Morning
Enjoy the beautiful informal garden of Rowallane, with a spectacular selection of trees, plants and shrubs from around the world. The walled garden houses the National Collection of penstemons. There are also some beautiful wildflower meadows.

Lunch
You can enjoy lunch at the tea-rooms at Rowallane. Or head for Castle Ward and sample the stable yard tea-room before exploring further.

Afternoon
A short journey from Rowallane is the stunning setting of the 750-acre Castle Ward estate on the shores of Strangford Lough. The estate includes woods, farmland, landscaped gardens and lakes, including the Temple Water, which is overlooked by a pedimented temple.

The mansion is an architectural curiousity of its time, built in two distinct styles: classical and Gothic. The Victorian laundry, play room, lead mine and sawmill all give a flavour of how the estate worked.

Extra day?
If you are staying longer, visit the 98-acre garden at Mount Stewart, on the east shore of Strangford Lough, certainly one of the greatest in the British Isles.

Largely created by Edith, Lady Londonderry, wife of the 7th Marques of Londonderry, in the 1920s, it has an unrivalled collection of rare and unusual plants.

In early summer the Sunken Garden is a blaze of vivid orange and yellow when the azaleas reach their peak and the scarlet blooms of the Red Hand of Ulster in the Shamrock Garden are equally splendid.

In high summer the Italian garden comes into its own with its magnificent array of roses and herbaceous plants in symmetrical beds.

When can you go?
Before visiting a property, we strongly advise that you check its opening times, as properties open on different days and at different times. This information is detailed on the individual property pages, which you can search for by finding a place to visit.

• Rowallane Garden
• Castle Ward
• Mount Stewart