Aros Park Historic Walled Garden

Aros Park Historic Walled Garden is a one acre garden which previously was part of the Allan family estate in North Mull, now owned by Forestry and Land Scotland and part of Aros Park. Long abandoned, the garden wall remains largely intact, though in need of some repair, and trees have self seeded in many parts of the garden. The original paths have been uncovered showing remnants of the box hedges that once lined the walks. The original gardens and fruit trees are no longer there, but drawings of the original garden exist and we have worked with a local garden designer to develop a plan that creates a new and accessible multipurpose garden for the community. We propose to purchase the garden, and a limited amount of some of the surrounding land to provide access to it. The Aros Park Historic Walled Garden SCIO was formed to benefit the community of North Mull to advance community development (including rural regeneration) through the provision of a destination that enables the community to appreciate wildlife and biodiverse planting, the history of the Aros Park Estate, the benefits of medicinal and pollinator-attracting plants and trees, and to become involved with the garden’s development.

This will be achieved by:

• The provision of adult training and workshops based on horticulture and the botanical heritage of Mull. Working with schools and youth groups to provide opportunities to manage their own gardening plots.
• The advancement of the arts, heritage, culture, or science through providing a place to perform music and drama, to learn about the people who worked and lived on the estate, and how the garden evolved and grew over time
• The provision of recreational facilities, or the organisation of recreational activities with the object of improving the physical and mental health being of the community through volunteering, outdoor activity, and social interaction.