Visionary Osgood Mackenzie takes centre stage in play of his life at Inverewe after National Trust for Scotland go-ahead

THE founder of world-famous Inverewe Garden is being celebrated in a new play which is set to have its Highland premiere at perhaps the perfect venue.

Victorian plantsman Osgood Mackenzie is renowned for creating out of rock and barren moorland the lush Wester Ross heritage garden which is cared for by the conservation charity National Trust for Scotland.

The new play, The Curious Case of Osgood Mackenzie, by Rob Mackean, puts the spotlight on the fascinating family story of Osgood.The Trust says it is delighted to be providing the perfect stage for the Highland debut – Osgood's Cafe at Inverewe Garden, near Gairloch, on Saturday, November 4.

Fresh from a successful run at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, The Curious Case of Osgood Mackenzie is presented by Arkle Theatre Company. It explores Osgood's relationship with the three women in his life - his mother, the Dowager Lady Mary Mackenzie, his wife Minna Moss, the daughter of an English baronet, and his daughter Mairi, who inherited her father's passion for plants and continued his work.

The National Trust for Scotland's operations manager at Inverewe Garden, Martin Hughes, said: “We are thrilled to be hosting the production and helping to further engage Highland audiences with the history of this very special place in the care of our charity. We are very excited that Osgood is returning home and feel sure that the much-anticipated performances will add yet another dimension to the story of Inverewe which we so love interpreting and sharing with the nation. We hope it will inspire the people to visit or indeed revisit the beautiful garden. It is the perfect place to showcase this play and has a very special atmosphere all of its own.”

Writer Rob Mackean, who now lives in Melvaig in Wester Ross, was inspired to delve further into the life of Osgood Mackenzie (1842-1922) after reading his memoirs A Hundred Years in the Highlands. Rob said: ‘While it is an interesting read, it is told very much from his perspective, so left me with the feeling that there was more to find out. The play does not shy away from the more unhappy aspects of Osgood's life, the breakdown of his marriage, a divorce trial and custody battles for their daughter, Mairi.

"I hope I have struck a balance between telling a story that, although when viewed from a modern perspective, is quite shocking, may well have not been that unusual in a time when society was changing rapidly."

Osgood's daughter Mairi gifted the garden to the conservation charity in 1952, the year before her death, to care for in perpetuity. The Trust's most northerly heritage garden, Inverewe is one of the biggest visitor attractions in the Highlands and home to a huge range of plants from all around the world.

The 55 minute-long play will be staged at Osgood's Cafe, Inverewe Garden Visitor Centre, on Saturday, November 4 at 11am and 2.30pm.

Tickets priced £10 can be obtained by visiting www.arkle-theatre.com.

For more information about Inverewe, its garden and stories, go to Inverewe | National Trust for Scotland (nts.org.uk).

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