The apples captured in this cider are grown in the beautiful and historic Ellon Castle Gardens, set right in the heart of Ellon.
While the old Ellon Castle dates back to the 15th century, the Gardens reached their current size in the early 18th century and in their time, were some of the finest in Scotland. They contain a unique collection of ancient English yews thought to be at least 500 years old.
Gifted to the community of Ellon in 2015, Ellon Castle Gardens is run by a charitable trust and maintained by a team of dedicated volunteers. Caring for the 60 heritage espalier apple trees is a year-round labour of love starting with winter pruning then mulching, thinning the fruit, summer pruning, and culminating in the harvest in August and September. On the first Sunday in October, an Apple Day event is held in the Gardens where half the crop is sold to apple enthusiasts for making pies, crumbles, and chutneys, or simply for eating as they stroll around the Gardens. The other half of the crop is transformed into award winning cider!
This cider won the Scottish Excellence award in the beer and cider category in 2023.
Photograph: Mike Wilkinson…07/09/23
Ellon Castle Gardens welcomes visitors throughout the year; current opening times can be found on the website and Facebook page.
https://www.elloncastlegardens.net/
https://www.facebook.com/Elloncastlegardens
https://www.visitscotland.com/info/see-do/ellon-castle-gardens-p1964461