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Winter Talks: The Great Tapestry of Scotland | 1 February 2024

Speaker: Dorie Wilkie

Millar Hall (Café) at Duddingston Kirk Garden, 7.30pm

Dorie was the Great Tapestry of Scotland stitcher coordinator. She took on the huge job of recruiting and organising one thousand stitchers – making the tapestry one of the world’s largest community arts projects. The tapestry is now housed in a purpose-built museum in Galashiels.

Last few tickets remaining (£5). 

Please contact banderson456@hotmail.co.uk to reserve a ticket.

The Winter Talks take place on the first Thursday of the month until April 2024 Find out more

Why not become a ‘Friend of the Garden’ for only £15 per annum? As a Friend of the Garden, you will be supporting the maintenance and future development of this extraordinary garden.

Application form is available from Barbara Anderson, please email banderson456@hotmail.co.uk 

Job Vacancy at Dr Neil’s Garden

(APPLICATION PROCESS IS NOW CLOSED)

Position: Garden Manager 

Employer: Dr Neil’s Garden Trust (Scottish Charity No SC028097)

Location: Dr Neils’ Garden, Old Church Lane, Duddingston, Edinburgh 

Salary: £27,150 plus pension contributions and professional membership fees

Working Hours: Full time (37.5 hours per week, generally Monday to Friday)

Closing date: 12 February 2024

A rare opportunity has arisen on the retirement of our Gardener after 22 years of service. This position will provide the right person with the chance to work in one of the most unique gardens in the country, and to use their own initiative to continue moving the Garden’s development forward. Now administered by a small charity, the Garden was started 60 years ago and created out of rough ground – it was handed over to our Gardener who has, with her flair and enthusiasm, turned it into the beautiful space it now is.  

Sitting by the loch side at the foot of Arthur’s Seat with a view across Duddingston Loch to the Pentland Hills, the 2.5-acre site is walled on 3 sides and drops steeply to the loch side on the 4th. The Garden shares its boundaries with a 12th century church and 2 other gardens with which we have close ties and consists of a mix of trees and herbaceous borders, grass, ponds, hard landscaping and paths. It also boasts a recently renovated 200-year-old Tower where the rules of curling were purportedly first written and which is now used for small receptions and art exhibitions. 

The applicant should be willing to work independently, be able to manage a small group of volunteers, and have a genuine interest in developing relationships with the wider community. This post would suit a person with real drive and enthusiasm who has excellent horticulture and arboriculture skills, and who is ready to take their career to the next level. The right person for this post will have great communication skills, be able to get on with people, and will share our vision to have a garden that is a place that people want to come to – and come back to. 

Read the full Job Description here

This role at its current number of hours is partly funded by the National Lottery Communities Fund. It requires Disclosure Scotland checks to be carried out.

Please apply with a copy of your CV and covering letter (max 3 pages) saying why you think you are a suitable candidate by emailing banderson456@hotmail.co.uk  by 12 February 2024 using GARDEN MANAGER as the Subject Line. Also, please contact the same email if you have any questions or would like to know more about the role. 

If you require any adjustments to the appointments process, please include this in your covering letter.

Interviews will be held in Edinburgh on a date in February.   

Wintering Out… Meaning-Making in Nature | January to March 2024

Days of Drawing, Reading and Reflection with Brigid Collins

20 January, 17 February & 16 March 2024, 10am-3pm at Dr Neil’s Garden
Fee: £250 for all of the days (includes and donation to the garden)

Over three days, as we gently ease out of our individual and collective Wintering, we will spend time in the quiet lochside surroundings of Dr. Neil’s Garden, together considering our place in the world by sharing in poetry and other writings, conversation, reflection and drawing.

We will each make a simple concertina book, as a container for our personal reflections, with a view to gathering these together in an unfolding that parallels our collective experience…

Places are limited. It may be possible to attend for only some of the days, although ‘drop-in’ is not encouraged, so that we can form a close group; however, do please ask!

To book or find out more about workshops, please visit brigitcollinsart.com or email mail@brigidcollins.co.uk

four images of trees and a person drawing by loch

Christmas Wreath Making Workshops | 9 & 10 December 2023 | FULLY BOOKED

12-4pm, Millar Hall (Garden Café), Duddingston Kirk Garden

WORKSHOPS NOW FULLY BOOKED

We are delighted to offer again this year our ever popular Christmas Wreath Making Workshops.

Claudia Pottier, our Head Gardener, will give a demonstration and be on hand to encourage and help throughout. 

All materials for the wreaths and decorations are provided, along with tea/coffee and homemade cake. We advise you bring gardening gloves and secateurs. 

For more information, please contact Dorothy Blacklock at dorothy.blacklock@btinternet.com 


Why not become a ‘Friend of the Garden’ for only £15 per annum? As a Friend of the Garden, you will be supporting the maintenance and future development of this extraordinary garden.

Application form is available from Barbara Anderson, please email banderson456@hotmail.co.uk 

Winter Talks: The Falklands War 1982 – A Fighting Royal Marine’s Perspective | 7 December 2023

Speaker: Brigadier Iain Gardener

Millar Hall (Cafe) at Duddingston Kirk Garden, 7.30pm-8.30pm (refreshments afterwards)

Brigadier lan Gardiner, former rifle company commander in 45 Commando, along with his Marines crossed East Falkland and captured the Two Sisters mountain (shown below) in a furious night battle. He will tell us about this and also explain many of the wider aspects of the war as well as what it was like to take men into battle in this most challenging of environments.

Everyone is very welcome and there is a chance to chat afterwards with wine and nibbles available. And yes, it was 1982!

There is no charge but donations to the Garden charity will be gratefully received.

The Winter Talks take place on the first Thursday of the month until April 2024 (with the exception of January) Find out more

The Two Sisters

Image: copyright Browser licensed as Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike

Why not become a ‘Friend of the Garden’ for only £15 per annum? As a Friend of the Garden, you will be supporting the maintenance and future development of this extraordinary garden.

Application form is available from Barbara Anderson, please email banderson456@hotmail.co.uk 

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