The Trees of Attadale: A Woodland Wonderland in the West Highlands

Attadale Gardens is not only a haven of rhododendrons and winding walks, it's also home to one of the most diverse private tree collections in the Highlands.

Planted over many decades with care and curiosity, our collection includes hundreds of species from across the globe. Some are rare giants; others are delicate ornamentals, but all have found their place among the shifting Scottish light and rugged landscape of Attadale.

A Living Arboretum

Wander through the gardens and you’ll encounter trees that are native to places as far-flung as Chile, China, Japan, and the Pacific Northwest. A stroll might take you past the upright elegance of a Maidenhair Tree (Ginkgo biloba), the fluttering leaves of a Tulip Tree, or the towering presence of a Sequoia.

Here are just a few highlights from the collection:

• Acer griseum – Paper-bark Maple: With its peeling cinnamon bark and autumn blaze, this tree is a year-round favourite.

• Araucaria araucana – Monkey Puzzle: A prehistoric and spiky oddity from South America, planted proudly near the entrance.

• Davidia involucrata – Handkerchief Tree: Sometimes called the Dove Tree for its large white bracts that flutter like laundry in the wind.

• Wollemia nobilis – Wollemi Pine: Once thought extinct, this living fossil from Australia is one of the rarest trees in the world.

• Sorbus ‘Joseph Rock’ – Rock’s Rowan: A mountain-loving beauty with creamy berries and vibrant red foliage in autumn.

  
  

Whether you’re here for the towering Douglas Firs, the vibrant reds of a Crimson King Maple, or the scent of Sweet Chestnut trees in bloom, the diversity at Attadale is something to behold.

Designed for Discovery

The garden is loosely divided into areas A, B, C, and D, each hosting different clusters of species. Look out for these markers as you walk — or better yet, grab a tree map and see if you can spot all your favourites!

The microclimates created by the hills, water features, and mossy woodland allow for tender exotics to thrive alongside native Scottish species.

Full Tree List (as of 2025)

Our tree list is long, diverse, and always growing. Below you’ll find a comprehensive list of the trees currently found across Attadale’s garden areas.

Latin name – Common name – Areas Found

Abies delavayi – Delavay’s Silver Fir

Abies grandis – Grand Fir (A/B/C/D)

Abies koreana – Korean Fir (A)

Abies procera – Noble Fir (A/B/D)

Acer capillipes – Snake-bark Maple (B)

Acer aff. pectinatum – Wongka Maple (B)

Acer cappadocicum – Cappadocian Maple (B/C)

Acer cappadocicum ‘Aureum’ – Cappadocian Maple variety (B)

Acer griseum – Paper-bark Maple (B)

Acer japonica ‘Aconitifolium’ – Full moon Maple (C)

Acer opalus – Italian Maple (B)

Acer palmatum – Japanese Maple (A/B)

Acer palmatum ‘Atropurpureum’ – Purple Japanese Maple (B/C)

Acer palmatum ‘Osakazuki’ – Japanese Maple variety (C)

Acer palmatum ‘Ukigumo’ – Japanese Maple variety (B/C)

Acer platanoides ‘Crimson King’ – Norway Maple (A/D)

Acer pseudoplatanus – Sycamore (C/D)

Acer pseudoplatanus ‘Atropurpureum’ – Purple Sycamore (A)

Acer rubrum ‘October Glory’ – Red Maple (C)

Aesculus hippocastanum – Horse-chestnut (D)

Aesculus indica – Indian Horse-chestnut (C)

Aesculus parviflora – Bottlebrush Buckeye (B)

Amelanchier canadensis – Canadian Serviceberry (B)

Amelanchier laevis – Allegheny Serviceberry (B)

Amelanchier lemarckii – Snowy mesiplus (A/C/D)

Araucaria araucana – Monkey Puzzle (A/C)

Aronia melanocarpa – Black Chokeberry (A/B)

Azara dentata – Small Tooth Azara (C)

Betula ermanii – Erman’s Birch (A/C/D)

Betula jacquemontii – White Barked Himalayan Birch (B/C/D)

Betula pendula – Silver Birch (A/D)

Betula pendula ‘Youngii’ – Young’s Weeping Silver Birch (B)

Betula pendula ‘Royal Frost’ – Japanese White Birch

Betula utilis – Himalayan Birch (B)

Betula nigra – Black Birch (C/D)

Betula pubescens – Downy Hairy White Birch (D)

Castanea sativa – Sweet Chestnut (C)

Cedrus atlantica ‘Glauca’ – Blue Atlas Cedar (A/B/D)

Cercidiphyllum japonicum – Katsura (B/C)

Chamaecyparis lawsoniana – Lawson False Cypress (A/C)

Cornus alba ‘Elegantissima’ – Red Bark Dogwood (A/C)

Cornus kousa var. chinensis – Chinese Dogwood (C)

Crinodendron hookerianum – Lantern Tree (A/C)

Davidia involucrata ‘Sonoma’ – Handkerchief Tree (C)

Dicksonia antartica – Tree Fern (C)

Embothrium coccineum – Chilean Fire Bush (A)

Eucryphia spp. – Various Brush Bushes (A/B/C/D)

Fagus sylvatica – Common Beech (A/B/C/D)

Fagus sylvatica ‘Atropurpurea’ – Purple Beech (A/C)

Ginkgo biloba – Maidenhair Tree (B)

Liriodendron tulipifera – Tulip Tree (B/C)

Metasequoia glyptostroboides – Dawn Redwood (B)

Pinus spp. – Various Pines (A/B/C/D)

Populus tremula – Aspen

Populus trichocarpa – Poplar (C/D)

Prunus spp. – Cherries (A/B/C/D)

Quercus spp. – Oaks (A/B/C/D)

Sequoia giganteum – Wellingtonia (A/C)

Sequoia sempervirens – Coast Redwood (A/B/C)

Sorbus spp. – Rowans & Whitebeams (A/B/C/D)

Taxodium distichum – Bald Cypress (C)

Thuja plicata – Western Red Cedar (C)

Tsuga heterophylla – Western Hemlock (A/C/D)

Wollemia nobilis – Wollemi Pine (A)

…and many, many more!

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