Little Sparta
With a National Art Pass you get
Ian Hamilton Finlay’s Little Sparta is a poetic artist garden in the Pentland Hills uniting sculpture, landscape and classical history.
Poetic artist gardens
At Stonypath in 1966, Ian Hamilton Finlay and his partner Sue transformed a remote farm in the Pentland Hills into an evolving work of art. Here, poetry and sculpture were developed alongside planting and landscape design, with Sue tending the garden and supporting the making of poems in space as artwork
Sculptural landscapes
Across more than seven acres, over 270 artworks form a series of distinct landscapes, from woodland and water gardens to open moorland edges. Sculptures in stone, wood and metal, which explore themes including rhe sea, war, classical antiquity and history, are revealed as you walk through the gardens.
Why you should go
Explore poetic sculpture garden landscape
Discover over 270 outdoor artworks
Experience classical themes in nature
Visitor information
Address
Little Sparta, Stonypath, Dunsyre, ML11 8NG
+44 (0)1899 810711
Opening times
04 June – 27 September 2026 on Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays & Sundays
11.00 – 5.00pm (last admission 4.00pm)
Minibuses to Little Sparta
During the 2026 season, there will be return minibuses from Edinburgh city centre to Little Sparta. The minibuses will run from in front of Malmaison Hotel, St. Andrew Square, on Sundays 28th June, 26th July, 30th August and 27th September. Tickets for the minibuses can be booked here.