Faìlte gu An Gàrradh Mòr 
Welcome to The Big Garden

Our crofting township of West Kilbride was founded in 1908.

In the 5th century, St Birgid - daughter of an Irish Prince and a contemporary of St Patrick - landed on the beach right here - with an oyster-catcher on each wrist. A chapel - now long since vanished - was dedicated to her, and from this comes Cille Bhrìghde in Gaelic, or Kilbride in English - both meaning Chapel of Bride.. It is thought that the word Hebrides may be from old Norse meaning ‘Isles of Bride’

The garden dates from 1630 or earlier, but was rebuilt in its present form around 1742 by Alexander MacDonald I of Boisdale. The few remains of his grand house can still be seen just outside the garden walls. When Bonnie Prince Charlie arrived here from France in 1745, at the start of his ill-fated campaign, Boisdale told him to go home! The Prince returned here after final defeat at Culloden in 1746. MacDonald’s wife took food to the Prince - hiding in a cave up in the hills behind the house - and it is therefore likely that some of the food he ate during that time came from this garden..

An Gàrradh Mòr is the old high-walled kitchen garden at Cille Bhrìghde in the Outer Hebrides island of Uibhist a Deas (South Uist). Just a few paces from the shore, the garden looks out towards Eirisgeidh (Eriskay), Barraigh (Barra) and other lesser islands.

Here in The Big Garden and on our Eriskay croft we grow a wide variety of vegetables, herbs and soft fruit, and also keep poultry, which provide all the food we need and - certainly from late spring through to autumn - a modest surplus for sale. So, according to the time of year, and as available, we sell -

• free-range eggs
• gooseberries, rhubarb, blackcurrants ...
• tomatoes, new potatoes, courgettes, carrots, onions ...
• fresh-cut herbs and salads
• jams, chutneys and other preserves
• trees, shrubs and plants suitable for conditions in Uist

It’s our aim, over the next few years, to widen the range of food we can offer you, and also have seasonal produce available throughout the year. 

The garden shop also has on offer a variety of yarns and garments, spun, dyed (mostly with natural colours) and knitted or woven by hand. For more on this see www.hebrideanwoolshed.co.uk

For details of our self-catering cottages, see:
www.southuistselfcatering.co.uk
www.eriskayselfcatering.co.uk

Jonathan and Denise Bridge - mail@biggarden.co.uk