Viewfield Community Orchard in Nairn awarded International Green Flag by Keeping Scotland Beautiful
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A community orchard created at Viewfield has been awarded an International Green Flag Award by Keeping Scotland Beautiful.
The accolade acknowledges quality green open spaces across the country that help to boost our nation’s health and wellbeing and acts as a benchmark for recreational outdoor space.
The award celebrates well maintained parks and green-spaces and supports the opportunities that they provide to enable exercise, improve mental wellbeing and provide safe areas for play – something that has been particularly important to everyone over the last couple of years.
Nairn Green Hive events officer Caroline Woods said: “The Viewfield Community Orchard is the first site in Nairn, and the Highlands, to be recognised with this award and we’re so happy that the efforts of all of the volunteers from Green Hive, Keeping Nairnshire Colourful, the Nairn Orchard Group and all the many people who help to maintain the space have been recognised.
“The orchard is a beautiful, bountiful place for humans and nature and the public are invited to head along and help yourself to the raspberries, currants or gooseberries and any fruit that is ready.”
Catherine Gee, deputy chief executive of Keep Scotland Beautiful, said: “I would like to congratulate all of Scotland’s award-winning parks. Receiving this prestigious international benchmark recognises all the hard work that has gone into maintaining and managing these precious green open spaces.
“Parks attract a diverse range of visitors, all of whom look for different facilities and have different expectations.”
Neil Mapes, chief operations officer at Green Hive, said: “Green Hive is honoured that the Viewfield Community Orchard has received the Green Flag award – our volunteers love maintaining the orchard space and Green Hive has been the orchard’s caretakers on behalf of the Nairn community since its establishment in 2017.
“We have carefully crafted a space for humans and nature with accessibility and biodiversity in mind.”
Green light for community orchard
In addition, Nairn Green Hive has received a generous donation of litter pickers and gloves from Nairn West and Suburban Community Council.
Caroline said: “Green Hive is always on the lookout for areas that need a good clean and if you spot an area that would benefit from a big tidy, please let us know.
“We also want to say a huge thank you to every person who has taken the time to head out on a beach clean or tidy up, it can be a bit of a slog but when we work together, we achieve great results.
“Our litter picking equipment is available to borrow from our workshop for groups who organise litter picks or tidy-ups in their area.”
