STAYING CLOSED

Attadale Gardens in Wester Ross was the only site in Scotland to be named on a list of the world’s 15 most beautiful gardens, alongside the likes of the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew, Arundel Castle’s gardens in West Sussex, and the gardens at the Palace of Versailles in France. The list was compiled by loveexploring.com. Joanna Macpherson, who runs Attadale Estate, said that they were delighted to be ‘included in such distinguished company; it is a true accolade to my mother whose vision it was to create this beautiful garden.’

More and more Scots turned to their gardens for solace during lockdown, according to a survey by Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH). The poll found that 62% of respondents relaxed in their garden, while 42% took part in gardening, and 36% enjoyed wildlife in their garden, with a further 30% enjoying watching wildlife from indoors through a window. SNH is now encouraging members of the public to ‘make space for nature’ during their daily lives through activities including gardening for wildlife. www.nature.scot/scotlands-biodiversity/make-spacenature-summer

The trustees of Drummond Castle Gardens near Crieff have decided to keep the site shut to protect visitors and staff from coronavirus. The gardens have featured in films including Rob Roy and television series such as Outlander, in which they were used as the gardens at the Palace of Versailles. www.drummondcastle gardens.co.uk

Television presenter Chris Packham has called on the public to ‘give a gift back to nature this summer’ by taking part in Butterfly Conservation’s Big Butterfly Count. Packham said that ‘while so many of us have had a bit more time to appreciate the nature on our doorsteps during the lockdown period – and learning about the natural world has been a mindful distraction from uncertainty – this is a real chance to do something positive and contribute to conserving nature.’ www.bigbutterflycount.org