Cherrybank re-opens
14 October 2008
The Bell’s Cherrybank Garden in Perth is to re-open with free access to the public.
Scotland’s Garden Trust (SGT), has gifted the site to Perth and Kinross Leisure (PKL), which will take over responsibility of the garden’s future. An opening date has yet to be announced.
The garden, which houses a National Collection of Erica, was closed in March after the SGT failed to secure lottery funding for a much larger project on the site, which it called the Calyx. With only 6,000 visitors a year, it said the garden at Cherrybank on its own was not viable.
Since then the plants have been maintained by PKL, a ‘not for profit’ company working in partnership with Perth and Kinross Council, which has also been improving health and safety within the garden.
A decision has however, been made to sell off the garden’s visitor centre for conversion to offices. Proceeds from the sale will go towards funding the Calyx at a new site, which has still be found. If the Calyx fails to go ahead, the funds will be split between PKL and Diageo, the original owner of the site.
