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Perth’s Orchard 800 project bears fruit

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A project aimed at planting 800 fruit trees in a bid to celebrate eight centuries of Perth’s history has drawn to a close.

The Orchard 800 scheme was timed to coincide with the celebration of the granting of a royal charter to Perth in 1210 and hoped to see the trees planted within the town boundaries.

Perthshire’s orchard fruit history is understood to have been started by monks 800 years ago and by the 19th century one Carse of Gowrie orchard hosted 10,000 trees alone though only one remains.

Orchard 800, a non-profit organisation, set its sights on redressing the balance and provided funding for people to create and nurture their own 21st century orchards on publicly accessible sites.

The first of the fruit trees was planted in February last year at Perth College UHI by then college principal Mandy Exley, who said the project would have real community benefits.

In the end, the project has succeeded in ensuring more than 500 fruit trees have been planted in schools, churches, on wasteland, residential streets, allotments and at community project sites all over Perth.

That success was celebrated on Tuesday night with a final general meeting at the AK Bell Library in Perth, which was attended by project supporters.

They included the groups that took part in the planting, together with Provost John Hulbert and representatives of sponsors, including The Forestry Commission Scotland, Johnston Carmichael and Perth and Kinross Council’s common good and quality of life funds.

Orchard 800 treasurer Fiona Ross has been delighted with the way Orchard 800 captured the imagination of people of all ages.

“The project’s success really comes down to a small dedicated band of volunteers passionate about orchards and our Perthshire heritage,” she said.

“With more than 500 trees out there, this is a living, growing legacy which can be enjoyed by all for hundreds of years to come.

“So thanks for everyone who helped us.”

In all, 22 community groups successfully applied to become the custodians of a variety of apples (eating and cooking), plums, damsons, gage and pears including Perthshire heritage trees such as Lass O’Gowrie, Bloody Ploughman’s and Scots Dumpling.

All community groups which applied for trees were successful in their application and groups got from as few as four trees to the 100 trees planted at various sites in the Craigie area by the South Perth Greenspace Group.