National Trust Review’s interim report upholds Macpherson’s critics

George Reid, the widely respected former Presiding Officer of the Scottish Parliament, tasked to lead a review of the National Trust for Scotland (NTS) has released an interim report on the review group’s ongoing analysis.

The final report will come in June and will recommend changes, not all of which will be popular. Mr Reid descried the need for ‘an agenda for change’ as unavoidable in securing the future and the stability of NTS as an independent body.

Although Reid does not, of course, cast it in these terms, much of the substance of the view being taken support the concerns and criticisms viced during the controversial tenure of former Chair, Shonaig Macpherson. Ms Macpherson stood down from her post early and has just been replaced by Dick Balharry as Acting Chair.

The interim report, and some clarifications from Mr Reid quoted in yesterday’s Herald (19th February) indicate key perspectives emerging in the review.

• The scale of the reforms to be proposed will probably require parliamentary enactment, but will be implemented in a phased procedure. Reid has said that ‘there cannot be a Big Bang’. This cannot be a coincidental expression, given that the flashpoint in the Macpherson / Mavor regime was the sudden announcement almost a year ago of 90 redundancies and the closure, mothballing, or change of use to be applied in short order to no fewer than eleven NTS properties. (* Kate Mavor, appointed during Macpherson’s period as Chair, was and, somewhat surprisingly, remains, the Trust’s CEO. She was seen as the shrilly willing organ grinder’s monkey who made the announcement of the property closures. Her conduct during the troubled times that followed have left her with no legacy of support among critics of that precipitate action.)
• There will be no merger with the National Trust in England or with Historic Scotland, although joint sales and marketing between NTS and Historic Scotland are seen as mutually rewarding areas for development.
• The NTS has become too ambitious, stretching the resources of Scotland too thinly in trying to operate across a wider spectrum than its core brief envisages. The focus should remain on carrying out conservation of ‘cultural and natural heritage’ in the national interest. This is the first Strategic Aim of the organisation.
• The shrunken conservation department is cause for concern. This is a situation – long criticised – over which Macpherson presided, seeing alleged loss of morale in a department which is, of course, the sine qua non of the Trust.

The practical consequences of this thinking is likely to find expression in the final report as:

• A slimming down of the ruling Council, seen as a bloated, supine and undemocratic body by vocal critics of the Macpherson era, such as the lobbying group, In Trust for Scotland, set up as an act of damage limitation.
• A case-by-case review of the properties in the Trust’s portfolio, seeking strategies for each to maximise income and cut costs. Some uncontroversial actions could be carried out quite quickly – such as an example cited by Mr Reid: the possible letting of No 14 Ramsay Garden in Edinburgh to a tenant wiling to renovate it to conservation standards. This property, brought into the NTS portfolio between 199-2004,  perhaps symbolises a loss of perspective in the Trust’s acquisition programme. Described as ‘a landmark building on the Edinburgh skyline’  – and far from alone in occupying that position – it is the flat once belonging to doyen of town planning, Patrick Geddes. Would a blue plaque not be a sufficient and more appropriate commemoration?
• No job cuts – according to Mr Reid, these have not been discussed. A programme of redundancies has already been carried out.

The full report, due in June, will be keenly awaited by those with the interests of judicious conservation of Scotland’s cultural and national heritage at heart.

Among them are the supporters of Argyll’s Arduaine Garden. This was one of the properties headed for oblivion under the Macpherson / Mavor slash and burn proposals – a decision which, arguably, caused the greatest outcry of all. Expressions of competent anger and concern flooded in from experts and visitors across the world.

The Friends of Arduaine Garden are charged with raising the funding to support its future.They were promised support from NTS in their efforts to do so. A progress report on this challenge should be due within a few months.