Scone Palace in Perth has appointed renowned horticulturist Don Pritchard as its new Head Gardener.

In taking up the post, Don is quite literally returning to his roots. Born in Scone, he left the village when he was sixteen, before spending twenty-five years in the Navy. Having always maintained a keen interest in gardening and landscaping, he took the opportunity to re-train when his Navy service ended, undertaking work experience at Benmore Botanic Garden near Dunoon before gaining an HND in Plantsmanship from the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh. Following a spell managing the gardens of a hotel in Ayrshire, along with numerous garden renovation projects, Don single-handedly managed the grounds of an estate in Alloway before being appointed to the post of Head Gardener at The Beechgrove Garden in Aberdeen, where he has spent the last three years.

“Working with the Beechgrove team on such a unique job was really enjoyable and a fantastic challenge, but when the post at Scone came up I knew I had found my dream job”, says Don. “The 100 acres of grounds surrounding the Palace already contain a huge variety of plants and habitats, from the arboretum with its magnificent specimen trees to the Earl of Mansfield’s unique collection of orchids. This in itself means there are many varied aspects to the job, but the greatest attraction for me as a horticulturist is to have the opportunity to develop the full potential of the garden and bring some of the unused areas back to life, making them a real asset for the Estate”.

The first project which Don will be turning his hand to is the renovation of the Palace’s six-acre Victorian Walled Garden.

“The walled garden was established in the early 1800s when the Palace as we see it today was built”, says Don. “It was a productive market garden until the late 1970s, when the availability of cheap supermarket produce meant it was no longer cost-effective to run and it was left to fall into a state of disrepair. Now, however, demand for locally-sourced food has returned and the garden has the potential to be turned into a highly productive, commercial operation once again. The structure of the garden, which is divided into three separate areas, remains remarkably intact and indeed many of the old fruit trees and bushes are still there, waiting to be brought back to life – along with an old ‘Eel Pond’ which provided one of the staple foods for the Palace kitchen in Victorian times”.

Work on clearing the smallest of the three areas in the garden will begin this October, with full renovation work starting in the spring. The centrepiece of this phase of the renovation project will be the magnificent old glass Peach House, which Don and his team are looking to bring back into full production with a variety of ornamental fruit and flowers. Thereafter Don hopes to turn the other two areas into a productive market garden containing a full range of fruit, flowers and vegetables, with produce available to buy at the gate or through the Palace Food Shop.

Don also aims to carry out refurbishment work to the orchid house, which sits in the walled garden and contains the Earl of Mansfield’s unique collection.

“The restoration project is a long term one”, says Don. “We expect it to take around five years in total, but as each area is completed we plan to open it to the public, providing an additional attraction for visitors to the Palace”.

The renovation of the walled garden is the biggest in a series of initiatives planned for the Palace gardens and grounds. Other projects will include developing a dedicated wildlife area in the historic arboretum and introducing a series of themed horticultural events and seminars for members of the public, focusing on behind the scenes tours and different aspects of the garden through the seasons.

Lady Stormont of Scone Palace said: “We are delighted to have Don working with us at such an exciting time in the Palace’s development. He brings huge enthusiasm and vision to the job, and we look forward to working with him to bring these inspiring plans to fruition”.

For information on Scone visit www.scone-palace.co.uk