Ard Daraich was a stone croft lived in by the cobbler of Ardgour. It sits underneath an oak tree from which it takes its name. The connection with plant life continued when the house was bought by Constance Spry and was converted into a genteel holiday home for someone renowned for her flower arranging and cooking - for those of you who know the Constance Spry bible there is even a section of recipes prefaced with the Ard Daraich title. No doubt Mrs Spry was unable to give up gardening completely. Even when on holiday she planted the beginnings of a garden.

Edith and David Maclaren bought the house in the late 1960’s and taking the Sprys as their beginning, continued to build the garden, informed by a passion for both plants and people. They were able to grow from seed, plants sent from all over the temperate world, eventually producing a collection that is still considered one of the best in this part of Scotland and visited by various International Horticultural Societies.