Ruined medieval castle. Victorian mansion house. Rolling parkland. Ancient woodland. Picturesque garden. With romance, drama and nature around every corner, Scotney is truly a castle for all seasons.
Scotney is not one but two houses. At the top of the hill is the new house, designed by Anthony Salvin in Elizabethan style and built in 1837 for Edward Hussey III, who took the Picturesque style as his inspiration. At the bottom of the valley are the romantic ruins of a medieval castle and moat. This is the focal point of the celebrated gardens featuring spectacular displays of rhododendrons, azaleas and kalmia in May/June with trees and shrubs providing autumnal colour.
The estate is open all year, offering a variety of walks through beautiful parkland, woodland and farmland, and there are natural play areas for children in the garden and in Colliers Wood.
Scotney hosts a wide range of events and activities throughout the year including open-air theatre and live music, exhibitions, guided garden and estate walks, family-friendly trails activities, and seasonal events celebrating Christmas, Easter, summer and autumn.
Onsite are a tea-room, shop and plant shop, a second-hand bookshop, accessible WCs, baby changing areas, and muddy paw wash area.
Dogs are very welcome on leads at Scotney across the estate, main garden, tea-room and shops, but only assistance dogs may go inside the house, castle and walled garden.
Book your parking in advance via the Scotney website to guarantee your chosen day and time of visit. Powered mobility scooters are available to borrow.
