MacDonald Horticultural Consultancy is led by 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, Colin’s career has been defined by a meticulous commitment to heritage preservation. His 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

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

A Diagnostic Approach to Plant Health

Beyond classical plantsmanship, Colin applies a rigorous, scientific level of oversight to modern estate management. His 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 he was awarded an RHS Chelsea Gold Medal for his collaborative work on the ‘Beyond Our Borders’ biosecurity garden.

Objective, Elite Consultancy

Now operating from the Scottish Highlands, MacDonald Horticultural Consultancy provides 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, the consultancy's philosophy remains absolute: delivering bespoke, resilient solutions that protect an estate's heritage while ensuring its future ecological stability.