Tall order... the £90k hedge trim
IT HAS earned a place in the Guinness Book of Records and is a draw for tourists.
But the owners of the world’s tallest hedge are now paying for not cutting it for nearly 20 years – they face a £90,000 bill to trim it.
The 550-yard beech hedge in Meikleour, Perthshire, is almost 100ft tall and was planted in 1745. But the hedge has not been cut since 2000 due to a lack of funds and owner Sam Mercer Nairne, 42, now faces having to shell out £90,000 to sort it out.
This includes managing traffic on the busy A93, accessing the hedge using a hydraulic platform, and the labour required to cut and shape it.
Mr Mercer Nairne’s wife Claire, 45, said: ‘In the past it was quite straightforward – Meikleour estate did the work of cutting the hedge by hand.
‘We just hired a hydraulic platform. If I remember the tourist board helped us out. It was perfectly manageable, considering it was every ten years.’
But by 2010 costs had risen, as traffic management had to be paid for separately – and with the job lasting six weeks, it was decided not to trim the hedge.
Mrs Mercer Nairne added: ‘It has become a very big job and a very difficult one.’
The couple had hoped Perth and Kinross Council might help with traffic management costs. Mrs Mercer Nairne said: ‘It is a good tourist attraction. If we wait for too long, the hedge won’t be a hedge any more, it’ll be a group of trees.’ Local councillor Grant Laing said: ‘I am not blaming anyone for the state of the hedge, but £90,000 for the owners is a lot to fall on their shoulders. We are going to lose it if we don’t do something soon.’
A spokesman for Perth & Kinross Council said: ‘We’re happy to discuss how the council can help. We would ask Mr Mercer Nairne to get in touch to discuss his proposal further.’