Gardens in Argyll face long clean-up mission after Storm Eowyn

Sir Islay’s Christmas Tree was planted in 1927 and was a towering figure beloved by staff, but Eowyn’s 100mph gusts saw it forcefully torn from the earth. 

As a drop of good luck in a pool of misfortune, the tree narrowly avoided destroying the garden’s Neolithic burial chamber.

Another garden to see devastating damage was Benmore Botanic Garden near Dunoon, which saw its greenhouse destroyed beyond repair, and its polytunnels also face severe damage.

With the destruction of the greenhouse, the garden’s propagation misting unit has gone missing. The unit allowed for the rooting and germinating of rare seedlings, which is now impossible for the garden to perform. 

Aside from building damage, the garden saw the loss of more than over 300 trees and hundreds more shrubs, many uprooted and others torn apart by the winds. 

Benmore is run by the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, which saw a wave of damage across all four of its gardens, including Dawyck and Logan in southern Scotland.

The destruction is so severe that the charity has had to launch a fundraiser, which has already raised more than £75,000. 

The Benmore team expect to clear the lower part of the garden by March 1, but foresee other areas such as the hillsides taking much longer. 

Sean McDill, supervisor of Benmore Botanic Garden, said: “In the days since Storm Eowyn, members of the Benmore team have focussed on the considerable task of assessing the damage inflicted.

"While some, such as the destruction of the glasshouse and polytunnels in the nursery, and the impact on the courtyard buildings, has been relatively easy to access, other areas are proving problematic to reach. 

“We remain resilient and are taking consolation from the positives we are finding along the way.

"While it is sad to see the Sequoiadendron giganteum snapped in two in the famous Redwood Avenue, the tree does have a good chance of surviving.

"It is possible that the intensive decompaction and fertilising work we’ve been undertaking over the last four years could pay dividends."

The charity has thanked all those who have donated to its appeal and sent messages of support.

Ardkinglas House and Woodland Garden at Cairndow also saw multiple trees torn down by the winds, but the damage was not on the same scale as following the floods of October 2023 and it has since reopened.