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What does Gordon Castle’s head gardener Ed Bollom do on his ideal weekend? It involves spoons…

The weekend is a time to relax and recharge for Ed Bollom, but that doesn't stop him going outdoors as much as he can.

Ed Bollom, head gardener at Gordon Castle's walled garden, shares how he switches off from his physical job at the weekend. Image: Ed Bollom
Ed Bollom, head gardener at Gordon Castle's walled garden, shares how he switches off from his physical job at the weekend. Image: Ed Bollom

As head gardener at Gordon Castle’s walled garden, Ed Bollom spends his week working outside and surrounded by nature.

By the time Friday comes around the dad of two is left feeling physically tired and needing some time to switch off.

But this doesn’t stop Ed from getting outdoors as much as he can over the weekend, although he confessed that he doesn’t spend a lot of time in his own garden…

“My wife Anna is sort of the head gardener at home,” he chuckles. “We’ve got a lovely garden and Anna does pretty much all of that because the last thing I want to do is spend more time weeding or mowing.

“It’s nice to do something completely different.”

Ed working in the walled garden. Image: Ed Bollom

He has worked in gardens for more than 20 years, and has been at the walled garden in Gordon Castle for 10 years now. But, in December he will leave his position to start up a gardening business with his wife — Anna and Ed Bollom Gardens.

Ed’s favourite local hills and forests for the ideal Saturday stroll

For the dad-of-two, spending Friday night eating a nice meal with his family is the best way to start the weekend — even if it’s just fish and chips from the local chipper.

But on Saturdays, he loves walking, no matter the weather, and enjoys heading out into the Cairngorms to explore Abernethy forest and the hills around Grantown.

Ed’s family joining him on a walk. Image: Ed Bollom

But, he says Moray’s Ben Rinnes is one of his favourite hills, because it’s “not too big, and you get the most amazing view”.

“It’s not really high, but it’s quite steep,” he said. “It’s sort of short and painful, but it’s doable. The kids have been up a couple of times and they seem to enjoy it.”

One of the photographs Ed has taken during his walks. Image: Ed Bollom

Whenever he is out walking he is sure to take his mirrorless Nikon camera with him. Ed spends a lot of time photographing the walled garden, but his true passion lies in capturing Scottish landscapes.

If he’s not rambling up hills, he’s out with his family enjoying the Winding Walk in Fochabers or walking somewhere along the Moray Coast like Roseisle, Cullen, or Findhorn.

Ed with his two children Amelia (nine) and Freddy (11). Image: Ed Bollom

“It’s a lovely part of the world,” he added. “What’s great about the east side is that normally we get really quite good weather. And you don’t get the midgies.”

Getting out in nature is ‘best way to destress’

Ed also loves wild camping, although he admits he doesn’t get to go as often as he’d like.

“I love going out with as little equipment as possible,” Ed explained. “Sometimes it’s just a hammock, a tarp and a sleeping bag.

Ed’s wild camping set up. Image: Ed Bollom

“I find the best way to sort of level my head and destress is to get out into nature. It’s all very managed in the walled garden, it’s eight acres so it’s enormous and every inch of it is planned.

“It’s nice to go out somewhere where nature is in control.”

His “adventurous” daughter Amelie sometimes joins him on his travels too, and he explained the nine-year-old likes having a little fire, cooking tea outdoors and sleeping out too.

Meanhwile, his son Freddy is “obsessed with football”, and the pair follow the Fochabers Rockets and Aberdeen FC.

Ed finds carving spoons a ‘mindful’ task

But when he’s not enjoying the great outdoors, Ed spends his spare time, usually on a Sunday or on a dark wintry evening, carving spoons.

He picked up his rather unusual hobby around 10 years ago and says it combines his interest in wild camping with being creative.

The walled garden has around 600 fruit trees that get pruned every year, so he’s always finding interesting shapes and sizes of wood with nice patterns in the grain.

Some of the spoons Ed has carved over his weekends. Image: Ed Bollom

“I’ve got access to all this material,” he explained. “So I think that’s something that prompted me — I wanted to do something with all this wood that otherwise would go on the compost heap or burn pile.”

His daughter wants to learn the skill too, but Ed admitted he’s “terrified of giving her a sharp knife”. So for now, his hobby is still a way to destress and take his mind off things.

The sharp tools he uses. Image: Ed Bollom

Ed added: “It’s not too physically demanding. I just focus on the one thing and I’m not thinking about all the problems in the walled garden, or what we’re going to grow next year, or any of that stuff.

“But it’s kind of a mindful thing, just enough so you have to think about it, and distract you from everything else, not too complicated so it’s not stressful at all.”


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