Andrew Thin (Cairngorms National Park) & Jim Cornfoot (Cairngorm Ranger Service)
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CairnGorm Mountain's newest feature - the country's highest Mountain Garden - is quickly expected to become a visitor attraction in its own right. But it is not only human visitors who are expected to come calling this summer for the newly planted shrubs and trees are all native to The Cairngorms and are expected to encourage the return of several insect species, including the bumblebee, already under threat further south.
Opened officially today (26th) by Andrew Thin, the recently appointed Convener of The Cairngorms National Park Authority, the CairnGorm Mountain Garden has been created on the site of the now demolished Lower Station for the Car Park Chairlift, the starting off point for many skiers over the years. When the funicular railway replaced the chairlift some eighteen months ago, the potential for restoring the original mountain garden, created many years ago by Ben Humble, a celebrated local climbing instructor who was also a keen gardener, was realised and fitted in totally with the operating company's commitment to manage the mountain environment positively.
Demolition work on the former lower station was completed last summer and, with funding support from Scottish Natural Heritage, MBSE and The Cairngorms Partnership, extensive landscaping work and planting began almost at once. Because of the altitude - the garden sits at 650 metres above sea level - the growing season is very short and it was vital that the newly planted trees and shrubs had a firm grip before winter conditions set in. This was achieved successfully last Autumn with rowan, silver birch and Scots pine being planted along with willows, grasses, sedges and heathers, all of which are native to the area.
Much of the work has been undertaken by members of the Cairngorms Ranger Service, working under the direction of Jim Cornfoot, who is also a qualified landscape architect. Other team members have included ecologist and fellow ranger Ewan MacLeod, and Dr Cathy Mordaunt, CairnGorm Mountain's resident ecologist, along with gardening experts, Iain Brodie, from Auchourish Gardens, and Mark Doyle.
Said Bob Kinnaird, CairnGorm Mountain's Chief Executive, and the driving force behind the entire mountain garden project:
"The restoration and development of the Mountain Garden demonstrates, once more, our total commitment to this environment, both in the short and long term. Today, we are looking at a very long-term project for this is simply the start and what you see today is the completion of the first phase of hard landscaping and the initial planting. All of this will be on-going for many, many years."
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CairnGorm Mountain Garden opening 2. 26th June 2003
"For some of the plants, we have had to collect seeds and cuttings and it will take at least three years before the first phase planting is completed. In that time, some plants will, inevitably, thrive while others will struggle and, just like gardens at any altitude, plants always take time to adjust to new habitats. Growth at this altitude is very slow and it is worth remembering that some of the trees in the garden, originally planted by the late Ben Humble, are already over 30 years old and yet are only 6 feet tall!"
It may be small consolation to more mundane gardeners but even mountain gardens have their share of weeds and, in CairnGorm's case, these are largely caused by the introduction at some stage in the past of non-native species which have been difficult to eradicate.
On the more positive side, the return of native trees and shrubs will attract the insects, birdlife and wildlife that naturally belong to The Cairngorms and which are perhaps not as common today as they once were.
Continued Bob Kinnaird:
"The longer-term plan is for the Mountain Garden to become an interpretative garden that allows visitors of all abilities to see plants, shrubs and trees in their natural habitat without having to walk on the plateau or away from any of the footpaths. That objective is entirely in keeping with our visitor management strategy and will not only provide visitors with a better understanding of why The Cairngorms is such a fragile and valuable asset but also enhance their overall mountain experience."
Andrew Thin opened the CairnGorm Mountain Garden by unveiling a commemorative plaque and adding to the garden's collection by planting a rowan tree within it.
Ends
Further information from
Bill Nolan
Tel: 07885 071804
Note to Editors:
Extracts from Andrew Thin's speech prior to today's opening ceremony at CairnGorm have already been distributed by Maureen Ferrier PR (Tel: 07974 805584) to whom all media enquiries relating to The Cairngorms National Park should be addressed.
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