Another great day out from Appletree Cottage
Entering the vegetable garden and orchard section of the gardens the first thing that took our attention was the wild flower meadow strip. This had been a strip of bare earth showing little sign of life when we were last here. Now a profusion of colour and variety. The photo here does not really do it justice. Perfect VegetablesThe gardeners of Geilston certainly know their stuff. The vegetable garden planted in immaculate rows earlier in the year were now nearing readiness.
Geilston Gardens Apple OrchardAs we run a large apple orchard ourselves we were able to appreciate the excellent condition in which the trees were kept at Geilston. Nice rounded trees with unblemished fruits After the vegetable garden and the orchard we took a brief trip to the glass house where many varieties of ripening tomatoes gave off a delicious scent. There again we saw a plant which has fascinated me since I first saw it at Geilston. Reminiscent of the flora in the film The Lorax these intriguing succulents are named Aeonium... Soon it was time to go and make the half hour journey back to Appletree luxury self-catering cottage in Croftamie with happy memories of our day out at Geilston Gardens
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A visit to @Hillhouse Helensburgh and the new fantastic surrounding structureWe visited Charles Rennie Mackintosh’s masterpiece which is @Hill House in Helensburgh briefly earlier in the year (see blog of 30/4/19 ‘Fantastic Walk to Helensburgh” This time we decided to explore this building more fully as the box or cage to protect it from the elements has now been fully installed.
The reception desk is situated in a well stocked shop of Rennie Mackintosh literature and souvenirs. One item of note was the limited edition Lego model of Hill House – for £120. Entry to Hill House is free to National Trust members. Non members pay £12.50 per adult but there are child, senior citizen and family concessions available as well as others. More information can be found here: https://www.nts.org.uk/visit/places/the-hill-house A brief history of Hill House![]() Charles Rennie Mackintosh, now perhaps Scotland’s most well known architect, was commissioned to design Hill House by Walter Blackie of Backie,, the famous book publishers. Built between 1902-1904 it is lauded to be Mackintosh’s best work second only to his Glasgow Art School building which was recently and catastrophically destroyed by a second devastating fire. As well as designing the building Mackintosh was also charged with designing the interior décor and furnishings – most of which remain in situ with some artifacts undergoing painstaking restoration. In 1982 the house was donated to the National Trust for Scotland, the body now responsible for the safety and upkeep of the property. Don't forget Margaret Mackintosh (Mrs.)Charles Rennie Mackintosh's wife, Margaret Macdonald Mackintosh was responsible for much of the interior decor and design of her husbands projects.
Construction Techniques and DecayUnfortunately, some of the new construction techniques and materials used at the time of construction led to decay many years on. For example the use of Portland cement render applied to stone surfaces resulted in cracking of the outer layer and water penetration on a fairly major scale. Further leakage problems have arisen around the windows and chimneys as Mackintosh preferred not to make use of chimney caps or weather proof window surrounds as they did not fit with his aesthetic design.
The box, now fully completed is itself a stunning structure. It incorporates walkways at high level so it is now possible to walk above the roof of the house - thus allowing visitors to view construction details which up until now only the roofers and birds could appreciate! More views of the exterior of the house later... Inside Hill HouseWe decided to explore the interior of the house first so we left the shop (which is a new and possibly temporary structure) and made our way across to the main entrance of Hill House. Through the front door we were greeted by a grand hallway panelled in dark wood. A feint smell of damp could be discerned reminding us of the enormity of the restoration work which was to be undertaken. Through the front door we were greeted by a grand hallway panelled in dark wood. A feint smell of damp could be discerned reminding us of the enormity of the restoration work which was to be undertaken.
The downstairs roomsOn the right the first room is the study. Lined with books, many of them Blackie’s own publications this snug room has uninterrupted views across the Clyde.
Upstairs in Hill HouseA short journey up the stairs took us to the first floor. This is where the family slept. The parents at one end of the house and the children at the other. A couple of the bedrooms await restoration but the master bedroom and the dressing room annex (where the Blackie children slept when they were ill) are fully restored. In the dressing room is one of the few pieces of furniture not designed by Mackintosh - a Kilmarnock chest. However, he did design the surround and cupboards for this item Across the corridor from the Master Bedroom is the bathroom with its now antiquated fittings. These would have been state of the art at the time of construction and fortunately appear to have remained unaltered since.. In one of the second floor rooms there are models of Hill House and photographs of it during construction as well as plans for the buildings and furnishings. All very interesting!
Hill House exteriorThe new protective box structure when viewed from within is both functional and elegant. The walkways and boundaries of the box have been set far enough back from the perimeter of the house to enable decent views of the building can be appreciated. After walking around the garden and terrace immediately surrounding the house (but within the cage) we took the stairs up to the café (there is also a lift) which is above the shop, to be greeted with a slightly surreal image of tables and chairs neatly set out adjacent to the upper floors of the house. Taking the walk way around the front of the house we were able to inspect construction and design at close quarters. The walkway over the top of the house was particularly interesting. There are informative plaques throughout and good strong bannisters for those with susceptible to feelings of vertigo. Going outside the Box
After a great day out it was time to get back into the car and return to Appletree Luxury Self Catering Cottage, Croftamie. (www.lomondappletree.co.uk)
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