Cowden Japanese Garden, Dollar, Clackmannanshire
Posted on March 17th, 2010 by Charles Boot
Alison Allighan writes:
![Cowden Japanese Garden; Kasuga and snow-scene shape lanterns, stepping stones, and Corean [sic] costume, an image made by Miss Christie, 1909(?) (by kind permission of Dollar Museum)](http://www.gardenhistorysociety.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/Cowden-578x372.jpg "Cowden")
Cowden Japanese Garden; an image made by Miss Christie, 1909(?) (by kind permission of Dollar Museum)
Following on from our visit last November (2008) we returned to the Japanese garden in late spring to assess the level of survival of some of the ornamental planting, with foliage and flowers more evident. Overall it was concluded that, apart from a few individual specimens of Acer, Rhododendron and conifers, very little of the original planting has survived. However, with the good photographic record of the garden, a series of vertical aerial photographs recording changes in the garden from the mid 1940s to the end of the 20th century, and with Sir Robert Stuart’s personal memories of the garden, it should be possible to reinstate some of the general layout and planted features of the garden. We are hoping to meet him again later this month (August 2009) to discuss future management and the possibility of a limited restoration project. Hopefully this will provide a framework within which some of the more detailed elements may be restored in the future.
August 2009
Dollar Museum
![Cowden Japanese Garden; Kasuga and snow-scene shape lanterns, stepping stones, and Corean [sic] costume, an image made by Miss Christie, 1909(?) (by kind permission of Dollar Museum)](http://www.gardenhistorysociety.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/Cowden.jpg "Cowden")
Hello Alison,
Thank you for your article on the Japanese garden.
I’m very curious to know anything about the garden since I’ve learned the existence from the book “Clackmannan and The Ochils” (by Adam Swan, 2001). And I’m so happy to discover your article on this blog and am strongly hoping for the garden’s revival. My partner & I were around Dollar area last month, traveling through Scotland, however, we failed to find Cowden! Although we knew that the garden was not open, we were so curious to peek at any part of it. We shall visit Cowden next time.
Good luck with your project! Please keep post on it.
Yuka form Toronto, Canada.
I AM AN ARCHITECT [RETIRED] BORN IN N.E.SCOTLAND AND GRADUATED FROM ABERDEEN’S SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE ..I LIVE IN CAMBRIDGE
MY INTEREST IN JAPAN IS STRONG…TAKING ANNUAL TRIPS TO JAPAN OVER RECENT YEARS.
SOME THREE YEARS AGO NOW, I LEARNT OF THE EXISTANCE OF THE REMAINS OF THIS JAPANESE GARDEN AT DOLLAR AND SO WHILE TOURING SCOTLAND WITH MY JAPANESE FRIEND AND EVENTUALLY FINDING THE VILLAGE, WE WERE SO DISAPPOINTED TO BE TOLD BY A LOCAL MAN IT WAS NOT POSSIBLE FOR US TO GET TO THE GARDEN. PERSONAL I GO NORTH TO SCOTLAND AT LEAST ONCE A YEAR AND WOULD LIKE TO KNOW HOW TO FIND MORE ABOUT THIS GARDEN AND MAYBE GET INVOLVED WITH IT’S RESTORATION.
Hi
It would be wonderful if the garden could be opened to the public and at least partially restored.
I wonder if the garden (or what remains of it) could be included in the Scotland Open Garden Scheme which takes places annually and/or in the Scotland Open Heritage Day which, of course, takes place every autumn.
I am sure a lot of people, locals and visitors to the area alike, would be very keen to visit and some funds for the restoration could be raised through donations.
I am also sure people would volunteer to help with the restoration if man power was an issue.
Elke (living locally)