We are open 6 days a week (closed Tuesday's) from 10.30am to 5.00pm.
We serve delicious lunches and cakes, all made in house.
We would kindly ask that you book your tickets online ahead of travel to avoid disappointment.
What to do at Cowden?
- Enjoy a serene experience to our traditional Japanese garden.
- Take the children around The Stewart Woodland to enjoy the Children's Adventure Park, Badger's Craft Cabin, Owl's Wishing Tree and the Stewart Woodland Village.
What to do at Cowden?
- Enjoy the Christie Walk, Lime & Cherry Tree Avenues and the Houldsworth Walk.
- Delight in a delicious lunch with home baking from our Tearoom.
- Treat yourself to some ice cream from our ice cream hut.
Dogs and Cowden Garden
"Are we allowed to bring dogs to the Japanese Garden?" Is one of our most regularly asked questions.
We do not permit Pets or Emotional Support Animals in the Traditional Japanese Garden and Christie Walk only Assistance Dogs are permitted.
However, all dogs are allowed in the Stewart Woodland, Lime Tree Avenue and Lawns. We ask that dogs are kept on their lead at all times while on Cowden Estate, thank you.
Endangered Species Day
In honour of Endangered Species Day, we are shining light on the guardians of our garden, the red squirrel!
Come along with your wee ones and enjoy a week of fun craft activities! We have a "build a red squirrel drey" outside our craft cabin, a red squirrel trail in our woodlands, a range of red squirrel crafts inside our craft cabin and squirrel feed* at our ticket desk to sprinkle in our woodlands for a tasty treat!
Our volunteers, in particular Ann Wilson, have been carrying out regular surveys of the red squirrels since April 2025, checking in on them in April and October each year, and noting down numbers seen.
A very special thanks to the East Lowlands Red Squirrel Group who provided training on carrying out the surveys, and the feeders and cameras.
*contains nuts
"Taki Handa was the first and only woman to have designed a Japanese garden of this nature. The fact that she was appointed in 1908 is of significant interest worldwide."
PROFESSOR FUKUHARA (2014)
Funding







