In 1999, Barholm Castle in Galloway had lain ruinous and derelict for over two hundred years when Janet Brennan-Inglis and her husband John bought it as a restoration project. Together with a team of architects, surveyors and builders, overseen by Historic Scotland, they turned this sixteenth-century tower house into a domestic residence once again – this time with central heating, bathrooms and a twenty-first-century kitchen. Since the restoration, they have researched the history of Barholm Castle and the McCulloch family who owned it; the stories they uncovered and the account of the painstaking restoration of Barholm Castle are told in this book.

Having restored the tower, Janet and John turned their attention to the ground around it and set about developing a very special garden landscape. The third part of the book describes the process of transforming the wild area surrounding the castle into a series of mature gardens, providing a colourful and dramatic setting for the castle.