The Rose Garden 2
The other notable feature of the rose garden is a plethora of
irises in deep rich stained-glass colours, chosen to complement
the crimsons and purples of the old roses.
Overlooking the burn just past the rose garden is our tiny icehouse,
dating from the 1820's. It's really just a gothick façade
hiding a small chamber cut into the bank.
In the days before refrigeration, ice was cut from the local
lochs and kept meat and game cool through the summer. But this
little building also doubles as a garden feature, being disguised
as a hermitage.
It must have been wildly fashionable when it was conceived, as
rugged rocky landscapes complete with hermitages (and sometimes
even real hermits), were the ideals of the romantic movement.
Jane Austin satirises this craze brilliantly in 'Northanger Abbey'.
The Burn Walk >
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