birch syrup into pastries, gluten-free bircher muesli and in glazes for meat. Another foray into epicurean horticulture by the pair was the harvesting of the broom that grows wild across the estate. While this ingredient might strike us today as unusual, historically it was very highly regarded – so much so that it was enjoyed by royalty from the Plantagenets to James II (who apparently enjoyed broom buds in three of the dishes served at his coronation feast). Broom buds were hand-picked by the gardeners and delivered to the castle kitchen where they were pickled. The buds have a flavour similar to capers, and were substituted for the berry in dishes during the summer. Perhaps the most exotic ingredient grown on the estate to make its way to the castle’s dinner table last year came from one of the estate’s monkey puzzle trees. With the appearance of a large pine nut, the texture of a chestnut, the flavour akin to a cashew, and with the crispness of a freshly shelled pea, the piñones (seeds) of the monkey puzzle are considered a delicacy and are a very versatile ingredient. These were used by Mackay in a dish of scallop ceviche, ajo blanco (with the usual almonds substituted by the piñones), grape and jalapeño. With the reintroduction of the potager decorative in the walled garden, and an adventurous attitude to both cultivating and foraging ingredients from elsewhere on the estate, the culinary collaboration between Skibo’s gardeners and chefs looks set to grow from strength to strength. ª WA L L E D GA R D E N S H AV E LO N G C A P T U R E D T H E I M AG I N AT I O N. S PAC E S O F S EC LU S I O N, T H E Y I N VO K E A S E N S E O F M YST E RY Lindsay Mackay portrait: Brent Darby D E S I G N – 2 0 –