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Inveraray Castle wins Historic Houses Garden award

November 18, 2024/in News, Press Release/by Admin

Inveraray Castle wins Historic Houses Garden award: This prestigious national award, presented annually since 1984, is designed to recognise the importance of some of the country’s most spectacular gardens with outstanding horticultural and public appeal. The award is voted for by members of the public who judge the gardens based on a variety of factors […]

C J Ashby Forestry bowled over by Aspen Fuel

November 15, 2024/in News, Press Release/by Admin

C J Ashby Forestry bowled over by Aspen Fuel: Working in proud partnership with J S Wright & Sons, C J Ashby Forestry are contract felling and harvesting the willow which goes into making around 75% of the world’s cricket bats. Powering the operation for the last 15 years is Aspen Fuel, which owner Colin […]

Inveraray Castle wins Historic Houses Garden award

November 18, 2024/in News, Press Release/by Admin

C J Ashby Forestry bowled over by Aspen Fuel

November 15, 2024/in News, Press Release/by Admin

Full Sized Blog Element (Big Preview Pic)

Inveraray Castle wins Historic Houses Garden award

November 18, 2024/in News, Press Release/by Admin

Inveraray Castle wins Historic Houses Garden award: This prestigious national award, presented annually since 1984, is designed to recognise the importance of some of the country’s most spectacular gardens with outstanding horticultural and public appeal. The award is voted for by members of the public who judge the gardens based on a variety of factors that contribute to their enjoyment. The announcement was made at the Historic Houses National AGM in London on Tuesday 12 November 2024.

Inveraray Castle is an eighteenth century turreted castle, seat of the Clan Campbell and home to the Dukes of Argyll. The gardens at Inveraray are home to the Duke and Duchess who have spent joyous times with family and friends over the years. They enjoy the changing of the seasons and the ability to present and share the gardens with their 85,000 guests who come to visit the castle every year.

Inveraray Castle wins Historic Houses Garden award

The gardens have reflected the times, and each Duke has taken a keen interest in ensuring that the legacy evolves throughout the years with many different species of plantation and horticulture. The garden covers sixteen acres, of which around two acres are formal lawns and flowerbeds, the remainder being park and woodland. Extending to 180 hectares, they form one of the most important designed landscapes in Scotland.

The climate in Argyll, with its yearly average rainfall of 230cms, is ideally suited to rhododendrons and azaleas, which flower in the gardens from April to June. Conifers also grow well in the acidic soil of a high rainfall area, as can be seen by the fine specimens such as cedrus deodars, sequoiadendron wellingtonia, cryptomeria japonica, and taxus baccata. The borders on each side of the central path are known as the ‘Flag-Borders’, the paths having been laid out in the shape of Scotland’s National flag, the St. Andrew’s Cross. These borders, outstanding in the spring with beautiful Prunus ‘Ukon’ and Prunus subhirtella, are underplanted with an interesting mixture of rhododendrons, eucrypyias, various shrubs and herbaceous plants, giving interest all year round.

Ben Cowell, Director General of Historic Houses, said: “Inveraray Castle is a must-see destination for so many tourists to Scotland. We are thrilled that members and supporters have chosen to make it the 2024 Garden of the Year, and hope it encourages many more visitors to seek it out in 2025. They won’t be disappointed – the beautiful gardens are the perfect setting for Inveraray’s distinctive towers and turrets.”

Orlando Rock, Chairman, Christie’s UK, said: “I am thrilled to congratulate Inveraray Castle on being awarded the Historic Houses Garden of the Year Award. The stunning gardens, spanning 16 acres of formal lawns, flowerbeds, parkland, and woodland, are a true reflection of the timeless beauty of Inverary and the dedication of the Duke and Duchess of Argyll and their amazing gardening team. For generations, the Campbells have shaped the evolving legacy of this remarkable landscape, offering a serene and ever-changing sanctuary where family, friends, and nature come together in perfect harmony. This well-deserved recognition celebrates not only the beauty of Inverary and its gardens, but the enduring passion and vision that has shaped them over the years.”

Helen Gallagher Buchana, Visitor Experiences Manager at Inveraray Castle, said: “We are delighted that the gardens team have received this prestigious award. They work with great passion, loyalty, and dedication in all elements, creating the beautiful colours, tranquil environment, and space for our visitors to enjoy relaxation.”

Belcombe Court, in Bradford-on-Avon, is the Judges’ Choice this year. When owner Paul Weiland purchased the estate back in 1992, the gardens were in a state of disrepair. Over the next 30 years, Paul restored the gardens to its former glory with many contemporary additions that impressed judges.

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C J Ashby Forestry bowled over by Aspen Fuel

November 15, 2024/in News, Press Release/by Admin

C J Ashby Forestry bowled over by Aspen Fuel: Working in proud partnership with J S Wright & Sons, C J Ashby Forestry are contract felling and harvesting the willow which goes into making around 75% of the world’s cricket bats.

Powering the operation for the last 15 years is Aspen Fuel, which owner Colin Ashby says provides the clean, convenience they look for across their suite of two and four-stroke equipment.

C J Ashby Forestry bowled over by Aspen Fuel

Colin is the fourth generation of the family to take the helm and leads a team of 17 operatives nationwide looking after all stages of the willow production – from procuring and planting the trees, through to harvesting and hauling. “Our journey with Aspen began 15 years ago when we started experiencing a number of issues with our petrol-powered chainsaws” he explains. “I was working on a farm at the time, and the farmer suggested the source of the problem was the fuel. Later that day I picked up a copy of a forestry magazine and started reading about Aspen Fuel and the rest, as they say, is history!”

“We purchased a few cans to give it a try and we’ve been using it ever since – starting with Aspen-2 initially in our handheld tools and then moving onto the Aspen-4 for our larger bits of equipment such as the mechanical arbor.”

“It’s easy to store, cleaner to use and provides a healthier environment for the operator to work in.” He explains, “Very often, we’re working in densely populated woodland and/or in very close proximity to our equipment. As soon as we started using Aspen Fuel, all of the headaches and sore throats you just became accustomed to stopped, immediately.”

Virtually free from sulphur, benzene and solvents, Aspen alkylate petrol is much less harmful that pump unleaded. By removing these ingredients, operators can breathe clean air, contributing to a healthier and cleaner working environment. The omission of ethanol also makes Aspen better for engine health, providing maximum performance while simultaneously extending equipment life and reliability.

“Chainsaws which may have lasted 12 months previously, now give us three years of reliable performance. Across the board, I’d say since we switched to Aspen our hand tools are lasting twice as long and our maintenance and repair bills have halved” Colin adds.

The team also enjoy the convenience angle that comes with being an Aspen customer. “We can order what we need easily, and it’s delivered to our site in a mixture of cans and drums just a couple of days later. It eliminates trips to the forecourt and makes it easy to ensure that each team has the necessary quantity and type of fuel on board. Aspen-2 being pre-mixed also takes away the need to mix on-site, reducing spillages and giving us peace of mind that we’re getting the right mix every time.”

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Follow us on Twitter and Instagram for fun, fresh and engaging content.

You can also find us on Facebook for more of your must-see news, features, videos and pictures from Turf Matters.

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Inveraray Castle wins Historic Houses Garden award

C J Ashby Forestry bowled over by Aspen Fuel

Inveraray Castle wins Historic Houses Garden award

C J Ashby Forestry bowled over by Aspen Fuel

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Inveraray Castle wins Historic Houses Garden award

C J Ashby Forestry bowled over by Aspen Fuel

C J Ashby Forestry bowled over by Aspen Fuel: Working in proud partnership with J S Wright & Sons, C J Ashby Forestry are contract felling and harvesting the willow which goes into making around 75% of the world’s cricket bats.

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