Drummond Castle stands on a rocky outcrop about three miles south of Crieff, and while the castle itself is private and not open to visitors, the terraced gardens below are among the most impressive in Scotland. The formal gardens were originally laid out in the seventeenth century and redesigned in the nineteenth in an Italian style, cascading down the hillside on a series of terraces with long parterres and clipped topiary.
The centrepiece is a remarkable multiple-faced sundial from 1630, designed by the master mason John Mylne. It stands in the middle of the garden and is one of the finest examples of its kind in Europe — each face shows a different time zone or calculation, and the craftsmanship is extraordinary. The garden was famously used as a filming location for parts of the film Outlander.
The gardens are open to the public on selected days, generally from May to October. The best approach is along the tree-lined drive from the main road, which gives a dramatic introduction to the site. Spring brings waves of daffodils along the approach; summer sees the parterres at their fullest. There is a small car park and an entrance fee that goes toward the ongoing maintenance of the historic grounds.