
Hellebores’
● Heather McHaffie, Scotland: ‘Growing Scottish Native Plants at the
Royal Botanic Garden, Edinburgh’
● Harry Jans, Netherlands: ‘Peru’ The Harold Esslemont Lecture - due to unforeseen commitments Harry Jans cannot make the DWE this year. David & Margaret Thorne have stepped up to take his place . The title of their talk is “Sikkim: the long route to Kanchenjunga”
Booking Form and full details : [ Guests cannot view attachments ]
