National Trust for Scotland faces shake-up after scathing report

THE National Trust for Scotland will today publish an eagerly awaited review of its operations, with a management reorganisation and proposals to sell off properties expected to be put forward as part of a plan to ease the conservation body's troubled financial situation.

The review, written by former Holyrood presiding officer George Reid, is expected to include stern criticism of the trust's management over the way it has handled its financial affairs, with his proposals expected to include cutting the number of trustees and a wholesale reshaping of the organisation's board.

Mr Reid, who was asked to undertake the review last November after fears were raised over the trust's financial position, is understood to be scathing of the way the trust has been run.

According to reports, Mr Reid is set to say the failure to carry out a full inventory of the assets under its control led to management being unaware of the exact cost of maintaining its estate, and he will call for a full portfolio review to be undertaken before decisions are made on selling off properties.

His review will also reportedly call for some assets - such as Balmerino Abbey in Fife - to remain the property of the trust but be transferred to the care of Historic Scotland to benefit from its expertise.

Mr Reid is reported to be critical of the financial management of the trust over a number of years, but he is expected to praise the action taken by management to stem the funding problems after properties were mothballed and dozens of staff made redundant to cut costs.

Last year, the trust closed four sites - Hutchesons' Hall in Glasgow, Leith Hall in Aberdeenshire, Ben Lawers visitor centre and Hill of Tarvit Mansion House in Fife - in the wake of a dire set of financial results that led to anger among members about the way the trust was being run.

A stormy AGM in September heard that the trust's reserves stood at 4 million - 13m short of the sum needed for it to function comfortably.

That position improved this year, but Mr Reid's report is expected to include calls for a five-year plan to be put in place by the trust to help improve a financial position damaged further by the recession and a drop in membership numbers.

Mr Reid will call for that plan to include specific objectives for the trust as well as clear deadlines that management should meet in reviving its fortunes.

He is reported to be set to recommend the number of trustees be cut from 87 to 15 to address previous criticism that the body had a "grossly inflated governance structures" and call for a new board to be elected under Sir Kenneth Calman, who was recently named the body's new chairman.