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Sha Raku En means ‘A place of Pleasure and Delight’. The garden at Cowden was described as ‘The most important Japanese garden in the Western World’ [Prof. Suzuki, see below], and was created by the explorer Ella Christie [1861-1949] Link in 1908 on her return from a visit to Japan, one of her many expeditions to the east [waiting for a train at Dollar station, she was asked if she was going to Edinburgh – ‘No, Samarkand’ she replied]. She chose a female designer, the gifted Taki Handa, to create the seven acre garden in the grounds of Cowden Castle [demolished in 1952]. The burn was dammed to create a lochan. As the garden matured it was regularly visited by Prof. Jijo Suzuki, Master of the Soami School of Imperial Design, who advised Miss Christie on its design and development, and there were other visitors, including Queen Mary in 1937.
In 1963 it was seriously vandalised by a group of teenagers in school uniform, who broke into the garden at night; tea houses and bridges were burnt, shrines and lanterns pushed into the water. In 2012 the pond was dredged and the lanterns located. Restoration in earnest began in 2014, and the garden reopened in 2017. Work is still ongoing [2020] – there is a large car park, a good tearoom, toilets, picnic area and gift shop. Link