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Hard graft recognised as Natal Gardens volunteers in Invergordon hailed for lockdown efforts; Poignant Easter Ross garden tribute to wartime tragedy remains at heart of community


By Hector MacKenzie

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Brothers James and Bobby McCaig with Margaret Walker. Picture: Callum Mackay
Brothers James and Bobby McCaig with Margaret Walker. Picture: Callum Mackay

BIG-HEARTED volunteers putting hours of graft into transforming a garden space at the heart of an Easter Ross town have been hailed local heroes for their hard work.

Brothers James and Bobby McCaig have been joined by Margaret Walker in looking after Invergordon's Natal Garden, which has become a poignant public memorial to more than 400 people who died when HMS Natal exploded in the harbour in December 1915.

A separate community project now forming could see a small flower bed set aside for a mosaic memory board created with painted rocks by local children to remember the coronavirus lockdown of 2020.

The space is treasured by locals and presents an impressive first impression for the hundreds of thousands of visitors arriving via the record-breaking cruise line industry currently curtailed by the lockdown.

Cromarty Firth councillor Maxine Smith paid tribute to the work of Invergordon Old Town Residents Group members who have helped with its upkeep down the years.

James McCaig in the thick of it. Picture: Callum Mackay
James McCaig in the thick of it. Picture: Callum Mackay

Cllr Smith said of the effort: "They do it for no reward, just for seeing the community and visitors enjoy it. They have embarked on a big project this time, stripping out all the old bushes and bracken to make way for chippy stones to enhance its appearance. The councillors’ ward budget is paying for those but the Port Authority kindly donated new ropes, stain for the posts and decking.

"It’s especially important we enhance the garden this year as for the second time in 25 years there will be no High Street flowers adorning the shops in Invergordon.The Blooming Gardeners at the Isobel Rhind Centre had to go into lockdown so myself and Fiona Grant, who has been furloughed, organised delivery of the plants to local people. We had volunteers drop them off over two days. People were delighted to receive free plants and some gave donations to Invergordon Environment Group. It was better to put them to good use than leave them rotting in the poly tunnels."

She paid tribute to the volunteers who help deliver the free plants and voiced "huge gratitude" to volunteers transforming the Natal Garden "who are making such a difference".

Story for us? Email hector.mackenzie@hnmedia.co.uk

Related: Rosskeen church transformed

Kincraig Castle Hotel turned blue in tribute

Harry Gow set to re-open in Invergordon

Ross-shire Journal is out today.


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