Trees planted in Nairn as part of Queen's Platinum Jubilee

A NORWEGIAN maple tree has been planted beside the putting green in Nairn as part of the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Green Canopy project.

During the ceremony Nairn Vice-Lord Lieutenant Scott Gordon told children from the four local primary schools they were too young to remember a government initiative, Plant a Tree in ‘73 and Plant Some More in ‘74, when the country was devastated by an outbreak of Dutch elm disease which led to the loss of vast swathes of the species across the UK.

Mr Gordon, a director of Nairn timber firm John Gordon and Son, said it was fitting they were planting trees to commemorate 70 years and a lifetime of dedicated service to her country by Her Majesty.

Pupils from Millbank, Rosebank, Cawdor and Auldearn primary schools assisted 85-year-old Iain McPherson to plant the tree at the putting green and a copper beech at Viewfield.

“Iain is a dyed in the wool Nairnite who has planted tens of thousands of trees during his working life on Lethen Estate,” said Mr Gordon.

He thanked Donald and Val Green of Green’s Nurseries, who sourced the trees, and all the council officials involved in the project and the school children from coming along to help plant the trees. The maple tree is in close proximity to a copper beech tree planted in 1911 for the Coronation of King George V in the same area close to the former Royal Marine Hotel – now an apartment block.

Mr Gordon added: “My great-grandfather John Gordon, his wife Margaret and two of their sons , John and Ronald (RJR) my grandfather, were in attendance at that ceremony.”

George Asher (Ashers director) Iain Macpherson, Mick Haymer (Highland Council) joined the Vice Lord Lieutenant and the schoolchildren at the tree planting ceremonies.

The Queen’s Green Canopy (QGC) is a tree planting initiative created to mark the queen’s 70 years on the throne in 2022, and invites people from across the UK to “Plant a Tree for the Jubilee”. Everyone from individuals to scout and girlguiding groups, villages, cities, counties, schools and corporates are being encouraged to play their part to enhance our environment by planting trees during the official planting season between October and March.

Tree planting will commence again in October, through to the end of the jubilee year.

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