Work continues to restore Crarae Garden after storms
The National Trust for Scotland is working hard to reopen storm damaged Crarae Garden at Minard as soon as possible, writes Rita Campbell.
Much of the garden infrastructure has been lost after extreme rainfall resulted in widespread disruption across Argyll in October.
The devastation was such that the much-loved garden has been closed to visitors indefinitely throughout the winter.
A combination of landslides, flooding and erosion when the Crarae Burn burst its banks resulted in the closure for safety reasons.
Sink holes appeared in the gardens and several trees were lost. The path network throughout the site has been badly affected, with the woodland garden being of particular concern due to many unstable slopes.
But a repair plan is under way, and the Friends of Crarae volunteer gardener group had a guided walk recently to view progress.
NTS is busy planning for rerouting or creating new trails to join up with the wider path network.
A spokeswoman for the Friends of Crarae said: “Thankfully, the areas east side of the burn and to the west of the forest track were largely unaffected by the deluge. The gardeners will need to work with other teams to complete this work.
“The waterfall bridge remains out of action but will be replaced in the new year and the top bridge needs some more repairs before the east garden is accessible. The lower bridge will have to be removed, its concrete supports are too damaged and the bank eroded beyond repair.”
The local garden team have reinstated crossroads and created a diversion from parts of the forest track that have been washed away.
Other general maintenance and improvements have been continuing. Radical pruning has taken place creating new viewpoints and new plants are arriving at the greenhouse.
Tim Keyworth, gardens and landscapes manager for NTS, said: “The good news is that much of the planting and the collection, which is so important to the garden, remains largely intact.
“With more storms and extreme weather events on the horizon due to climate change, the sad reality is that much of our natural heritage is under threat. We’re entering a time of adaptation at Crarae Garden, and probably at many of our other designed landscapes.
“The trust is making strategic decisions to create long-term
This forest track was washed away at the garden boundary. practical solutions in mitigation of and adaption to gardening in a changing climate, so we can ensure these special places will still be here for future generations to experience.”
The trust is seeking donations to help it respond to extreme weather events. Visit the website for more information.
Aray Bridge traffic light repairs
A fault on the traffic lights at Inveraray Bridge on the A83 has been causing delays to motorists, writes Rita Campbell.
Drivers have reported that the lights have been slow to change colours lately.
Bear Scotland, which is responsible for maintaining the road, said it would investigate and fix the problem.
A spokeswoman said: “We ▍ Between 7.45am and 11.15am on Friday January 5, at the Inveraray Jail Car Park, a red Kia Sportage had numerous panels scratched with an unknown implement.
Police are investigating this matter. Anyone with information regarding this matter can contact them on 101 or anonymously through Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111, quoting crime reference CR/0006320/24.
▍ At 1.40pm, on Thursday December 21, 2023, on A83 between Lochgair and Ardcastle, a blue Volkswagen are grateful that this has been brought to our attention and have confirmed that the traffic signals are not functioning as normal. We will look into the reasons for this and rectify the problem as quickly as possible.”
Councillor Jan Brown, who represents the Mid Argyll ward, said: “I think it’s great that folk are reporting issues as they find them whether it’s to Bear or the council. I’m sure that Bear will sort the problem out as quickly as they can.”
Up, was travelling east when a flatbed lorry travelling in the opposite direction, allegedly shed part of its load, the content falling onto the carriageway and striking the VW, causing damage.
The lorry continued to drive without stopping.
Police are investigating this matter. Anyone with information or dash cam footage regarding this matter can contact them on 101 or anonymously through Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111, quoting reference CR/0452396/23.