Born in
Dundee, Gardyne began his career with
Celtic, the team he supported as a boy. He signed a professional contract in 2004 and was tipped to be one of the "next crop of youngsters to emerge" but found first-team opportunities limited and spent his first two seasons in the
reserve team. Once credited for performing a 'toilet activity' within a teammate's football boot. Additionally, Gardyne himself confessed to being too focus on making teammates laugh rather than performing top quality skill at training while at Celtic. Gardyne spent the
2006–07 season on loan to
Ross County, scoring on his debut and being part of the side that won the
2006–07 Challenge Cup, scoring the first penalty in the
shootout victory against
Clyde. After returning to Celtic, Gardyne left the club permanently and joined
Greenock Morton on a
free transfer on 31 August 2007, having worked with Morton manager
Jim McInally previously in Celtic's youth team. The move lasted just five months, however and Gardyne returned to Ross County in January 2008, going on to help them win the
Second Division title that season. Gardyne's form in the
2009–10 season saw him nominated for the
Scottish Football League First Division Player of the Year and gain a
Scottish Cup runners-up medal. The following season, Gardyne tasted cup success again when County won the Challenge Cup for the second time in three seasons. Out of contract at the end of the
2011–12 season, Gardyne signed a
pre-contract agreement with hometown
Scottish Premier League club
Dundee United in January 2012, some 18 months after the move was first rumoured. In early August, Gardyne scored on his league debut in the victory against
Hibernian, appearing as a late substitute. In August 2013, Gardyne joined
Kilmarnock on loan for 6 months, and in January 2014 it was confirmed that the loan deal had been extended until the end of the season. On 1 September 2014, Gardyne returned to
Ross County, signing on loan until January 2015. He made his first appearance since returning to the club on 13 September 2014, in a 2–1 home defeat against Motherwell. Dundee United announced in April 2015 that Gardyne would be released when his contract expired at the end of the season. In May 2015, Gardyne signed for Ross County on a permanent basis. Gardyne became Ross County's all-time top goal scorer on 29 December 2015 when he scored twice against Kilmarnock in a 3–2 win which brought him to 60 goals for County. On 13 March 2016, Gardyne scored the opening goal as Ross County won their first major silverware with a 2–1 victory over
Hibernian in the
Scottish League Cup. and subsequently joined
Highland derby rivals
Inverness Caledonian Thistle. Gardyne would have his contract with the
Caley Jags mutually terminated in January 2022. Gardyne signed a two-and-a-half-year deal with
Montrose in January 2022. ==Club statistics==