Charles Rennie Mackintosh and Gardens of the Clyde

Departing: June 2027 - June 2027

Charles Rennie Mackintosh is Scotland’s most celebrated architect and designer of the 20th century, whose distinctive style helped shape European design movements including Art Nouveau and Secessionism. Living most of his life in Glasgow, his influence can still be seen across the city, from the Glasgow School of Art and Queens Cross Church to the Daily Record Building. Later in life, Mackintosh turned his attention to watercolour, creating beautiful landscapes and flower studies.

Included

Explore Hill House & Mount Stuart, with entrance fees included
All other visits as outlined in the itinerary
Professional Tour Manager
3 nights at the Ibis Styles, Glasgow Central
3 breakfasts & 3 dinners
Private air-conditioned coach travel

Highlights

A visit to Hill House, Charles Rennie Mackintosh’s finest domestic creation
The spectacular house and gardens of Mount Stuart on the Isle of Bute
The impressive herbaceous border at the Walled Garden at Geilston
Afternoon tea at the Willow Tea Room, a Charles Rennie Mackintosh masterpiece

David Maclennan

David is an experienced Tour Manager and Guide Lecturer, leading tours throughout the UK and Europe since retiring from full-time employment. With extensive knowledge of gardens and horticulture, he brings each destination to life with enthusiasm and expertise. You may even see him in his kilt!

Tour Itinerary

We depart by coach from our designated pick-up points for a tour of some of the architectural work of Mackintosh from the outside, including Queens Cross Church, the Daily Record Building and the Glasgow school of Art. In the afternoon, we head to the south of Glasgow for a visit to the Burrell Collection. When Sir William Burrell and his wife, Lady Constance, gifted his collection of over 9,000 works of art to Glasgow, the city acquired one of the greatest collections created by one person. William Burrell had been an art collector since his teens and the collection is made up of a vast array of works of all periods from all over the world. Wander round important collections of medieval art, tapestries, alabasters, stained glass and English oak furniture, paintings by Degas and Cézanne, an important collection of Islamic art and modern sculpture including works by Epstein and Rodin.

Later, we continue to our comfortable hotel, where dinner is served this evening.

Meals: Dinner

Accommodation: Ibis, Glasgow City Centre

After breakfast, we cross the Erskine Bridge for a visit to Hill House, Charles Rennie Mackintosh’s finest domestic creation, which sits high above the River Clyde, commanding fine views of the estuary. Commissioned in 1902 by the Glasgow publisher Walter Blackie, the house still makes a striking statement today. Blackie wanted an individual feel to his home and he asked Mackintosh to design not only the house and gardens, but much of the furniture and interiors too. Mackintosh’s wife, Margaret Macdonald, contributed fabric designs and a unique panel over the fireplace in the drawing room. The result is a daring design with an air of restrained elegance, which still appeals to modern-day tastes.

Nearby are the gardens of Glenarn, reputedly one of the best woodland gardens in Scotland. Glenarn was originally planted by the Gibson brothers and filled with rhododendrons and other plants collected by Kingdom-Ward, Ludlow and Sheriff on their expeditions to Tibet and China. The garden had been neglected for many years when Mike and Sue Thornley acquired it in 1983 and they have spent over 20 years gradually restoring it. The mild, damp location supports old plants of Rhododendron tanastyllum, arboreum var. nigagiricum and Magnolia rostrata, to name but a few.

Our final visit of the day is to the Walled Garden at Geilston, a compelling and diverse ten-acre garden, enjoyed for its tranquillity but also packed with horticultural delights. Admire the impressive herbaceous border, explore the restored Victorian Mackenzie and Moncur glasshouse and discover the 1797 potting shed with a secret window overlooking the Geilston Burn. The prairie border also provides an extraordinary kaleidoscope of colour during the summer.

Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Accommodation: Ibis, Glasgow City Centre

We head for Wemyss Bay to catch the morning ferry to Rothesay on the Isle of Bute. Our first visit is the spectacular house and gardens of Mount Stuart, which is one of the largest High Victorian Gothic houses in Britain and yet one of the least known. The gardens were only opened to the general public for the first time in June 1995. These 300 acres of stunning woodlands and gardens are a real treasure trove for the garden enthusiast. The temperate effect of the Gulf Stream on Bute ensures that there are always many exotic plants, palm trees and Mediterranean blooms to be seen here. There is a pavilion glasshouse in the grounds which nurtures rare species from the tropical rainforests of south-east Asia, while native British plants thrive in the fertile soils and mild climate. Enjoy lunch at your leisure here before we continue to our next visit.

Later, we make our way to Ascog Hall Fernery, located in the secluded and long-neglected gardens of Ascog Hall where a sunken fernery with beautiful rock work and water pools was found. Even in its dilapidated state, the potential was spotted and it has now been carefully refurbished with an impressive collection of ferns researched by the Royal Botanic Gardens in Edinburgh. It offers a rare opportunity to glimpse a bygone era and is a tribute to the imagination and ingenuity of Alexander Bannatyne Stuart, a former owner of Ascog Hall in Victorian times, whose passion for collecting exotic ferns inspired him in his endeavour to replicate a tiny fragment of sub-tropical jungle on a small Scottish island. Afterwards, we take the afternoon ferry back to the mainland.

Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Accommodation: Ibis, Glasgow City Centre

This morning, we visit Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum. First opened in 1901 as the Palace of Fine Arts for the International Exhibition that year, it is one of the most visited attractions in Scotland, featuring 22 themed galleries displaying over 8,000 objects. The collections that are housed at Kelvingrove are wide-ranging and are of international significance, covering areas of interest such as natural history, arms and armour and a variety of art. We spend time exploring the Mackintosh and the Glasgow Style gallery.

Next, we transfer to the Willow Tea Room on Sauchiehall Street, which was the only tea room building where Mackintosh had complete control over every aspect of the design. He modelled the exterior and interior of the building, and even designed the cutlery and waitresses' dresses. The Willow name comes from Sauchiehall, the street where it is situated, which in Scottish Gaelic means alley of the willows, with the theme of willows is featured throughout the building. Afternoon tea is included – a traditional selection of sandwiches, scones with strawberry jam and clotted cream, delicious shortbread and a choice of cake from the cake trolley, accompanied by your choice of loose-leaf tea or freshly ground coffee. Afterwards, we return to our original departure points.

Meals: Breakfast, Afternoon Tea

Accommodation

The Ibis Styles Glasgow Central is ideally situated in the heart of Glasgow, offering easy access to the city's vibrant cultural, shopping and entertainment districts. You can expect a restaurant, welcoming lounge area, perfect for relaxing with a drink from the bar, and modern rooms with tea and coffee-making facilities, TV, hairdryer, free Wi-Fi and complimentary toiletries.