Letter: Sale of Suntrap will aid heritage

RE "NATIONAL Trust sparks battle to save Suntrap" (News, 10 April). The National Trust for Scotland is the largest gardener and gardens employer in Scotland. Our heritage gardens extend from world significant properties like Inverewe and Pitmedden Gardens to historic plantings associated with properties such as Drum Castle.

We have significantly more plant taxa than the Royal Botanical Gardens of Edinburgh, and have representatives of some 6% of the world's flowering plant species in our gardens, all available for enjoyment and appreciation by members, visitors and tourists alike. Our School of Horticultural Excellence at Threave trains future gardeners to the highest standards and underlines our commitment to horticultural in Scotland. All of this costs money to maintain and manage.

As a conservation charity, we must raise every penny we spend on conservation works, a point seldom appreciated by many. We are not government, and cannot rely on the taxpayer to bail us out.

The Trust takes its responsibility for managing our national heritage very seriously. Regrettably, it is not possible for us to take on properties that do not meet our charitable purposes. By doing so, we reduce our capacity and resources to do the work that Scotland expects.

The Trust disposed of Suntrap Garden to the Education Authority in 1983 for this reason. Part of the disposition was, if it were closed, it was to be returned to NTS. Since this period, Suntrap has shut down twice - temporarily in the 1990s and permanently by Oatridge College in 2010.

We appreciate the passion of the Friends of Suntrap. However, our own and independent assessments indicate that there is no national heritage significance for the Trust to manage here.

If the property were to be sold, any funds raised would be put into a restricted fund to further the wishes of the donor, George Boyd Anderson (who anticipated this eventuality). This is entirely consistent with the terms of his gift, and is not a "betrayal" of the ideals of the donor as suggested.

Indeed, the result will be more resources to undertake more conservation work to the betterment of Scotland's heritage for the nation.

Kate Mavor, chief executive, National Trust for Scotland