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10 May 2021

Introducing: ‘I love this place’

Written by Mark Bishop, Director of Customer & Cause
A young woman walks along a clifftop path, with binoculars around her neck.
You’ll know a place that you love, where you and nature connect …

We know how much our places mean to people – we all love them. And after a long lockdown, there’s that special place that you can’t wait to get back to.

We know that feeling, and that’s what inspired our I love this place film.

Shot at Crathes Castle, Glencoe NNR and St Abb’s Head NNR, we think it perfectly captures that warm glow we all feel when we get back to our favourite place.

For over 90 years, our charity has saved, maintained and shared many of the country’s most loved places, rich with history, heritage, nature and culture.

It’s great to be opening up and sharing our places with you once again.

I love this place

Transcript

I love this place.
It’s part of me.
The aching feet can’t stop the smiles.
To be so high, so far, so free.
The crisp clean air, the view for miles.
I love this place.
It’s so much fun.
A thousand billion games to play.
And there's treasure hiding everywhere.
And muddy monsters lead the way.
I love this place -
so full of life.
Such drama over what’s for tea.
While others lay about and chill
Eyes closed, relaxing, just like me.
I love this place -
such colour.
The air abuzz, trees full of song.
The greatest soundtrack to my piece.
I’ll stretch this lunch out all day long.
And you’ll know a place – you love to go.
Where you and nature both connect.
A rousing tonic for the soul.
A place you can help us to protect.

My special place? It’s like asking a parent his or her favourite child. Or a pet-owner to say whether the cat is better than the dog! There are so many lovely places we look after that it is far easier to talk about loving places rather than a particular place. But I am also a big believer in not sitting on a fence. At the risk of causing epic offence to many and happiness to just a few, the place I most love is Brodick. Let me explain.

Driving to any of our places brings with it a sense of anticipation. Going over the sea, though, adds a complete added level of adventure. Upon arrival you’re spoilt for choice: the rich and varied garden, the compelling costume-led storytelling inside the castle, the addictive horse-racing game, or the quiet solitude of the nature hide to recover from taking my daughter to the noisy excitements of the playpark.

The fact that Autumn and I did not see a red squirrel despite watching in the look-out for a good half-hour is perhaps, oddly, one of the best memories of Brodick. Too often our lives are filled with promises of guaranteed outcomes and too rarely are we treated to intense effort and no ‘instant candy’ outcome. Except, of course, it becomes apparent that the act of sitting in silence, staring intently, surrounded by greenery is the reward regardless of whether a bushy red tail or two appears or not.

Quote
“I am so keen to go back to Brodick because it will give me an opportunity to renew my love of the place, say ‘hello’ to the Trust’s team, and catch a glimpse of the red squirrels if they’re not too busy elsewhere on the island.”
Mark Bishop
Director of Customer & Cause

We hope this film inspires you to reconnect with your favourite place, and we hope that you’ll support our charity and help us protect the places we all love.

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