75 years of Trust

Published on Thursday 6 April 2006 01:39

ONE OF the founders of The National Trust for Scotland explained its importance to Scotland, describing it as "a cabinet into which it can put some of its valuable things, where they will be perfectly safe for all time and where they are open to be seen and enjoyed by everyone."

Now 75 years on, the Trust would require a very large cabinet indeed to care for the remarkable number and diversity of properties in its care. The Trust is Scotland's largest conservation, heritage and cultural charity, supported by over 291,000 members throughout the world, who have each contributed to its work of conserving Scotland's stunning heritage, enjoyed by millions of people each year.

The Trust cares for 128 properties, 78,000 hectares of countryside and 16 islands for the people of Scotland. The majority of these places have played and will continue to play a significant role in Scotland's history and culture. Bannockburn, Killiecrankie and Culloden are all in the Trust's care. These important battlefields mark key moments in Scotland's history. Culloden is especially emotive, scene of the last major battle fought on mainland Britain in 1746, where with the defeat of the army of Prince Charles Edward Stuart and the Jacobite rebellion, Scotland's history and culture were irrevocably changed. The Trust ensures the stories of these battles are properly told at our visitor centres. We are currently building a new centre at Culloden, which will open in 2007 and use state-of-the-art technology to bring the story of Bonnie Prince Charlie, the Jacobites and Culloden to life.

The Trust cares for many of Scotland's important castles, treasure-houses of art, antiques and furnishings, all with unique stories to tell of the generations of families who lived and worked there. They range from the medieval to the 18th- century splendour of Culzean and are found throughout Scotland, from Crathes, Craigievar, Castle Fraser, Drum and Fyvie in the north- east to Culzean in the west.

Great houses also play their part, many of them having been built by successful Scots from different walks of life, as showcases to their success. These include Pollok House in Glasgow, with its stunning art collections, Newhailes in Musselburgh with its links to the Scottish Enlightenment, or Hill of Tarvit Mansion House, by Cupar, which was remodelled by Sir Robert Lorimer and this year celebrates its centenary.

Many of our properties are excellent examples of the work of Scotland's greatest architects. Robert Adam, with the magnificent Culzean, Alexander 'Greek' Thomson with the classically-inspired Holmwood House, and Charles Rennie Mackintosh with The Hill House, often described as his finest domestic creation. We are equally proud of our smaller houses that tell the story of the "ordinary" Scot through time, from Gladstone's Land in the Old Town of Edinburgh to the Weaver's Cottage in Kilbarchan to the early 20th century Tenement House in Glasgow, helping us all understand how Scots lived in the past. As well as being fascinating and rich education resources, these houses are now being visited by people on ancestral trails, seeing what life was like for their forebears who may well have lived in similar settings. Those who can claim more famous ancestry can also visit the birthplaces of JM Barrie, David Livingstone, Hugh Miller or Thomas Carlyle, all also in the Trust's care.

Over two million people visit the countryside properties that we look after each year, ranging from Torridon and Kintail, through Glencoe to St Abbs Head in Berwickshire. As Scotland's third largest landowner and the largest one managing the land for conservation purposes, we care for these properties so they are available for all to enjoy. To many people, the scale of this ownership is surprising, including one-sixth of all Munros, mountains at the heart of both National Parks, seven National Nature Reserves and 46 Sites of Special Scientific Interest.

A great example is the Mar Lodge Estate, in Aberdeenshire, recognised as one of the most important nature conservation landscapes in the British Isles. This estate accounts for over 29,000 hectares and includes four of the five highest mountains in the United Kingdom. For wildlife enthusiasts, this is a haven with pine martens, red deer, red squirrels and golden eagle.

The Trust owns more than 250 miles of coastline and if you enjoy watching the antics of seabirds, there is plenty of choice - almost a quarter of Scotland's seabirds breed on Trust properties. The coastline properties are not restricted to the mainland; islands such as St Kilda, Fair Isle, Canna and Staffa are also in the Trust's care.

As important are the Trust's 65 gardens, in almost every style from Scottish garden history - from late Medieval at Culross Palace to modern creations in older settings such as Falkland Palace or Priorwood, Melrose. Some of the country's best known and loved gardens are in the Trust's care including Inverewe, Crarae, Arduaine, Threave and Pitmedden.

The Trust could not look after all its properties without the support and commitment of many people. There are endless opportunities to get involved in the Trust's work whether by becoming a volunteer, taking part in a working holiday, staying in one of 50 self-catering properties - or by becoming a member. It is thanks to members and supporters that the Trust has flourished and been able to develop into the unique organisation it is today. Through the pride, passion and commitment of members and staff the Trust can look back on the achievements of 75 years - and look ahead to the next 75.