Yesterday For Argyll reported that the National Trust for Scotland is shedding around 90 jobs in a restructuring to deal with the recession and falling revenues.

Today, as they promised, the Trust released plans to revise the status of 11 of its 130 properties, as part of the same restructuring.

Some properties are to be closed, some to be converted for residential purposes to earn money, some to be moved to external funding and sponsorship.

Of these 11 properties, one is in Argyll and it is one of those slated to be closed. It is the famous and much loved Arduaine Garden at Loch Melfort in Mid Argyll. Arduaine is renowned for its collection of exotic plants and at this moment is hosting its Snowdrop Festival, which runs until 16th March. Arduaine is also one of the ‘Glorious Gardens of Argyll’, marketing themselves jointly to garden visitors.

The statement released by the NTS makes no reference to when Arduaine may be closed nor of what may happen to it. For Argyll is pursuing the matter and will report on it as soon as possible.

The total list of properties affected and the specific decisions taken on each of them is:

• The David Livingstone Centre at Blantyre will no longer be managed by NTS and will be returned to its Trustees unless the full deficit of the property is funded externally.
• Hill of Tarvit Mansion House in Fife is to close and the property is to be let to a suitable tenant. However the gardens and estate would be maintained and remain open to the public.
• Leith Hall House, NW of Aberdeen, is to be closed to visitors, with the the property converted into permanent residential use to meet the cost of managing the estate and garden, which will remain open to the public.
• Barry Mill in Angus is to be offered for external funding or sponsorship. If this does not materialise, it will be closed.
• Hugh Miller’s Cottage in Cromarty is also to be offered for external funding or sponsorship to avoid closure.
• Kellie Castle in Fife will in future be operated by local volunteers provided that the castle’s deficit can be resolved. If this cannot be achieved the castle will be closed to visitors, with the gardens remaining open to the public.
• Haddo House in Aberdeen will change focus to specialise solely on functions, events and pre-booked tours. The shop, tearoom and gardens will remain open to the public, in conjunction with the country park.
• Hutchesons’ Hall in Glasgow will be let to a suitable long term tenant.
• Arduaine Garden in Argyll is to close.
• Inveresk Garden in East Lothian is to close.
• Ben Lawers Mountain Visitor Centre in Perth is to close.

Kate Mavor, Chief Executive of the National Trust for Scotland says of these decisions: ‘We are making some difficult decisions today about some of our properties that are making a loss as part of our overall cost saving programme.

‘We will make every effort to work with our staff and external partners to minimise the changes to these properties. Our members and supporters can rest assured that we will only propose closure, or in the case of the David Livingstone Centre, relinquish management of a property, if it is absolutely necessary.

‘However the Trust is firm in its belief that doing nothing about the affects of the economic downturn is simply not an option’.

The photograph above shows the view from Loch Melfort Hotel, beside Arduaine Garden which is to the immediate right. It was taken by Mike and Kirsty Grundy and is reproduced here under the Creative Commons licence.

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