A charitable trust set up to restore a dilapidated north-east country mansion to its former glory will host an open day this weekend to show the public the fruits of their labour.
Ellon Castle and its gardens once formed the centrepiece of the Aberdeenshire town, but it has lain derelict for years.
In 2015, however, the keys to the site were handed over to the Ellon Castle Gardens community trust and since then the organisation has been hard at work replanting the flower beds and rejuvenating the historic site.
The public are invited to see the trust’s progress so far at an open day this Saturday, between noon and 4pm.
Stuart Wale, the chairman of Ellon Castle Gardens, wants the site become a “unique community resource” for the town and the rest of the north-east of Scotland.
He said: “These are exciting times at Ellon Castle Gardens as the project really moves into gear.
“Not only have we opened our gates to members, townsfolk and the public alike on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays each week, we have started on the latest phase of restoration of the walls and started planting up the west border with hundreds of plants.
“All of these developments are the culmination of hard work by the gardening team, many volunteers and the board.
“Work is continuing on the east and south walls, as well as restoring the listed sundial in the centre of the Gardens to its former glory.
“Once it is finished, it will be possible to prepare the east border for planting.”
In addition to horticultural work and restoration of the site’s architecture, the team want the gardens to provide something for everyone in the community.
The Ellon Resource Centre has been designated part of the gardens in which to grow its own vegetables.
And local schools have been invited for guided tours to help pupils learn about Ellon’s history and gardening.
Mr Wale added: “We have an ambitious long-term programme for the gardens to make it a stunning tourist attraction for the north-east of Scotland and a unique community resource.
“The programme will take many years to complete and a lot of hard work to achieve, but it is something that should benefit everyone in the locality.”
