About Us

Cardwell Garden Centre is an award winning centre and is one of the best in Scotland.

We are a family owned and run garden centre with over 50 years of experience and have everything that you could possibly need for both the expert and novice alike. 

At Cardwell we grow over 60% of the plant material that we sell on our 16 acre nursery which means that our plant prices will match if not beat the big warehouses. As the majority of our plants are locally grown this ensures that all of our plant material is full hardy, unlike some centres that import a lot from the South of Europe.

Although we specialise in plants both indoor and outdoor, we also have a massive stock of everything for the garden as well as a 300 seater restaurant with patio dining, clothes shop, craft centre, food shop, furniture showroom, gift shop, kitchen shop and much more - all contained within our extensive 100,000 sq ft of covered area. 

From small beginnings in a greenhouse and wooden shed at Cardwell Bay in Gourock, away back in the 1960's, Cardwell Garden Centre is now one of the largest and best stocked in the country.

Owner Eric Gallagher realised that the tiny business in Gourock would have to move to a new location if it was to expand and prosper. Eric had the vision to see the opportunities offered by a barren strip of land on the busy coast road to Inverkip and Largs three miles from the centre of Gourock.

His decision in the 1960's to uproot his business and start again from scratch has been a remarkable success story because Cardwell Garden Centre has become one of the most important and popular tourist attractions in this part of the West of Scotland, with over 750,000 visitors each year.

The garden centre commands a stunning view over picturesque Lunderston Bay and the Firth of Clyde, with the Argyll and Bute hills and the mountain peaks of the Isle of Arran providing a spectacular backcloth.

This beautiful setting has inspired Eric and his staff to create a miniature parkland environment with a meandering stream through it, attractive covered walkways also provide shade from the sun and cover should it rain!

There are strong family ties at Cardwell Garden Centre with several of the staff having up to 30 years service and experience. You can certainly sense the feeling of pride they have in their work and what they have helped to create.

Customers feel at home too, in the friendly atmosphere and familiar faces of the staff. But there is also a sense of excitement and anticipation on each visit, because nothing stays exactly the same at Cardwell Garden Centre. Eric Gallagher is an enthusiastic innovator and is always trying something new to maintain interest and live up to customers expectations.

Cardwell Garden Centre is in every sense a growing business.