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Eyesore ground in Speyside village revived as garden for dementia sufferers

The opening ceremony of the Barren plot of rubble in Garmouth is transformed into sensory garden in village with beach and distillery themes.
The opening ceremony of the Barren plot of rubble in Garmouth is transformed into sensory garden in village with beach and distillery themes.

A barren plot of land in a Speyside village has been transformed into a haven for the senses following a massive gardening project.

The patch in Garmouth has been covered in rubble for as long as living memory with weeds and debris running rife.

It is understood the previous occupants of the High Street site dismantled their house brick-by-brick and moved it to a new location several decades ago, leaving the ground to become an eyesore.

However, now villagers have transformed the plot into a vibrant garden packed with colour aimed at rekindling forgotten memories with dementia sufferers.

An opening ceremony was held for the new attraction at the weekend.

Roddy Robertson, a member of the Garmouth and Kingston Amenities Committee, said: “It’s been empty as long as people can remember. Nobody can remember anything being there.

“Last year we were having a discussion about the general upkeep of the flower displays in the village and we just thought it was about time to do something with that plot – it had just been taken over with weeds.

“Coincidentally, a few of the folk working on the power line project in Portgordon have been staying in the area and they have got involved too. The transformation is superb.”

The garden has been divided into sections with the aim of reviving different memories among people.

Creels and driftwood recreate a fishing environment, old whisky barrels appear reminiscent of a distillery and a bright red phone box, once a common feature in villages, has been installed in the centre of the garden.

Different textures of leaves and ground have also been included in the design to create a variety of touch sensations too.

The project has been boosted with funding from the Co-op in Fochabers, plants donated by Gordon Castle and Threaplands and time from several local contractors.

Donations have also been collected from village residents through fundraising events.

Fochabers Lhanbryde councillor David Bremner said: “Everyone has done a fantastic job on the project. A huge amount of time and effort has been put into it.

“It should be a real boost for the village and will hopefully be well used during the summer.”