Argyll Hotel Garden

An organic garden has always been part of the Argyll Hotel Iona and we are fully certified by the Soil Association. The garden is situated above the hotel adjacent to the Nunnery and visible from the ‘Road of the Dead’ on the way to the abbey.
 
The rich basalt soils are nourished in the traditional Hebridean way with heaps of seaweed from the beach and our own compost made from garden cuttings and recycled kitchen vegetable waste. If you want to find out more about soils and optimising fertility in you soil

Our chefs and gardeners work in close collaboration to decide what is planted and menu design reflects what is being harvested. During the growing season (May-October) we aim that every plate has at least one homegrown item on it. To supplement our supply, we source as much local and Scottish fruit and vegetables as we can aiming to reduce food miles as much as possible.

We grow all the flowers for use inside the hotel but flowers are grown amongst the vegetables for the more important reason of maximizing pollination and supporting the local bee population. Our garden is a haven for birds, insects and frogs and toads. We provide bug and toad hotels, bird feeders to encourage pest control and we keep marginal grass areas longer to shelter lizards and visiting corncrakes.

Garden tours can be arranged during your visit, just enquire at reception on arrival.