Works of art in Scottish National Trust garden vandalised

Vandals have destroyed a one-off work-of-art at an internationally renowned Scottish beauty spot.

Lynn Bennett-Mackenzie had placed 200 small wood houses in 19 locations along a forest trail at Inverewe Gardens, owned by the National Trust of Scotland.

A large part of her work in Wester Ross has been removed with bags of dog waste being put in its place among trees nearby.

Gairloch-based Bennett-Mackenzie said she was always prepared for criticism of her art, but not vandalism of it.

She regularly walks the Pinewood Trail next to the gardens to check the temporary artwork and came across the vandalism.

She said: “This is a stunning area of the country that has a low rate of crime, and petty vandalism is not common.

“So this is something of a shock and actually a bit upsetting to think that someone has seen fit to remove most of a work that has taken a fair amount of effort to construct and place and that creates a point of interest and pleasure for people out walking.”

She said: “I intend to replace the houses that have ‘disappeared’ and hope that this time the work will manage to remain mainly intact until it is removed in November.

Inverewe Gardens were created in 1862 and its plants include species from New Zealand, Chile and South Africa.

It is also believed to be home to the world’s most northerly grove of Wollemi Pine, a Jurassic tree thought to have died out two million years ago before being discovered in Australia.

A spokeswoman added: “We are very disappointed that in an area where crime of any description is virtually unknown such mindless vandalism has taken place.”