
About
Set in the Pentland Hills, near Edinburgh, Little Sparta is Ian Hamilton Finlay’s greatest work of art. Finlay moved to the farm of Stonypath in 1966 and, in partnership with his wife Sue Finlay, began to create what would become an internationally acclaimed garden across seven acres of a wild and exposed moorland site.
Collaborating with stone carvers, letterers and at times other artists and poets, the numerous sculptures and artworks created by Finlay, which are all integral to the garden, explore themes as diverse as the sea and its fishing fleets, our relationship to nature, classical antiquity, the French Revolution and the Second World War. Individual poetic and sculptural elements, in wood, stone and metal, are sited in relation to carefully structured landscaping and planting. In this way, the garden in its entirety is the artwork.
Read More

Ian Hamilton Finlay & His Work
Ian Hamilton Finlay (1925 – 2006) was a poet, writer, visual artist and gardener. He is now internationally recognised for his work in each of these art forms.
Finlay was born in Nassau, the Bahamas, in 1925. Finlay’s father bootlegged alcohol from Nassau into the USA until the repeal of prohibition laws in 1933, when he and Finlay’s mother unsuccessfully attempted to start an orange-growing business in Florida, before returning to Scotland in straitened circumstances. Finlay himself had been sent to Scotland at the age of six, boarding first at Larchfield School near Helensburgh, then Dollar Academy.
Read More


An essay by Dr Patrick Eyres This drawing, by Chris Broughton (fig. 1), salutes the way that the craftsmanship of Keith Bailey articulates the poetry of Ian Hamilton Finlay. It

We are pleased to announce details of the 2018 Little Sparta Residency Programme funded by The Bridge Awards. The Glasgow-based artist and writer John Farrell uses photography, text, video, found/archival

This Podcast was recorded at Little Sparta on 15 July 2017. It is introduced by Professor Andrew Patrizio and features an interview with Susan Stewart. A poet, critic, and translator,

The Little Sparta Guide Book
Published in 2015, this beautiful companion to Little Sparta tells the story of Ian Hamilton Finlay’s extraordinary creation, exploring the underlying themes, and introducing and explaining the significance of the main elements and artworks in each part of the garden. Featuring new photography, as well as archive material, it also shows how the garden has matured and developed over the last 50 years.
Please buy your copy from the Little Sparta Trust as all funds are retained and reinvested in the garden.
Read More


Colourless days. Hawthorn, crabapple, Scot’s pine, wych elm, horse chestnut, sessile oak, Italian alder, juniper, hazel, blackthorn, Norway spruce, Western hemlock – these are some of the trees planted out

A very busy time. In front of the Temple of Apollo old stone troughs are removed and the whole area cleared awaiting new planting in the spring. Also at the

Packing up for the winter. A month full of activity as the garden closes to visitors and the priority shifts to caring for artworks and infrastructure over the coming season.
