But the octogenarian and his wife, Rhoda, yesterday found themselves receiving a helping hand from a group of young people.

They are one of three deserving households in the Merkinch and Dalneigh area which have been chosen to receive a Groundforce-style garden makeover.

Over three days, a team of mainly novice gardeners will be working hard to revive the Sutherland's garden in Lochalsh Road. As well as digging out old tree stumps, they will re-lay the path with gravel, weed overgrown areas and put in new plants.

The Dig Your Heart Out project is run by Highland Youth for Christ and Reverb church - a youth section of the Methodist church.

Youth worker Dave Saunders, who is supervising the work, explained the project aims to provide young people with a chance to volunteer and show the community they care.

Some of the young volunteers who are taking part in the Dig Your Heart Out project. Alasdair Allen

Having invited nominations for the garden makeovers, work on two of the winners, including another garden in Lochalsh Road, is now under way while the third will be completed later in the year.

"It is such a great opportunity to show that we have some amazing young people and young adults in our area that have a great heart to love their community," Mr Saunders said.

Mr Sutherland (87) and his 79-year-old wife were delighted to see the work get under way. "It is a big help," Mrs Sutherland said. "We are not as fit as we were. Alex enjoyed gardening but he is not getting any younger."

The project is being sponsored by Wyvis Cosmetic Dental Laboratory, Trinity Church and the Inverness Methodist Church.

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