2017 media releases

Burns Cottage welcomed its first first-footers through its front door in over 100 years as 2017 arrived. Local children Carrie Cook, Sophie Steele, Efe Tural and Matthew McDowall (all aged 9, from Alloway Primary) were the first to enter the cottage through the door in a more than a century.

The charity which conserves and promotes Scotland’s heritage has captured video footage of a ‘good hybrid’ exploring the ancient woodlands at Drum Castle from earlier in 2016. And at Leith Hall, a cat which was first sighted by Scottish Wildcat Action project manager Roo Campbell several years ago, has been captured on camera. The images were taken on a nearby farm, and upon examination Roo confirmed that he had seen this cat several years ago while he was working in the Huntly area.

The only supper to take place in the very building where Burns was born is the centrepiece of celebrations marking the bard’s birthday at the National Trust for Scotland’s Robert Burns Birthplace Museum in Alloway this January.

A violin, which Robert Burns is said to have danced to, will sound as it did in the 18th century, after the National Trust for Scotland had the piece restored to its original condition.

The National Trust for Scotland’s Inverewe Garden in Wester Ross has been shortlisted for a prestigious award this year. The garden is shortlisted as a ‘Garden of the Year’ in the BBC Countryfile Magazine. It’s one of five gardens to be selected, and the only Scottish garden included on the list.

As the bicentenary of Alexander ‘Greek’ Thomson’s birth approaches, work to restore his striking interior designs at one of his most impressive houses in Glasgow is getting underway.

The National Trust for Scotland is delighted to have attended the 2017 People’s Postcode Lottery annual Charity Gala where it was announced that £66.3 million was awarded to charities and good causes in 2016 - thanks to players of People’s Postcode Lottery.

The National Trust for Scotland’s Robert Burns Birthplace Museum in Alloway is bidding to bag a massive cash boost from the Tesco Bags of Help initiative.

The National Trust for Scotland, the charity that conserves and promotes Scotland’s heritage, and Plantlife Scotland, the organisation that is speaking up for our wild flowers, plants and fungi, are holding an event at Balmacara in Wester Ross which will explore the flora that thrives in the damp, ancient forests of Scotland.

Dedicated volunteers with the National Trust for Scotland’s Glasgow Conservation Volunteer Group completed more than 2,742 hours work conserving and promoting Scotland’s heritage last year, the charity has revealed.

Dedicated volunteers with the National Trust for Scotland’s Highland Conservation Volunteer Group completed more than 1,265 hours work conserving and promoting Scotland’s heritage last year, the charity has revealed.

Dedicated volunteers with the National Trust for Scotland’s Lothian Conservation Volunteer Group completed more than 2,949 hours work conserving and promoting Scotland’s heritage last year, the charity has revealed.

Aberdeenshire singer songwriter Jenny Sturgeon has just released a collection of songs inspired by St Kilda, as the National Trust for Scotland prepares to mark 60 years of caring for the dual heritage site.

Dedicated volunteers with the National Trust for Scotland’s Tayside Conservation Volunteer Group completed more than 1,848 hours work conserving and promoting Scotland’s heritage last year, the charity has revealed.

Robert Burns Birthplace Museum in Alloway has opened a call for local artists to create pieces inspired by Burns to go on display there. Curator Sean McGlashan is looking for Ayrshire-based artists to make works that measure 25 centimetres by 25 centimetres on the theme of Robert Burns, Alloway Auld Kirk, Brig o’ Doon, Burns Monument or Burns Cottage.

The story of the Celts will be brought to life by the National Trust for Scotland’s autumn cruise, departing 10 September. The Colours of the Celts cruise explores ports with Celtic connections, including the Isle of Man, Ireland and Scotland’s west coast over twelve days aboard the luxurious Pearl II.

The story of the Celts will be brought to life by the National Trust for Scotland’s autumn cruise, departing 10 September. The Colours of the Celts cruise explores ports with Celtic connections, including the Isle of Man, Ireland and Scotland’s west coast over twelve days aboard the luxurious Pearl II.

For the first time ever, pupils from Charleston Academy are taking over the National Trust for Scotland’s Culloden Battlefield. The travel and tourism students have spent the past 4 months learning about the site and planning the event which takes place on Saturday 4 March.

The National Trust for Scotland’s Falkland Palace in Fife is marking 2017’s opening with a weekend of blacksmithing demos. On 4 and 5 March, the team will be encouraging members of the public to try their hand at blacksmithing in celebration of their new Orchard Gate.

More than 100 varieties of snowdrops will be on show at the National Trust for Scotland’s Branklyn Garden in Perth on Saturday 25 February. The event is the first to be organised by new property manager Jim Jermyn, who has taken over at the garden after Steve McNamara retired.

See behind the blinds at the National Trust for Scotland’s Georgian House as the New Town property gets ready to throw its doors open to visitors once again. On 28 February, special twilight tours celebrating Georgian life take place in the townhouse as projections play on its windows.

Alloway’s one-day music festival Upside Doon has announced the first batch of bands joining its 2017 line up. The BMX Bandits, Mull Historical Society, Have Mercy Las Vegas, The Stumblers and C Macleod are confirmed for the event on Saturday 24 June.

The National Trust for Scotland’s expert forestry team from Mar Lodge Estate will be showcasing their skills in a more public location next week – at the charity’s Crathes Castle near Banchory.

The National Trust for Scotland is reporting its first butterfly sighting of the year, and it is an unusual one - a red admiral was spotted in the gardens at Brodick Castle on Arran a few days ago.

The National Trust for Scotland’s Crathes Castle is launching its spring event programme on 1 April with a special outdoor cinema experience. How To Train Your Dragon is the first in the series of films lined up for visitors throughout 2017. The family-friendly screening starts at 6pm.

2017 has got off to an exciting start at the National Trust for Scotland’s Inverewe – it has just been named ‘UK Garden of the Year’ in the prestigious BBC Countryfile Magazine Awards.

New for the 2017 visitor season (which starts on 1 April), the National Trust for Scotland’s Hill of Tarvit will be running a series of nature-themed events.

Inverewe’s huge and unusual plant collections will blossom at the National Trust for Scotland garden for years to come, as a new glasshouse is now in operation.

Dedicated volunteers have hand-crafted a series of stunning textiles for the National Trust for Scotland’s Culross Palace.

Visitors alighting at Canna this spring will experience a beautiful installation inspired by the many archive recordings that are housed on the National Trust for Scotland’s island.

The National Trust for Scotland’s annual duck race at the historic Barry Mill has grown hugely in popularity over the past few years. For the first time, the race will take place on Saturday 15 and Sunday 16 April, giving hundreds more families the chance to get in on the Easter fun.

The National Trust for Scotland’s Branklyn Garden in Perth is putting its Erythronium collection in focus at a special event on Sunday 9 April. Erythronium, or Trout Lilies, have spread through the beautiful hillside garden’s woodland.

Visitors are getting ready for the birthday party of the last two centuries at the National Trust for Scotland’s Holmwood on Sunday 9 April, as its renowned architect Alexander Thomson turns 200.

A series of talks from some of the Battle of Culloden’s most eminent experts have been lined up at the National Trust for Scotland’s Culloden Battlefield visitor centre to mark the 271st anniversary of the battle.

Pupils from Craigievar Primary School are getting ready to play an important part in caring for their local heritage. They take over the cultivation of the kitchen garden at the National Trust for Scotland’s Craigievar Castle near Alford.

A stunning collection of pictures by Harry Benson CBE, one of Scotland’s most celebrated photographers, opens this weekend (Saturday 22 April) at the National Trust for Scotland’s Drum Castle.

Families across Scotland are being handed the key to Scotland’s treasures this summer – when they join the National Trust for Scotland. That’s the message from Scotland’s largest conservation charity as it launches its biggest ever recruitment drive on Thursday 27 April with TV, radio and outdoor advertising.

The National Trust for Scotland’s blue poppies at Branklyn Garden will soon be in bloom, and are the focus of its next themed celebration. Following on from successful snowdrop and trout lily-themed events, Head Gardener Jim Jermyn is taking Branklyn Garden’s annual Meconopsis day, and stretching it out into a celebration lasting almost 2 whole weeks.

Castle Fraser has teamed up with the Grampian 50+ Network to create a Dragonflies Parade in celebration of the 10 species of dragonfly that can be found at its Flight Pond.

Archaeologists working for Scotland’s largest conservation charity, the National Trust for Scotland, have discovered the remains of an 18th-century walled garden buried below the Fountain Court in front of Ayrshire’s Culzean Castle.

The beautiful Dumfries and Galloway garden is the only Scottish garden taking part in the Chelsea Fringe, the growing celebration of off-beat gardening which take place around the prestigious Chelsea Flower Festival from 20 May–4 June.

Redcoats and Jacobites are setting up camp on the historic site with its links to Robert the Bruce and there will be risky raids, fearsome attacks and daring duels, showcasing the weaponry and tactics of 18th-century warfare – a perfect family day out to celebrate the Year of History, Heritage and Archaeology.

Whether it is taking the landscape picture of the year, honing photography skills or just getting to grips with digital photography, the National Trust for Scotland’s Dollar Glen will provide the perfect backdrop for a digital photography course on Saturday 20 May.

Celebrations marking the 200th birthday of Glasgow superstar architect, Alexander ‘Greek’ Thomson continue at one of his best buildings on 20 and 21 May.

Visitors have been flocking to the National Trust for Scotland’s Drum Castle thanks to an amazing exhibition by Harry Benson CBE, one of Scotland’s most celebrated photographers.

Superheroes are flying in to the National Trust for Scotland’s Culzean Castle and Country Park in Ayrshire on 28 and 29 May to celebrate the launch of their fantastic new play area.

Scotland’s largest conservation charity the National Trust for Scotland has welcomed decisive action taken by Roseanna Cunningham, Cabinet Secretary for the Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform.

Two Scottish acts are preparing for this year’s Upside Doon music festival by playing a surprise gig on the roof of Robert Burns Birthplace Museum.

Conservation charity the National Trust for Scotland’s Crathes Castle, near Banchory in Aberdeenshire, has turned out to be massive for mammals.

It may only be June, but conservation charity the National Trust for Scotland is already offering 2017’s last chance to visit the renowned World Heritage Site of St Kilda.

An incredible map dating from the 17th century has returned home to the Aberdeenshire estate where it was discovered in the 1980s.

The National Trust for Scotland’s Glasgow Conservation Volunteer Group will be hard at work protecting Scotland’s spectacular scenery this summer.

The National Trust for Scotland’s Grampian Conservation Volunteer Group will be hard at work protecting Scotland’s spectacular scenery this summer.

The National Trust for Scotland’s Highland Conservation Volunteer Group will be hard at work protecting Scotland’s spectacular scenery this summer.

The National Trust for Scotland’s Lothian Conservation Volunteer Group will be hard at work protecting Scotland’s spectacular scenery this summer.

The National Trust for Scotland’s Tayside Conservation Volunteer Group will be hard at work protecting Scotland’s spectacular scenery this summer.

Visitors to the National Trust for Scotland’s Crathes Castle near Banchory will have a colourful arrival, thanks to some creative yarn-bombers who visited over the weekend.

Calling all pirates! Fun-filled adventures will take centre stage at the National Trust for Scotland’s Culzean Castle this July in the inaugural Pirates of Culzean weekend. The fun-packed weekend event is sponsored by Official Outdoor Clothing Partner, Regatta Great Outdoors and will see families come and enjoy Pirate-tastic fun over two days (15 and 16 July) with unforgettable experiences and pirates galore in the spectacular surroundings of the magnificent Culzean Castle and Country Park, Ayrshire.

Visitors can get an insight into the Jacobite story at the National Trust for Scotland’s Glencoe Visitor Centre this summer. They’ve teamed up with Alba Adventure to offer living history experiences, as part of a special campaign this summer.

Two Scottish acts ‘warmed up’ for this year’s Upside Doon music festival by playing a surprise gig on the roof of Robert Burns Birthplace Museum in Alloway.

The National Trust for Scotland has said that plans for a new housing development near Bannockburn would have a ‘major’ impact on the area.

Conservation charity the National Trust for Scotland has started contacting staff, volunteers and community organisations to inform them that it is considering the future of Geilston Garden in Cardross.

Creative kids can get the chance to learn amazing animation skills with an award-winning artist as part of the National Trust for Scotland’s celebrations of the 200th anniversary of the birth of Alexander ‘Greek’ Thomson.

Journey back in time with master storyteller Duncan Cook, for an afternoon of Folktales by the Fireside at Hugh Miller’s Birthplace Cottage and Museum. Pull up a chair in the cottage’s atmospheric kitchen and – in the flickering candlelight – find yourself captivated by tales of Victorian life on the Black Isle. In full period costume, Duncan will tell ghostly stories of encounters with spirits in Cromarty and the Black Isle – many of which come straight from the collection of Hugh Miller himself.

Guided by the National Trust for Scotland rangers at Leith Hall, this family event will teach children aged 5-11 the skills they need to survive in even the harshest of conditions. Learn how to build shelters and make sleeping mats out of old rushes, and discover the secret to lighting the perfect campfire.

The annual Jaguar Classic Show returns to the National Trust for Scotland’s Drum Castle for the 18th time this July, and is sure to delight motoring enthusiasts across the North East of Scotland.

They are the type of beasties that most people try to keep out of their homes but the rangers at Craigievar Castle will be doing everything they possibly can to lure moths out of hiding – even offering them a beer.

If you go down to the woods today, you’re sure of a big surprise – but there are no bears at Glencoe, just the chance to uncover secret treasure! Join National Trust for Scotland rangers every Wednesday on a Family Treasure Adventure to explore Glencoe’s woodland trails and discover the hidden treasure.

With over 40,000 different types of plants in bloom this summer, Pitmedden Garden is more than used to hosting colourful spectacles. But nothing could prepare the historic country house for the vivid display of lycra and sequins worn by ABBAMANIA – the world’s longest-running ABBA tribute concert.

Scotland’s largest conservation charity the National Trust for Scotland and the UK’s biggest outdoor clothing brand Regatta are joining forces to open the door to the great outdoors this springtime.

The staff at Culross Palace have got the key to the treasures of Scotland this summer and are sharing them with visitors, as part of a fun summer campaign.

The staff at Drum Castle have got the key to the treasures of Scotland this summer and are sharing them with visitors, as part of a fun summer campaign.

The staff at the National Trust for Scotland’s Falkland Palace have got the key to the treasures of Scotland this summer and are sharing them with visitors, as part of a fun summer campaign.

The staff at the National Trust for Scotland’s Newhailes have got the key to the treasures of Scotland this summer and are sharing them with visitors, as part of a fun summer campaign.

The staff at Pollok House have got the key to the treasures of Scotland this summer and are sharing them with visitors, as part of a fun summer campaign.

Staff at the National Trust for Scotland’s St Abb’s Head National Nature Reserve are celebrating a first this summer, as the first northern gannet chick ever to be recorded there was seen on 7 July.

The National Trust for Scotland hosted Gordon Lindhurst MSP on his first visit as kittiwake species champion at their St Abb’s Head National Nature Reserve.

The National Trust for Scotland’s Hill House, Helensburgh provided the backdrop to a stunning shoot by acclaimed Scottish designer Christopher Kane last month.

Head for the National Trust for Scotland’s Falkland Palace to learn more about how herbs were used throughout history on Sunday 23 July.

Plants from the deserts and tropics of the world are being grown in harmony with native species at Crathes Castle Garden, and gardeners are being encouraged to take inspiration and broaden their horizons by considering planting exotic species as climate change brings shifting weather patterns to the North East of Scotland.

As jobs go, it’s one of the more unusual occupations around but for Aberdeenshire artist Lyn Elrick, drawing caricatures is a way of life.

The National Trust for Scotland’s Culloden Battlefield Visitor Centre is taking advantage of the light nights with a special evening opening on 26 July.

The National Trust for Scotland is challenging adults and youngsters to ‘Escape the Past’ in a popular detective game hosted at Pollok House this summer.

The National Trust for Scotland is preparing adults and children for battle this summer, hosting a range of medieval activities at its historic site of Bannockburn.

Families across the south of Scotland and north of England are being challenged to try something new this summer, whilst learning about Scotland’s heritage with the National Trust for Scotland.

Families across the Central Belt are being challenged to try something new, whilst learning about Scotland’s heritage with the National Trust for Scotland this summer.

Families across the Central Belt are being challenged to try something new, whilst learning about Scotland’s heritage with the National Trust for Scotland this summer.

Families across the Central Belt are being challenged to try something new, whilst learning about Scotland’s heritage with the National Trust for Scotland this summer.

Join the National Trust for Scotland for a day of traditional family fun in Alloway this weekend. On Saturday (29 July), a range of funfair activities and games will be held at Robert Burns Birthplace Museum for all the family.

The National Trust for Scotland is hosting a range of outdoor theatre productions across its historic sites in central Scotland this summer. The Merry Wives of Windsor, a Shakespeare play presented by The Festival Players Theatre Company, is one of the Trust’s popular events set to take the stage as part of its summer 2017 outdoor theatre series.

The National Trust for Scotland is hosting a range of outdoor theatre productions across its historic sites in central Scotland this summer, including two of its most popular sites in Fife. The Merry Wives of Windsor, a Shakespeare play presented by The Festival Players Theatre Company, is one of the Trust’s popular events set to take the stage as part of its summer 2017 outdoor theatre series.

The National Trust for Scotland’s new Ayrshire and Arran team are enjoying a busy summer.

Join the National Trust for Scotland rangers on a journey of discovery at Fyvie Castle, uncovering the amazing wildlife that calls its loch home. Meet the ducks and swans that live on Fyvie Loch, while learning how to properly use binoculars and telescopes to view them from safe distance. If you’re lucky, you’ll see chicks taking their first trips out onto the water – along with some of the rarer birds that live in the area, including herons and moorhens.

It’s been the home to fictional bobby Hamish Macbeth and his loyal sidekick Wee Jock; the scene of a pagan sacrifice in 1970s horror film The Wicker Man; and one of the few places in Scotland where palm trees thrive.

Four young lovers, beset by jealousy and passion, enter a magical forest controlled by a feuding Fairy King and Queen. A group of amateur actors rehearse a play for the regal marriage of Theseus and Hippolyta. Join Puck, Bottom and a cast of unforgettable characters as the worlds of reality and the supernatural collide with magical – and hilarious – consequences.

Acclaimed local artist Sarah Longley will display her latest body of work at The Steadings Gallery on the National Trust for Scotland’s Balmacara Estate this August.

Visit the National Trust for Scotland’s Barry Mill this August to discover the truth behind the animal that inspired one of the world’s greatest superheroes. Venture out into the darkness, armed only with a torch, to hunt for bats in their natural habitat. Using bat detectors, you’ll attempt to locate and observe bats in flight, seeing and hearing how the hunt their prey.

Dust the flour off your apron and join the National Trust for Scotland’s Big Bake Off at Culzean Castle and Country Park. Taking place this Sunday (6 August) in a large marquee on Culzean’s Cannon Lawn, both adults and children are asked to bring along their baking masterpiece to be judged by the Big Bake Off judging panel.

Burns may be closely associated with haggis, but the team at the Robert Burns Birthplace Museum in Alloway have just picked up a healthy living award for the tasty treats they serve up at their popular café.