Conservation - Planting for the future and protecting the past

Photo by Paddy Mackay Armadale Castle

Planting for the future and protecting the past

by Scott Aitken

T

wo ancient castles on the Isle of Skye are at the forefront of conservation projects that will save endangered species and transform the landscape. Armadale Castle has formed a new partnership with the Royal

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Botanic Garden Edinburgh to help save endangered trees while Dunvegan Castle is involved in a major tree planting project to restore the land to its natural state. Armadale Castle Gardens will be linked with the prestigious International Conifer Conservation Programme as a satellite garden for threatened plant material and

become part of a network of ‘safe sites’ where endangered tree species are able to flourish. Conifers are of major importance worldwide and over 34 per cent of all conifer species are threatened. This ‘living collection’ of endangered species will contribute to the ICCP’s vital research about endangered species, and potentially be