Faìlte gu An Gàrradh Mòr / Welcome to The Big Garden

An Gàrradh Mòr is an 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 we grow a wide variety of vegetables, herbs and soft fruit, and also keep poultry. The garden provides all the food we need - and more besides. According to the time of year, and as available, we sell -

• tomatoes, new potatoes, rhubarb
• asparagus, courgettes, carrots, onions
• fresh-cut herbs
• jams, chutneys and other preserves
• free-range eggs
• trees, shrubs and plants

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 cottage at Aisgernis (Askernish) - a few miles to the north - visit www.southuistselfcatering.co.uk

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

The garden dates from 1630 or earlier, but was rebuilt in its present form around 1740 by Alexander MacDonald I of Boisdale. The remains of his grand house can still be seen just outside the garden walls. When Bonnie Prince Charlie arrived here from France in 1746, at the start of his ill-fated campaign, Boisdale told him to go home! 

In the 5th century, St Bride (or Bridget) - daughter of an Irish Prince and a contemporary of St Patrick - landed on the beach 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.

Our crofting township was founded a hundred years ago - in 1908.