The oldest garden north east of the castle was enclosed with walls and bastions in 1620, and was cultivated in the old-fashioned manner where soft fruits, flowers, vegetables and fruit trees were mingled closely together.  Today this garden has been remodelled with a holly maze, a paradise garden, knot garden and orchard.  The flower garden south of the castle was laid out at the beginning of the 18th century by Lord Cawdor’s brother, Sir Archibald Campbell.  In 1850 Lady Cawdor added oval rose beds edged with lavender, which are still unchanged today.  The garden has a distinctly Victorian feel, with a great variety of colours in the summer.  The steep wild garden between the castle and the rocky stream of the Cawdor Burn was planted in the 1960’s and is a shaggy informal ramble of azaleas, rhododendrons, daffodils, primulas, willows and bamboos, set among tall old trees.  The Cawdor Big Wood, 755 acres of old woodland, mainly oak, Scots pine, beech and larch includes 5 nature walks of varying lengths. Cawdor Castle and Gardens are open to the public annually from May 1st to the second Sunday in October, daily from 10am to 5pm.