War memorial garden opened
New retreat on woodland walk
(L-r): Piper Bruce Hinch, youngsters from ABC Nursery, Roy Cannon, Pam Campbell, Jim Adams (treasurer Aberfeldy Move2Improve), Provost Dennis Melloy and Louise Killough Aberfeldy has a new feature to welcome walkers heading through the Lower Birks up into the famous Highland Perthshire woodland walk.
The town’s community group, Move2Improve, has been working on a ‘Reflection Garden’ to make a fitting entrance to the public greenspace, regenerating land which had become overgrown and unsightly.
It links the memorial to Aberfeldy’s war dead with the natural wonders of the trees and tumbling water beyond.
On Thursday Pam Campbell, wife of late council leader Ian Campbell, performed the official opening ceremony with Provost Dennis Melloy and Roy Cannon, chair and Jim Adams, treasurer of Aberfeldy Move2Improve.
Highland Ward’s three local councillors and the projects’ funders were there as well.
“We’re hoping visitors will use the newly completed garden with its benches and plantings as a place to relax and contemplate their surroundings,” said Roy Cannon, the Move2Improve group’s chairman.
“Move2Improve received funding from Centenary Fields In Trust to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the end of World War I.
“We completed several attractive features close by 18 months ago, with the carved wooden statue of the animals as the centrepiece. Now we have a centenary plaque and we asked the community how best to fit it into the Lower Birks Regeneration Project.
“We have had two black iron memorial benches specially made. They have images of soldiers, doves and poppies welded into the design.”
The benches link into a new stretch of sandstone wall which is a nice way to present the commemorative plaque. It has been made to match the original stone war memorial and the team has put in heathers, shrubs and azaleas to complete the scene.
“Altogether, with the mature trees of the Birks as a backdrop, the reflection garden is a really wonderful new feature for Aberfeldy,” concluded Roy.
Now the ‘Reflection Garden’ is complete, visitors can choose to place a small wooden cross there from Remembrance Sunday onwards. Move2Improve is behind the Reflection Garden in Aberfeldy’s Lower Birks
The reflection garden is a really wonderful new feature