'Garden revolution' means Ross-shire residents' staycation could be right outside the door
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THE 'staycation' which many Ross-shire families plan taking this year could be very close to home indeed, a new survey suggests.
Scotland’s tourist secretary Fergus Ewing has encouraged people to take a staycation this year, making the most of the country’s home-grown tourist destinations during a time of continued uncertainty over the coronavirus crisis.
Whilst some have already left on holiday, new research has found that a large number of families in Scotland are planning to take that term very literally.
Seventy-five percent of people questioned in an Aurora survey for Forest Garden, a supplier of wooden sheds and fencing, were planning on spending their holiday time enjoying a staycation in their very own homes and gardens.
The survey also found that:
Over a quarter of people in Scotland had spent up to three hours more PER DAY in the garden than at any time pre-lockdown. That equates to a potential 300 extra hours throughout lockdown.
Forty-four percent felt time in their outdoor space was beneficial for mental health.
Some 35 per cent gardened for fitness.
And 35 per cent said it was a creative outlet.
Nationally, the survey found that lockdown may prove to be the seedbed for a whole new generation of gardeners.
More than a third of 16-25-year-olds questioned have been spending time gardening.
Guy Grainger, CEO of Forest Garden Ltd, said: “This research re-confirms what we, and dozens of other companies in the garden sector, have noted during lockdown: a massive increase in interest in outside spaces. It has felt like a gardening revolution.
“Whilst our homes are our castles, our outdoor spaces – whether tiny terraces or expansive plots – have been giving endless creative enjoyment, peace of mind, physical work-outs and a focal point for stressed-out families, not to mention a source of delicious vegetables and fruit for our dinner tables.”
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