Welcome
The Japanese Garden at Cowden is centrally located in Clackmannanshire; located on the Upper Hillfoots Road between Muckhart and Dollar, the garden can be accessed off the A91, half a mile west of Muckhart.
Whether you visit the garden, enjoy the various walks in the area, or come to the tearoom for lunch or coffee and cake, we guarantee an excellent trip out.
We have a mixture of wheelchair accessible and non-wheelchair accessible areas, but are endeavouring to increase the areas accessible for wheelchair users in future.
Please get in touch if you require any further information about specific access or need advice on planning your visit.
![Aerial View of the Japanese Garden](https://www.accessibilityguides.org/sites/default/files/styles/venue-image/public/Garden_0.jpg?itok=JsZNu9fR)
Level access
There is level access from the car park to:
The picnic areaVisual
General
Getting here
For further information on accessible travel in Scotland, go to Transport Scotland.Travel by public transport
The walk from the nearest bus stop takes approximately 40 minutes, and is mostly uphill.
Travel by taxi
Parking
The surface of the path from the car park to the main entrance is loose and made of gravel.
Arrival
Path to main entrance
Main entrance
There is a very small bump at the entrance; most wheelchair users are able to get over it fairly easily, and staff are always on hand to assist if necessary.
The door at the entrance is permanently held open, so manually opening it is not a concern for those with mobility issues.
![Main entrance](https://www.accessibilityguides.org/sites/default/files/styles/guide-images/public/Tearoom%20entrance.jpg?itok=M8ZUdCq6)
![Path from the car park to the main entrance](https://www.accessibilityguides.org/sites/default/files/styles/guide-images/public/Path%20from%20car%20park%20to%20entrance.jpg?itok=RUMiNi8V)
Getting around inside
Ticket/ information desk
Things to See and Do
Public toilet
![Disabled toilet](https://www.accessibilityguides.org/sites/default/files/styles/guide-images/public/Disabled%20toilet.jpg?itok=DfVqLVuz)
Place to eat and drink
The Tearoom
We can cater for all dietary requirements if given advance notice.
![Inside the tearoom](https://www.accessibilityguides.org/sites/default/files/styles/guide-images/public/Inside%20the%20tearoom.jpg?itok=xn6ny0Gz)
Getting around outside
The surface of the paths to the garden and around the garden are loose and made of gravel, and slope upwards at various points; while people using motorised scooters rarely have an issue, most peole in manual wheelchairs need assistance.
There is also a "zig-zag bridge", which is very narrow (650mm) and has no side rails, and is therefore not suitable for crossing by most people who require mobility assistance.
The narrowest paths in the garden are 1000mm wide, but most are at least 1200mm.
There are other wooden bridges in the garden which many wheelchair users can manage with some assistance; the narrowest of these is 750mm.
![Welcome gate](https://www.accessibilityguides.org/sites/default/files/styles/guide-images/public/Welcome%20gate.jpg?itok=vS3HyhZg)
![Wooden bridge](https://www.accessibilityguides.org/sites/default/files/styles/guide-images/public/Wooden%20Bridge.jpeg?itok=DVE_bLUS)
![Zig-zag bridge](https://www.accessibilityguides.org/sites/default/files/styles/guide-images/public/Zig-zag%20bridge.jpeg?itok=56RtS1Y6)
![One of the paths in the garden which slopes uphill](https://www.accessibilityguides.org/sites/default/files/styles/guide-images/public/Upwards%20sloping%20path.jpeg?itok=UZVk66LN)
![Wooden bridge](https://www.accessibilityguides.org/sites/default/files/styles/guide-images/public/Wooden%20Bridge%202.jpg?itok=RGvTRMuf)
![Viewing point with step](https://www.accessibilityguides.org/sites/default/files/styles/guide-images/public/Viewing%20point%20with%20step.jpg?itok=zn7LM1jU)
Designated Walking Trail
The Woodland Walk
At its narrowest point, excluding bridges, the trail is 1400mm wide.
![Woodland walk bridge](https://www.accessibilityguides.org/sites/default/files/styles/guide-images/public/Woodland%20walk%20bridge_0.jpg?itok=294UdUDt)
![Woodland walk bridge with steps](https://www.accessibilityguides.org/sites/default/files/styles/guide-images/public/Woodland%20walk%20bridge%20with%20steps.jpg?itok=KZEf6tx8)
Designated Walking Trail
Christie Walk
![Christie bridge](https://www.accessibilityguides.org/sites/default/files/styles/guide-images/public/Christie%20bridge.jpg?itok=hEg5K39u)
![The slope going up the Christie Walk](https://www.accessibilityguides.org/sites/default/files/styles/guide-images/public/Christie%20slope.jpg?itok=LDYaU47x)
Designated Walking Trail
Lime Tree Avenue Walk
Most of the trail has a grassy surface, which may be difficult to move on in a wheelchair when wet.
![Lime Tree Avenue Walk](https://www.accessibilityguides.org/sites/default/files/styles/guide-images/public/Lime%20tree%20walk.jpg?itok=dePCj4Ni)
![Lime Tree Avenue Walk Bridge](https://www.accessibilityguides.org/sites/default/files/styles/guide-images/public/Lime%20tree%20walk%20bridge.jpg?itok=OY-uaiN3)
Picnic Area
The picnic area
The picnic area is in a grassy area which may be difficult to access when wet.
Customer care support
Emergency evacuation procedures