Your Gift in Action – spring 2025

From repairing our storm-damaged places and restoring special plant collections to making history more accessible in schools and communities, every donation, big or small, plays a vital role in our work. 

We‘re excited to share a few examples of how your support has helped Scotland’s heritage over the past few months. Thank you.

Storm Éowyn update: Threave Garden & Nature Reserve 

Michael Lawrie, Head Gardener for Dumfries and Galloway and Head of The School of Heritage Gardening

Threave Garden suffered significantly from Storm Éowyn, which uprooted nearly 70 trees and damaged many underlying shrubs. The garden’s infrastructure was also impacted, collapsing the walled garden wall and damaging the Japanese bridge, a stunning garden feature, beyond repair.

Thanks to my dedicated team and the swift and generous donations from our supporters, we’ve already made significant strides in the recovery effort. We’ve cleared almost 60% of the fallen trees, and expert tree surgeons have safely removed the dangerous hung trees (cut trees that haven’t completely fallen to the ground) that are too large or complex for my team to manage. A contractor will tackle the remaining large stumps, which pose cosmetic and hygiene challenges, including the risk of harmful honey fungus.

We’ve balanced recovery efforts with the ongoing training of our resident School of Heritage Gardening trainees and intense preparation for the upcoming season. Restoring the garden and ensuring it’s safe for visitors is our top priority.

We’ll replant lost trees and shrubs this autumn, carefully selecting replacements that preserve the unique plant collection for which Threave Garden is known. We’re also assessing the damage to the garden’s shelterbelt, which is crucial in shielding the garden from harsh weather. We’ll choose trees that are resilient in the face of climate change, ensuring that Threave Garden remains a place of beauty and wonder for generations to come.

Donate a Daffodil Appeal

Andrew Hinson, Head Gardener at Greenbank Garden 

Last summer, we launched our Donate a Daffodil appeal to restore Greenbank Garden‘s iconic daffodil collection to its former glory. 

Home to one of Scotland’s largest daffodil collections, our walled garden and woodland boast over 500 stunning varieties – from the classic Narcissus King Alfred to the rare and historic N. Telamonius Plenus. The collection has naturally diminished over time, through age and the unavoidable impact of visitors.  

We completed phase one last autumn, planting 18,000 bulbs between the East Lodge and the corner of Cherry Avenue. Volunteers joined us for a fantastic community planting day, transforming donations into bulbs that will be enjoyed for generations to come. My team worked tirelessly to prepare the ground for this, laying 14 tonnes of fresh soil to ensure the daffodils had the perfect conditions to thrive. 

We’ll plant the next 15,000 bulbs (phase two) this autumn, with phase three planned for 2026 as a final push. We’d love for you to be a part of this journey, so please keep an eye out for details on our next community planting day. We can’t wait to welcome our supporters back to the garden! Together, we can protect these rare species and restore our incredible collection. 

Timesliders

Sarah Cowie, Senior Heritage Learning Advisor 

This spring, we’re launching Timesliders, a brand-new learning programme for primary school children at Drum Castle in Aberdeenshire. Combining live theatre, interactive visits, and immersive digital technologies, this innovative approach to learning is set to transform how we engage with schoolchildren and their families. 

At the heart of Timesliders is the power of storytelling. The adventure follows Kyla and Eden as they journey through Scotland’s past, present, and future, racing to stop the villainous Professor Curran from altering the course of history. Through their travels, young learners will experience the rich heritage of our places in an exciting and memorable way.  

Providing everyone with access and enjoyment is central to our charitable mission. That commitment has driven our development of Timesliders, which we launched at Pollok House, Glasgow, in 2023, with three primary schools participating. 

Building on this success, we aim to reach 1,000 children, teachers and their family members in Aberdeenshire, using the fascinating history of Drum Castle and the North East as a foundation for learning. Drum’s location makes it an ideal hub for this initiative, offering opportunities to connect with communities across various backgrounds, including those who may not have visited  Drum Castle before.   

With Timesliders, we’re not just teaching history – your support is making it come alive and ensuring that Scotland’s stories continue to inspire future generations. 

Everything we do at the Trust relies on the support and generosity of our visitors, members and donors. Without you, we couldn’t protect the places or collections in our care, or connect people with Scotland’s past.