Portrait of a man with a beard and mustache, wearing a brown blazer over a blue plaid shirt, standing outdoors in front of a greenhouse with plants.

About Colin MacDonald MCIHort

I'm Colin MacDonald, an independent horticultural consultant specialising in historic estate rejuvenation, site diagnostics, and stringent biosecurity measures.

Trained at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh and holding an HND in Horticulture with Plantsmanship, my career has been defined by a meticulous commitment to heritage preservation. My hands-on expertise has been shaped by work across some of Europe's most culturally significant landscapes, including formative time at Claude Monet's Gardens in Giverny, France, and the Royal Parks in London.

Managing Scale and Heritage

I bring extensive experience in high-level estate management. Serving as Head Gardener at the historic Mount Stuart estate on the Isle of Bute, I oversaw 600 acres — including 300 intricately cultivated acres — and directed a team of 19 gardeners. Most recently, I spent three and a half years managing the grounds at Kinross House, further cementing my expertise in managing complex, heritage-listed landscapes.

A Diagnostic Approach to Plant Health

Beyond classical plantsmanship, I apply a rigorous, scientific level of oversight to modern estate management. My previous tenure working as a Plant Health and Seeds Inspector for APHA/DEFRA at Heathrow Airport instilled a strict, diagnostic approach to biosecurity and pathogen control. This elite expertise in protecting native ecosystems was formally recognised in 2015 when I was awarded an RHS Chelsea Gold Medal for my collaborative work on the 'Beyond Our Borders' biosecurity garden.

Objective, Elite Consultancy

Now operating from the Scottish Highlands, I provide uncompromised, objective advisory services to high-end rural managing agents, historic garden trusts, and corporate procurement teams.

Whether conducting complex drone mapping for a sprawling rural estate, auditing soil health, or designing a historic planting rejuvenation, my philosophy remains absolute: delivering bespoke, resilient solutions that protect an estate's heritage while ensuring its future ecological stability.