Work on two replacement bridges is scheduled to conclude later this month. The steel and timber bridges are the latest step in a £500,000 restoration project at the garden funded by the National Trust for Scotland, the Heritage Lottery Fund and Argyll and Islands Enterprise.

Work began six years ago, when the National Trust for Scotland took over the garden. Since then pathways have been laid, steps have been built and handrails have been installed so that visitors can focus on the fantastic flora, rather than their feet. The funding package has also paid for important archaeological work, a topographic survey of the grounds and plant collection recording.

Head Gardener Nigel Price said:

“It’s great to see the bridges so close to completion. The work on the pathways and building of the steps has really made it easier for visitors to enjoy out truly glorious garden. The pathways guide visitors past our fabulous plants and the bridges are great viewpoints and an opportunity to enjoy the water cascading down the hillside. It is a very special place.”

Famous for its National Collection of Southern Beech, as well as acers, sorbus and eucalyptus, the garden is at its greenest at this time of year.

Nigel continues:

“The garden is constantly changing and right now is looking at its most lush. It’s a fantastic time to visit as the colours are intensely green and the foliage gives the garden such texture. It’s easy to understand why this is such a popular spot for artists.”

Entry to Crarae Garden costs £5 for an adult and £14 for a family. Entry is free for members of the National Trust for Scotland.

 

The beautiful terraced garden provides stunning views to the Firth of Forth and is named in memory of the woman who inherited Culross Palace at the end of the 19th Century.

The garden was created by a committed team of Trust experts and volunteers, many of whom tries their hands at new trades to help obtain the fantastic results that are now on show to visitors venturing to Culross. Gardeners turned carpenters, building the ornate fences and wooden features of the garden, while surveyors tried their hand at stonemasonry, engraving emblems into stone.

Horticultural highlights include a fragrant selection of period roses, low growing aromatic and flowering herbs like creeping thyme, pennyroyal and chamomile. Beautiful blooms come in the form of the double flowering buttercup and cowslips.

Culross head gardener Mark Jeffery would like to thank everyone involved with the project.

The garden is open daily from 10am until 6pm.
 

The charity has decided to continue the use of an honesty box during summer evenings at Inverewe and is appealing to the local community to encourage honesty box donations by evening visitors, to help the property balance its books and be treated fairly.

The Trust also noted the strength of local feeling over the access issue and was concerned that relations with some local residents had suffered as a consequence.

Mark Adderley, Chief Executive of the Trust said:

“We always strive to have a good relationship with the local community in each of our properties and I am keen to see the situation in Inverewe achieve that again with improved communications locally. We have listened carefully to local residents, whose support we value, and decided to continue with an honesty box out of hours to address the access issue.

“Inverewe is a very special place and as a charity, we must continue to look at ways to help balance the books there and attract new members, as we rely on membership for a large part of our income.

“We are also committed to starting a new Friends of Inverewe group and we will be inviting local residents to join the new Friends group in October. It’s important for us to plan this carefully and October is the most appropriate time, at the end of the busy summer visitor season.

“The local community has an important role to play in ensuring Inverewe’s future success, as the Garden needs the community and the community needs the Garden.”

The issue of free passes to the Garden to residents living in the Wester Loch Ewe area was deferred at the June public meeting for six months, to allow the gathering of information on the exact number of Wester Loch Ewe free passes there are in circulation and exactly how frequently they are used.
 

The Trust needs two conservation specialists to take on important roles as chairs for their Gardens & Designed Landscapes Advisory Panel and the Interiors & Collections Advisory Panel.

The panels provide advice to the Trust on conservation and heritage issues and help the Trust with projects. The Trust has in its care over 60 gardens and designed landscapes and hundreds of historic interiors.

Conservation Services & Projects Director Andrew Bachell said:

“We are looking for two people with extensive gardens or interiors knowledge to chair these panels and to represent the panels on the Trust’s Conservation Committee.

“Although the positions are voluntary they will be very influential. The advisory panels make an important contribution to our work, looking after some of Scotland’s most valuable heritage sites, most of which are open to the public.”

The positions will also enable the new Chairs to work with like-minded specialists and with people from other branches of conservation.

The ideal candidates will have conservation knowledge and expertise in either gardens and designed landscapes or interiors and collections and experience of chairing committees.

The closing date for applications is Friday 8 August 2008 and interviews will be held on Tuesday 19 August 2008.

For more information about the positions, contact Caroline Walsh on 0844 493 2497 or email cwalsh@nts.org.uk.