Gardeners at the National Trust for Scotland’s Inverewe Garden in Wester Ross are assessing havoc caused by the recent violent storms.
Trees were uprooted, paths damaged and glass smashed at the popular botanic gardens during winds of 100mph last week.
Trees lost included specimens of Japanese cedar, beech, Noble fir, pine and ornamental birch.
Along the garden’s Rhododendron Walk, shrubs which were planted during the time of garden founder Osgood Mackenzie have been badly affected and it is not yet clear if these can be saved.
Panels in the glasshouses where important propagation work was being carried out were also smashed. Staff have now moved plants into the two most intact glasshouses and repairs are scheduled on a third.
Property manager Roy Dowsett said: “The wild weather over the last week has wreaked havoc and across the estate and we are still assessing the full extent of the damage.
“Trees are down, paths and walkways are damaged. To ensure safety as far as we can, there is currently no access to the garden or the Pinewood Trail.
“The estate team are working flat out on the lower Pinewood Trail to get it re-opened as we know how well-used it is locally.
“In the garden, we are focusing on Rhododendron Walk to try and find out exactly what has been destroyed and what can be saved and take stock, moving outwards from there. Once we are satisfied that all paths are safe, the garden will be re-opened – our initial estimate is that this should be by mid-March, ready for the 2015 tourist season.”
There was no significant damage to buildings and early assessment suggests the garden’s shelterbelt, which protects the garden from the high winds and salt spray from Loch Ewe, suffered minimal damage.