A pair of endangered trees were planted at a Skye castle to mark 50 years of the Clan Donald Lands Trust.
The gardens of Armadale Castle were the setting for the ceremony.
As part of a pioneering clan community initiative, the lands were purchased from the estate of Lord Macdonald in 1971 and are now home to one of Skye’s most popular visitor attractions.
The two newly-planted trees are both conifer species which are endangered in the wild.
They will form part of Armadale Castle’s trees for the future programme, a collaboration with the International Conifer Conservation Programme at the Royal Botanic Garden in Edinburgh.
Historic occasion
Lord Macdonald said: “This really is a historic occasion in the proud history of Clan Donald as we enter the next fifty years.
“This has been a very difficult period for all tourist-related businesses, but thanks to the dedication and generosity of those that believe in our endeavours, we can look forward to the future with renewed energy.”
The trees planted were a rare Vietnamese cypress and a slow-growing alerce from Argentina and Chile.
Alex Stoddart will take over as chief executive of the Clan Donald Lands Trust next month.
He said: “In 1971, members and supporters of Clan Donald, both local and from the migration diaspora, came together and facilitated one of Scotland’s first community land acquisitions.
“Despite long odds, the community won through and the Clan Donald Lands Trust was born.
“Planting these trees together is not so much about looking back at an extraordinary 50 years, but looking forward to what we can accomplish, in local partnership, for our young people and future generations.
“Their future on this magical island and the durability of our culture and heritage are inextricably entwined.”
