[Dòmhnall Angaidh Moireasdan – Preseantair] Tha planaichean aig Urras Dualchais Eilean Ghiogha gus taigh mòr an eilein a cheannach agus a leasachadh mar ghoireas. Tha Gàrraidhean an Achaidh Mhòir aithnichte am measg dhaoine aig a bheil ùidh ann an lusan, ach chan eil an taigh a tha sa mheadhan mar phàirt dhen oighreachd tuilleadh. Tha e coltach ge-tà nach eil na gàrraidhean fhèin ann an staid ro mhath, mar a fhuair Andreas Wolff a-mach.
[Andreas Wolff – Neach-aithris] Tha Gàrraidhean an Achaidh Mhòir air Eilean Ghiogha aithnichte am measg eòlaichean lusan gu sònraichte airson nan diofar sheòrsaichean de rhododendron a th’aca. Ach tha iad a’ coimhead rudeigin sgìth an-dràsta. Gus sin a chur ceart, chaidh urras fa leth a chur air dòigh bho chionn ghoirid.
[Fearghas Christie] Historically they were maintained by a large number of gardeners. Due to cutbacks on the island and the necessity of spending money we no longer have a gardener and while we keep the grass cut and generally tidy it needs a bit more maintenance and it needs to be properly maintained. We’ve had a season now without a gardener and I say it’s now looking – tired – is about the best way of putting it.
[Andreas Wolff – Neach-aithris] Cheannaich muinntir Eilean Ghiogha an t-eilean ann an 2002 agus bha Gàrraidhean an Achaidh Mhòir mar phàirt dhen sin. Ach, cha robh an taigh fhèin. Tha sin air a’ mhargaidh a-nise ge-tà agus tha planaichean aig an urrais gus an taigh fhèin a cheannach.
[Uilleam MacSporran] Chan eil mise a’ faicinn gu bheil comas aca a cheannach. Airson tha taighean nas fheàrr a’ tighinn air a’ mhargaidh agus tha iad gan diùltadh airson nach eil airgead ann. Chan eil taigh ann an seo a chaidh a chàradh no a thogail bhon an droch staid a bha e ann bho chionn bliadhnaichean agus dh’ fheumadh iad a bhith dèanamh sin mun robh iad a’ smaointinn air an taigh sin a cheannach. Reic sinne an taigh sin airson millean not a phàigheadh air ais gus am ‘fund’ an fhearainn nuair a cheannaich sinn an eilean. Agus ’s e £650,000 no rudeigin mar sin a fhuair sinne. Tha mi smaoineachadh gu bheil iad ag iarraidh millean air a-nis agus ma thà cha d’ fhiach e.
[Andreas Wolff – Neach-aithris] Chosgadh an taigh timcheall air £900,000 agus thathar ag obair air sgrùdadh eaconamach feuch a bheil cùis ghnothachais aca. Ach tha daoine a’ pàigheadh mar-thà airson na gàrraidhean fhaicinn.
[Fearghas Christie] Well it’s an honesty box at the moment so you can imagine that that’s not necessarily a good way to run a business. We have other ideas, perhaps for example letting out parts of the house for general accommodation for holidays, more particularly probably for seminars, maybe even some sort of botanical interest so for example people can come and study in the gardens and live in the house but also have an educational facility here as well.
[Andreas Wolff – Neach-aithris] Tha iad mar-thà air bruidhinn ri Maoin a’ Chrannchur Nàiseanta ’s iad an dòchas iarrtas a chur thuca as t-earrach. Andreas Wolff, BBC An Là, Eilean Ghiogha.
[Donald Morrison – Presenter] The Isle of Gigha Heritage Trust plan to buy the mansion Achamore House on the island and develop it for use as a facility. The Gardens of Achamore are well known to plant experts, but the house in the middle of the gardens is no longer part of the estate. It appears though that the gardens are not in the best condition, as Andreas Wolff discovered.
[Andreas Wolff - Reporter] Achamore Gardens on the Isle of Gigha are renowned among plant experts, particularly for the different kinds of rhododendron to be found there. But they are looking a little tired at the moment. To fix this, a separate trust was set up recently.
[Feargus Christie] Historically they were maintained by a large number of gardeners. Due to cutbacks on the island and the necessity of spending money we no longer have a gardener and while we keep the grass cut and generally tidy it needs a bit more maintenance and it needs to be properly maintained. We’ve had a season now without a gardener and I say it’s now looking – tired – is about the best way of putting it.
[Andreas Wolff - Reporter] The community of the Island of Gigha bought the island in 2002 and Achamore Gardens were part of that. But, the house itself wasn’t. That’s on the market now though and the Trust have plans to buy it.
[William MacSporran] I can’t see how they’ll be able to buy it, because better houses are coming onto the market and they are rejecting them because of a lack of money. No house has been renovated from its dilapidated state in years and they would need to undertake that project first before thinking of buying Achamore House. We sold that house to pay £1m back to the land fund when we bought the island. We received around £650,000 for it. I think they want a million for it now and if that’s the case it’s not worth it.
[Andreas Wolff – Reporter] The house will cost around £900,000 and they are working on a feasibility study to determine whether they have a viable business plan. But people are already paying to see the gardens.
[Feargus Christie] Well it’s an honesty box at the moment so you can imagine that that’s not necessarily a good way to run a business. We have other ideas, perhaps for example letting out parts of the house for general accommodation for holidays, more particularly probably for seminars, maybe even some sort of botanical interest so for example people can come and study in the gardens and live in the house but also have an educational facility here as well.
[Andreas Wolff – Reporter] They have already contacted the National Lottery Fund and they hope to submit an application to them in the Spring. Andreas Wolff, BBC An Là, the Isle of Gigha.
[Dòmhnall Angaidh Moireasdan – Preseantair] Tha planaichean aig Urras Dualchais Eilean Ghiogha gus taigh mòr an eilein a cheannach agus a leasachadh mar ghoireas. Tha Gàrraidhean an Achaidh Mhòir aithnichte am measg dhaoine aig a bheil ùidh ann an lusan, ach chan eil an taigh a tha sa mheadhan mar phàirt dhen oighreachd tuilleadh. Tha e coltach ge-tà nach eil na gàrraidhean fhèin ann an staid ro mhath, mar a fhuair Andreas Wolff a-mach.
[Andreas Wolff – Neach-aithris] Tha Gàrraidhean an Achaidh Mhòir air Eilean Ghiogha aithnichte am measg eòlaichean lusan gu sònraichte airson nan diofar sheòrsaichean de rhododendron a th’aca. Ach tha iad a’ coimhead rudeigin sgìth an-dràsta. Gus sin a chur ceart, chaidh urras fa leth a chur air dòigh bho chionn ghoirid.
[Fearghas Christie] Historically they were maintained by a large number of gardeners. Due to cutbacks on the island and the necessity of spending money we no longer have a gardener and while we keep the grass cut and generally tidy it needs a bit more maintenance and it needs to be properly maintained. We’ve had a season now without a gardener and I say it’s now looking – tired – is about the best way of putting it.
[Andreas Wolff – Neach-aithris] Cheannaich muinntir Eilean Ghiogha an t-eilean ann an 2002 agus bha Gàrraidhean an Achaidh Mhòir mar phàirt dhen sin. Ach, cha robh an taigh fhèin. Tha sin air a’ mhargaidh a-nise ge-tà agus tha planaichean aig an urrais gus an taigh fhèin a cheannach.
[Uilleam MacSporran] Chan eil mise a’ faicinn gu bheil comas aca a cheannach. Airson tha taighean nas fheàrr a’ tighinn air a’ mhargaidh agus tha iad gan diùltadh airson nach eil airgead ann. Chan eil taigh ann an seo a chaidh a chàradh no a thogail bhon an droch staid a bha e ann bho chionn bliadhnaichean agus dh’ fheumadh iad a bhith dèanamh sin mun robh iad a’ smaointinn air an taigh sin a cheannach. Reic sinne an taigh sin airson millean not a phàigheadh air ais gus am ‘fund’ an fhearainn nuair a cheannaich sinn an eilean. Agus ’s e £650,000 no rudeigin mar sin a fhuair sinne. Tha mi smaoineachadh gu bheil iad ag iarraidh millean air a-nis agus ma thà cha d’ fhiach e.
[Andreas Wolff – Neach-aithris] Chosgadh an taigh timcheall air £900,000 agus thathar ag obair air sgrùdadh eaconamach feuch a bheil cùis ghnothachais aca. Ach tha daoine a’ pàigheadh mar-thà airson na gàrraidhean fhaicinn.
[Fearghas Christie] Well it’s an honesty box at the moment so you can imagine that that’s not necessarily a good way to run a business. We have other ideas, perhaps for example letting out parts of the house for general accommodation for holidays, more particularly probably for seminars, maybe even some sort of botanical interest so for example people can come and study in the gardens and live in the house but also have an educational facility here as well.
[Andreas Wolff – Neach-aithris] Tha iad mar-thà air bruidhinn ri Maoin a’ Chrannchur Nàiseanta ’s iad an dòchas iarrtas a chur thuca as t-earrach. Andreas Wolff, BBC An Là, Eilean Ghiogha.
[Donald Morrison – Presenter] The Isle of Gigha Heritage Trust plan to buy the mansion Achamore House on the island and develop it for use as a facility. The Gardens of Achamore are well known to plant experts, but the house in the middle of the gardens is no longer part of the estate. It appears though that the gardens are not in the best condition, as Andreas Wolff discovered.
[Andreas Wolff - Reporter] Achamore Gardens on the Isle of Gigha are renowned among plant experts, particularly for the different kinds of rhododendron to be found there. But they are looking a little tired at the moment. To fix this, a separate trust was set up recently.
[Feargus Christie] Historically they were maintained by a large number of gardeners. Due to cutbacks on the island and the necessity of spending money we no longer have a gardener and while we keep the grass cut and generally tidy it needs a bit more maintenance and it needs to be properly maintained. We’ve had a season now without a gardener and I say it’s now looking – tired – is about the best way of putting it.
[Andreas Wolff - Reporter] The community of the Island of Gigha bought the island in 2002 and Achamore Gardens were part of that. But, the house itself wasn’t. That’s on the market now though and the Trust have plans to buy it.
[William MacSporran] I can’t see how they’ll be able to buy it, because better houses are coming onto the market and they are rejecting them because of a lack of money. No house has been renovated from its dilapidated state in years and they would need to undertake that project first before thinking of buying Achamore House. We sold that house to pay £1m back to the land fund when we bought the island. We received around £650,000 for it. I think they want a million for it now and if that’s the case it’s not worth it.
[Andreas Wolff – Reporter] The house will cost around £900,000 and they are working on a feasibility study to determine whether they have a viable business plan. But people are already paying to see the gardens.
[Feargus Christie] Well it’s an honesty box at the moment so you can imagine that that’s not necessarily a good way to run a business. We have other ideas, perhaps for example letting out parts of the house for general accommodation for holidays, more particularly probably for seminars, maybe even some sort of botanical interest so for example people can come and study in the gardens and live in the house but also have an educational facility here as well.
[Andreas Wolff – Reporter] They have already contacted the National Lottery Fund and they hope to submit an application to them in the Spring. Andreas Wolff, BBC An Là, the Isle of Gigha.