Arduaine bears the brunt of winter storms

Winter storm damage to trees has delayed the opening of Arduaine Garden.

 

The National Trust for Scotland (NTS) site will have to remain closed to allow staff to carry out forestry work to allow safe access to the public. It is estimated that the clear-up operation will take many months.

 

Since November 2021, dozens of properties run by the trust lost more than one million trees in storms and Arduaine Garden had dozens of trees felled by high winds.

 

Work has also been going on at Arduaine Garden for the past five years to remove 1,000 larch trees from its shelter belt to comply with a plant health notice issued due to the presence of Phytophthora ramorum, a fungal-like organism causing dieback and death in a range of trees and shrubs, but particularly larch.

 

Around 900 of these trees have been felled so far.

 

NTS garden and designed landscape manager Simon Jones explained: 'With so much of that shelterbelt now removed, the rest of the trees in the garden were more exposed to the recent powerful storms of Arwen, Corrie and Eunice and we've lost dozens of trees and shrubs as a result.

 

'The damage is so extensive it’s going to take our teams months to clear up and ensure that the site is safe for visitors.

 

'Our priority is to ensure that this beautiful place is cleaned up, cared for and ready to welcome the public again, as soon as we can.

 

'We're really grateful for everyone's understanding and support while this work is under way.'

 

Reopening of the garden will be in two stages - the first enabling the lower part of the garden to be opened to the public, which may not be until the end of summer.

 

The second stage, allowing the rest of the garden to be opened, will not be completed until 2023.

 

Donations in support of this highly specialised work are welcome and can be made at www.nts.org.uk/campaigns/storm-damage.