On that day, 30 trees of various sizes were blown down. This is substantial loss.

Staff have been working hard to get the garden open again and now the Red, Green and Yellow routes (those around the  Crarae Burn) are open again.

White and Blue routes will remain closed until February.

Visitors are asked to respect the closures and not to cross the temporary barriers. They are there for very real safety reasons.

And, since no carol singing is complete without its accompanying seasonal comforts, punch and mince pies will be part of the order of the evening.

Tickets are £5 at the door, with children free if they are accompanied by an adult; and there will be a Christmas Raffle.

The young creative company – working in web and digital design, film and media, has created an iPhone App for Oban (and one for Lochaber) within its new Highlands portal,

The marketing logic behind the enterprise is that statistics on smartphone usage in the UK have been released by Ofcom, showing that:

• 27% of UK adults are smartphone owners
• 47% of teenagers own a smartphone
• 59% have bought the device in the last year.

Knowing that this is a market Scotland needs to hit, Linnhe Creative have set up the facility for Oban, which is  now there for local businesses to hitch their web wagons to the train.

The use of smartphones today is huge and still growing. Its prevalence in the younger end of the market is another good reason why Scottish – and Argyll – businesses are wise to make sure they are reachable through this specific technology. Our own Internet Services Director had For Argyll optimised for mobile use at a very early stage and has kept its availability updated as smartphones – and of course the iphone in particular – have made their presence felt in the Internet access market.

The Association of British Travel Agents (ABTA) has predicted that smartphone using holidaymakers will increasingly turn to mobile phone applications and services, with travel experts predicting that smartphones will continue to drive luxury and specialist holiday bookings. And this is Argyll.

We’re not about traditional beach holidays – although we have utterly memorable beaches.

We’re about activity – using the beaches, the water, the hills, the glens, the roads and the forest tracks for surfing, boardsailing, sailing, quad biking, sand yachting, marine wildlife trips, water taxis, hill walking with the long distance walking trails, birding – with golden and sea eagles a massive USP, mountain biking, cycling, golfing and rallying. And folk chasing these activities need somewhere to stay. eat, drink and browse.

We’re about luxury – with notably fine local produce from sea and land, with some first class fine dining establishments and a range of very good bistros (not to mention the whiskies and the ales) – and the highest quality of accommodation at places like the Isle of Eriska Hotel, the Portavadie Marina resort, the Cameron House Hotel; with Campbeltown’s Royal Hotel, the Ugadale at Machrihanish and the Machrie Hotel and Links on Islay about to come onstream after major revision and refurbishment; and with Oban to get a new hotel on the site of the old Argyll Hotel – and from owners with imagination and ambition.

The council needs to get its act together on the infrastructure but the opportunities for visitors are all there, with access to a ready market via smartphones a very powerful instrument.

Chris Snelgrove, Linnhe Creative’s Managing Director,  recognises that ‘our visitors demand destinations to keep apace with technology, therefore our About Highlands product is a group of websites and apps that are designed specifically to target modern consumers who use mobiles and social media to plan, book and experience their holiday.

‘At it’s heart is an innovative design with a simple user interface which allows businesses to update information easily and publish it instantly into an agile machine dedicated to marketing destinations.’

Check out About Highlands and within it, About Oban and the Isle of Mull. The design is clean and unfussy – and majors on spectacular photography.

The Big Lottery’s Awards for All has granted the Trust £8,000, while Highlands and Islands Enterprise has granted the remaining £2,000 towards the total purchase price of £10,000. Conveyancing has already begun, the cost of which was, for a large part, also covered by Highland & Islands Enterprise funding.

Trust Convener, Dennis Gower, says: ‘This is good news for the village and, since our application to buy was accepted, the Trust has raised an additional £6,500 through local fund raising.

‘e would therefore like to thank local residents and friends of the walled garden project for all their support and we look forward to restoring this valuable piece of Ardentinny’s heritage.’

The community and its trust has been working for some time on the Glenfinart Walled Garden purchase project. Seeing them succeeed in this is very god news indeed.

There are a lot of positive energies in Ardentinny and the web presence the community gets from the great Ardentinny.org website evidences the skills and commitment within the community that are being turned strategically to its sustainability.

The gardens are open to the public  by kind permission of Mr & Mrs John McGhee and there will be a jazz concert during the afternoon between 1.00pm and 4.00pmn in the barn – featuring the Tim Saul Jazz Quintet.

Proceeds of the admission charges will support the Scottish Gardens Scheme and local charities.

The focus for the occasion will be hearing the new Garden Club Coordinator’s idas for the new season and contributing to the shape of the programme of evening events, weekend and daytime activities, talks, workshops and walks. All of these are designed to share more insights and expertise on gardens, growing and the environment.

Full details of the meeting and Linda Mitchells proposals for the coming season are here.

Anyone who cannot come to the meeting can go online here for a survey of suggestions and to add more.

Anyone can join in online with North Connel and District Garden Group members between workshops and meetings and to find out what is being planned.

The ‘Himalayan gorge’ garden, as well as its dramas, exudes tranquillity and provides horticultural spectacle with its rhododendrons, camellias, magnolias and azaleas.

The programme of events includes:

• Cadbury Easter Egg Trail: For families, the fun begins at Easter with the Cadbury Easter Egg Trail – run from Friday 22nd until Monday 25th April 2011 from 10.00 until 16.00.
• Bluebell Treasure Trail: On Saturday 7th and Sunday 8th May, younger visitors can explore the woodlands at Crarae on the Bluebell Treasure Trail. This event is presented in association with the Inveraray Marketing Association.
• Strawberries and Cream: For an early taste of summer, on 21st May, the Friends of Crarae are hosting their Strawberries and Cream event and tying this in with the group’s Annual General Meeting.
• Scotland’s Garden Scheme days: Crarae hosts the first of its Scotland’s Garden Scheme days on 28th May adn 25th June. Visitors can come along and learn more about the care of such a valuable garden and help raise funds for gardens all over Scotland in the process.
• Red Squirrel Day: At Red Squirrel Day on 17th July, Crarae will celebrate its red squirrel population with help from the Scottish Wildlife Trust, helping visitors learn more about these creatures, the challenges they face and why they have made Crarae their home.
• Scrufts: More creatures feature in August, as Scrufts takes place on 14th August. Billed as a ‘not too serious dog show’, the event will offer fun for all the family, whether four legged, or two…
• South America Day: South America Day on 4 September means the welcome return of Freddie and the alpacas. This unusual event proved a hit last year  – and this year there will be spinning demonstrations and South American plants on sale.
• Fungal Fest: As autumn sets in, the focus turns to fungi. On 9 October, the garden will host a Fungal Fest, giving visitors the chance to seek out mushrooms of all shapes and sizes and giving advice on what’s edible and what’s not!

Crarae Garden is open daily until dusk. The visitor centre and shop are open from 10.00 to 17.00 each day, except Tuesday and Thursday.

They will be meeting up with fellow family members in a bid to raise awareness about the threat to the garden’s sustainability.

Threatened with immediate closure a year ago under the aegis of the then Chair, Shonaig MacPherson, whose departure was acceleretd by the controversy that followed the proposal to close and refous a swathe of National Trust for Scotland properties, Arduaine got a reprieve.

However, an additional £750,000 needs to be raised now as an endowment to ensure that this important west coast garden remains open and continues to be enjoyed by future generations of visitors – including Campbells – in years to come.

Set on the stunning Arduaine peninsula, the garden was originally designed by Arthur Campbell back in 1897. The mini-climate created by the warming North Atlantic Drift became home to azaleas and rhododendrons shipped home in tea-chests from the Himalayas and Ceylon.

Since taking over the garden in 1992, Arduaine has continued to thrive and develop under the care of the Trust’s dedicated and talented Head Gardener, Maurice Wilkins.

Diarmid Campbell, grandson of the late Arthur Campbell, who shares his grandfather’s passion for the garden takes up the story,

‘In my unofficial capacity as ‘historian’ of the extended Inverawe family, I’m passionate about ensuring the garden continues to delight our visitors. I’ve enjoyed working with the Trust in planning this Campbell family re-union picnic in Arduaine Garden next week.

Invitations have been issued by the Trust, who will be our hosts – and we’re looking forward to a great turn out.  For many it is a long way to come but they’ll be sure of a warm welcome and a very interesting day’.

Donations to help secure the future of Arduaine can be made online here..

The gardens are open every day throughout the year from 09.30 to sunset.  For further information call 0844 493 2216.

Note: Sir Kenneth Calman has now been appointed to the vacant Chair of the National Trust for Scotland.

This digital format newsletter is emailable and downloadable – and, particularly appropriateky for gardeners, requires no trees to be felled in its publication.

This development sees the Club embracing new ways to connect growers and gardeners in the local area and to share the expertise of the many experienced gardeners in the area.

Jill Bowis, Secretary to the Club and founding energy behind online local news service, the Ardchattan Observer, says: ‘More and more people are interested in producing their own food from their gardens, but our locality is not the most hospitable. The Garden Club has many experienced gardeners, and we hope to encourage them to share their knowledge with new members through the year.

‘There are other topics of interest, which we hope to follow up and we’re looking forward to ideas from existing and new members.

‘ Our first newsletter is here – Ardchattan Garden Club Spring Newsletter 2010 – packed full of information and ideas for activities, visits and talks for the rest of 2010′.

‘For members who want to get together, share, swop, chat, or arrange outings please join the Garden Group in the new LORN community network’.

Annual membership is £7.00.

Email ncdgardenclub@gmail.com for contact and payment details or call into Kintaline Plant and Poultry Centre at Benderloch.

New members will be welcomed by the club’s strong existing membership.

Last year James Lothian ,who was gardening with Mrs Campbell of Ormsary in the 1840s, was finally acknowledged by the leading horticultural historians on both sides of the Atlantic, as the first pioneer of alpine gardening.

He then went on to establish the Kilmory Castle gardens and later he had a seedsman and landscaping business in Campbeltown.

Several years ago a woodland garden was planned but and just as Tommy McCrae started planting it, a huge stormed flattened the largest trees,  so a new avenue garden has been created.

The woodland garden has been revived by Jim Davidson who has brought a wealth of knowledge to the gardens.

These two new areas will be open for the first time this year.

This open day will be for the benefit of the MS Centre,The Red Cross, Lochgilphead, and South Knapdale Parish Church.

The society has already received some of Scottish Water Waste Services’ (SWWS) organic compost – Pod.

Currently Deerdykes takes green waste from Helensburgh and Lomond civic amenity sites. In addition to this, a segregated one-year food trial, which began in Helensburgh this April, is already proving successful.

Donald MacBrayne, SWWS Business Development Manager welcomed the Society’s interest in Pod and the surprises in store at the Deerdykes Facility: ‘The Horticultural Society members were delighted to learn that even the scraps off their plates are now going to promoting the Argyll & Bute’s beautiful blooms. Our Helensburgh Food Trial is going extremely well, with residents playing a significant part in the success of the project’.

Mr MacBrayne went on to talk about Scottish Water’s latest initiative in renewable energy generation: ‘Our pioneering Anaerobic Digestion (AD) facility at Deerdykes will lead the way in green energy. When completed early next year, the facility will be capable of generating enough renewable electricity to heat, light and power nearly 2,000 homes’.

Construction of this facility, which will be the largest of its kind in Scotland, is currently ahead of schedule and is due to be operational in spring next year.

It will harness the gases produced by the natural break down of food waste and convert them into ‘green’ energy. This energy will be used to power the plant and excess electricity will be sold to the National Grid.

A district heating scheme, that could export heat directly to local homes and businesses, is also being investigated.

When the Deerdykes Anaerobic Digester is operational in Spring 2010, it will produce around 8,000MW of ‘green’ power from around 30,000 tonnes of waste each year.

Finding David Douglas is an hour-long documentary on the Perthshire lad whose exploration of the New World changed the face of horticulture and forestry in Europe.

David Douglas (1799-1834) – often referred to as the ‘Founder of Forestry’ in Western North America – introduced over 200 new plant species to European botany, forestry and horticulture, including the Douglas fir tree, Sitka spruce and Radiata (or Monterey) pine trees.

Featuring outstanding scenery in locations as far afield as Hudson’s Bay, the Canadian Rockies, British Columbia, Hawaii and Oregon’s Blue Mountains, the film also features some spectacular shots from Perthshire. These include the Explorers Garden by the theatre – as well as the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh and its outlier at Dawyck near Peebles.

Environment Minister, Roseanna Cunningham, will visit Pitlochry Festival Theatre later this month, on Thursday 29th October, for the premiere of a film celebrating the life and work of this man, one of Scotland’s great adventurers and plant collectors.

Screened as part of Year of Homecoming 2009, the film was put together by the Oregon Cultural Heritage Commission, and has been backed by Forestry Commission Scotland, the Scottish Forest Trust, and supported by the US Forest Service and Parks Canada.

Oregon is sending over to PItlochry for the premiere,  Lois Leonard,the film’s producer and its film editor, Kate Schoninger, along with David Milholland (President) and Charlotte Rubin (Treasurer) of Oregon Cultural Heritage Commission.

Also attending will be Mike Russell, Minister for Europe, External Affairs and Culture, and representatives of the US and Canadian Governments as well as Provost John Hulbert from Perth & Kinross Council who are jointly hosting the event with Forestry Commission Scotland.

Roseanna  Cunningham says: ‘The film is a tremendous show-case for one of Scotland’s most intrepid adventurers who, arguably more than any other, has helped shape Scotland’s landscape as well shaping the gardens of Europe. If you walk round any suburban garden or stroll through any forest in Scotland you’ll see plenty of evidence of Douglas’s abundant plant introductions, such as lupins and the ubiquitous flowering currant in gardens – and Douglas fir and sitka spruce in the forests.

“This film is another great tribute to this remarkable man and to the international appeal of Perthshire’s exceptional woodland landscape, including some of Douglas’s original Douglas fir trees grown from seed collected by him in the 1820’s, in the heart of Big Tree Country’.

Tickets for the premiere, which will start at 7.45pm, cost £7.50 and are available from Pitlochry Festival Theatre

• by email at:  www.pitlochry.org.uk
• by phone at: 01796 484 626

The documentary will be made available free for educational purposes and is intended to help both at school and adult audiences gain an insight into the history of the Pacific Northwest, famous Scots and botanical exploration.

Visitors will be able to ask Head Gardener, Nigel Price, their horticultural questions and stock up on a variety of plants in a sale at the property’s onsite Shop.

One of the justly titled ‘Glorious Gardens of Argyll and Bute‘, Crarae has secrets and historical mysteries to discover, as well as a remarkable plant collection. Its shop also has a video running of the gardens in bloom, so that the less mobile – or the more gregarious – can sit, talk, have a cup of coffee, browse gifts and still see the gardens without the walking challenges of the steep gorge paths

Head of Gardens at the National Trust for Scotland, Robert Grant says: ‘The Trust manages some of Scotland’s most stunning gardens, with beautiful plant collections and fascinating histories and all are expertly managed by our dedicated gardeners.

‘Crarae Garden is involved in the Gardens Days, giving visitors the opportunity to get behind the scenes, learn more about the history of our gardens and what goes into maintaining them’.

The event runs between 10:00 and 17:00 on Wednesday 23rd September. Prices are £5.50 for adults and £4.50 for concessions.

There is more information on the gardens taking part in Gardens Days at the Trust’s website.

The 2009-2010 schedule for its monthly meetings is:

• September 15th: The Realities of Garden Design,  by Ian Dougall
• October 20th: Greenbank Garden, by David Ferguson
• November 17th: Herbal Medicine – garden weeds as friends, by Kerry Caldock
• January 19th: A History of RHS Wisley Garden, by David Croucher
• February 16th: Propagation of plants made easy, by Peter McDonald
• March 16th: Herbaceous Borders, by Simon McPhun
• April 20th: AGM, Talk  (topic TBC)