My week at Kilchoan had the quality of entering a time warp, a week where time seemingly slipped through my fingers. The estate itself Is a sliver of paradise, the drive from Oban like a journey through a fairy tale – I was immediately enchanted. I made the journey up from London to learn more about the estate, and how horticulture here was aligning with the aims and objectives of the Kilchoan Melfort Trust. Despite anticipating a busy week of preparations readying the garden to share with visitors, I was warmly greeted by Zsolt and shown the comfortable and charming accommodation that was generously provided. Despite it being a Sunday evening, Zsolt took the time to show me the garden and help me get my bearings.

Before arriving at Kilchoan, Luke and I had discussed what might be possible to do during the placement. Despite being a passionate horticulturist my interests have diversified into a broader range of taxa, and Luke had thoughtfully arranged for me to accompany Laura on several surveying activities. Monday morning began with recording the catch of a moth trap that was set the night before, it was interesting to see how different the species were compared to what we had caught recently at Kew. The highlight was a Buff Tip, Phalera bucephala, a charismatic species evolved to resemble, very convincingly, a small twig. Throughout the week I accompanied Laura on a Clear Wing survey using a pheromone lure and a bat survey, all the while benefiting from her impressive knowledge of the birds and their calls. Zsolt was conscientious in ensuring that I was able to carry out a broad range of tasks in the garden. Joining Alice in the walled kitchen garden was a welcome change from my day to day work at Kew. We created supports woven from Hazel gathered on the estate, planted out tender crops such as beans, squash and cut flowers and pruned the step over apples. Discussions of cultivar selection, composting and the organic principles that underpin the management of the space all added to the experience.

I was impressed to hear from the team how they are encouraged and supported to pursue their individual interests in horticulture and develop their skills by enrolling on courses or carrying out placement in other gardens. Excited to see the KMT’s commitment to fostering education in action. The sense of community was clear to see through the sharing of skills, time and knowledge between departments, and the general atmosphere and comradery in the mess room. It was wonderful to be made to feel so welcome and appreciated. Beyond this, it was fascinating to hear about the diversity of students and research projects that Kilchoan has supported and hosted. I learned from Zolt about the ICCP trees, what is required to obtain and maintain such collection and how these trees provide a genetic bookmark for severely threatened species. The Chilean species seemed quite at home on the West Coast of Scotland. The layout of the Chilean arboretum and the paths that ascend up to it lend a sense of adventure, it will be quite something to see these majestic trees mature and settle into their northern hemisphere home.

Luke had kindly shared with me biological records from the estate, and explained how iNaturalist was being used as a platform to monitor and add observations. One morning we put theory into action and headed out to verify some observations. We were aiming for a gulley where meta limestone was exposed creating a naturally lime rich growing substrate for calcicolous species such as Rubus saxitilis, Draba incana and a tiny bryophyte, Grimmia turgestina . It was thrilling to scramble up through the gulley noticing the changes in vegetation with increasing light levels and changing humidity. Up and out of gully, descending back into the valley we checked out exposed rock faces. A joyful shout from Luke indicated he had spotted a population of Populus tremula, just below which nestled Potentilla verna (listed as nationally scarce). I spent the evenings exploring the hills and the coast, trotting along the paths laid out across the estate. It was the perfect opportunity to observe the tree planting, and the impact of the change of land management on the flora and fauna. Reduction in grazing and deer exclusion has certainly created a wilder feel to the place, and I was chuffed to see so many Pearl Bordered Fritillaries and Small Heath butterflies. There were a few more plants I was keen to see, and the last two evenings came up trumps. A wooded glade yielded swathes of Hymenophyllum, a genus of fern limited to two species in the UK. Curiously the delicate fronds are just a single cell thick, giving them a translucent appearance. How glorious to see it in such abundance, if a little crispy from the prolonged dry spell. Finally, I endeavoured to find Ophioglossum vulgatum – the adders tongue fern. Elusive in its minimalistic approach to existence, just a single vegetative and a single fertile frond, in this case not much larger that 10cm. I spent almost an hour walking backwards and forwards across a pasture, worth every minute to have seen a thriving population. In a place so far removed from the concrete and chaos of London, here I found a sense of peace and connection to the natural world. A huge thank you to all who enabled my stay at Kilchoan, offered me their time and knowledge, and shared their piece of paradise with me – it was magic!