An appeal has been launched by the National Trust for Scotland after “extensive damage” was suffered to its estates in Ayrshire.
Around 300 trees were felled by Storm Éowyn at Culzean Castle and Country Park and Brodick Castle, Garden and Country Park on Friday, January 24.
Winds of 100mph battered the Ayrshire coast during the storm last week which prompted a red weather warning from the Met Office.
Damage has also been reported across many of the trust’s historic buildings including damage to roofs, walls and fences.
At least 250 trees have been lost at Culzean and a further 30 at Brodick.
In addition to the “severe tree loss” at Culzean, the play park, fences, and walls there are damaged, and a large polytunnel at Brodick was lifted in the air and smashed, all of which will take great effort and require funds to repair.
While the full extent of the impact is still being assessed, more than 30 places in the care of the conservation charity have confirmed damage, much of which is considered “severe” and “will take time and incur significant cost to address”.
As a result, the National Trust for Scotland have launched an appeal to support emergency work needed across the country.
Philip Long, National Trust for Scotland chief executive, said: “The effect of Storm Éowyn has been devastating. While at the trust we are used to dealing with and plan for difficult weather conditions, the brutal force of Storm Éowyn has wrought unprecedented widespread damage to many of Scotland’s most loved places.
“Our teams have been working flat-out to make them safe for people again, but the job of repair, restoration and planting will take much longer, and we would be very grateful for people’s support of our charity in this.”
Ali MacLeod, head of fundraising, added: “From the destruction caused to buildings to the loss of trees across Scotland, storm damage is once again causing a period of difficult and expensive recovery, disrupting our planned conservation work and incurring enormous cost. We need help to deal with the aftermath and develop further the means to make our places more resilient to such severe conditions.
“Support will enable us to recover from Storm Éowyn and make it possible to share these special places with visitors again, and it will help us continue to plan and prepare for future incidents of extreme weather across Scotland.”
To support the Storm Éowyn recovery and repair appeal, visit https://www.nts.org.uk/campaigns/storm-appeal.
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