Surprisingly, to me, the Beatrix Potter Garden is in Birnam, Scotland. I would have imagined that it would be in the Lake District. This was a present to me, from David. David and Dorothy had been on holiday in Perthshire, had visited the Garden and bought the tea towel.
Before I got this tea towel, Birnham merely meant ‘Macbeth’ to me. The Three Witches predicted that Macbeth would only be defeated when “Birnham Wood comes to Dunsinane”; sounded unlikely to Macbeth so he thought he was safe. Little did he know that the opposing army would chop branches down, and use them as camouflage, as they moved forward and eventually defeated Macbeth.
From the age of 5 to 15, Beatrix Potter had spent the summer holidays with her family, in Dalguise House, just 5 miles from Birnam. Mr and Mrs Potter had supported the building of the Birnam Institute, a community centre for entertainment and education. It was opened in September 1883, although there is no evidence that the Potter family ever used the facilities. The Beatrix Potter Garden is situated in the grounds, to the rear of the Institute. The pavilion, in the centre of the gardens, displays information about Beatrix Potter.
The Beatrix Potter Garden pays tribute to the 19th century author and illustrator of children’s books and, as you walk through the gardens, there are numerous sculptured figures, from her books, scattered through the beautifully maintained and tranquil gardens.
Birnam Institute, now Birnam Arts Centre, is a multipurpose art, conferencing and entertainments venue, with a shop and a cafe. Sounds like a good place to visit, if you are a Beatrix Potter fan.
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