READEROFFER!2 ADVANCE TICKETS for just £20!* INCLUDES FAST-TRACK ENTRY QUOTE 'TRUST20'0844 894 2010www.idealhomeshowscotland.co.ukCALL OUR 24 HOUR BOXOFFICE OR BOOK ONLINEshoppinghomegadgetsimprovementsfood & gardenshousewaresinteriorswoman*Terms and Conditions apply. Offer expires 28th May 2012. £1.99 transaction fee applies per booking. FIND EVERYTHING YOU NEED FOR YOURIDEAL HOME UNDER ONE ROOF!JUNE 2ND-5TH 2012SECC ????????GLASGOW

12SPRING 2012WWW.NTS.ORG.UKNEWSA capital strollTO really experience Edinburgh, youhave to walk - the closes, wyndsand courtyards are where the city'sbest stories are to be found. Join Mercat Tours and the Trust fora journey into Edinburgh'spast.Begin in the Old Town and meanderthrough the years and the streets tothe New Town, visiting two Trustproperties - Gladstone's Land,pictured below, on the Royal Mile,and the Georgian House on CharlotteSquare, pictured below right. Your guide will reveal the contrastbetween Edinburgh's two characters- Auld Reekie and the Athens of theNorth. See www.mercattours.comor call 0131 225 5445.Thanks a millionTHE Trust has calculated that its army of more than 3,000volunteers have made a contribution of more than £1million this year.Chief executive Kate Mavor said: "We have alwaysknown that our volunteers contributed a great deal to theTrust. In fact, without their dedication and talent, ourcharity would simply be unable to carry out theconservation work that we do, day in day out. Theircontribution is massive and now we know that inmonetary terms it comes in at over £1 million. "I would like to thank each and every one who helpsus in our vital work to conserve and promote the placesthat are in our care, for the benefit of the nation."Since March 2011, volunteers have given 165,689 hoursto the Trust, free of charge. They work in a range of roles,from looking after the gardens at Drum Castle to repairingfootpaths on Ben Lomond and helping with projects atRockcliffe. See www.nts.org.uk/volunteeringParty spiritTHE Argyll Members' Centrecelebrated its 21st anniversary witha party attended by Trust chairmanSir Kenneth Calman. He cut thespecial birthday cake along withHersey Robertson, a 91-year-oldfounder member of the group.Hersey, pictured left, also received aChairman's Award at Pollok earlierthis year for 30 years volunteeringwith the Trust. Sir Kenneth said:"We enjoyed a lively party,complete with some of the originalmembers of the centre from 1990.The members have an activeprogramme and do a great deal insupport of their lovely properties -Arduaine and Crarae Garden."Birthday treesTO mark the 80th anniversaries of both the Trust andScotland's Gardens, 80 oak trees have been planted inTrust gardens. The first took root at Greenbank Garden ina special planting ceremony attended by staff from bothcharities. Twenty five trees, identified by plaques andeach about 1.8 metres tall, were planted at Trust gardensall over Scotland. The remaining 55 were planted at Brodie Castle, FyvieCastle, Haddo House, the House of the Binns and Hill ofTarvit. Robert Grant, the Trust's head of gardens and designedlandscapes, said: "The Trust has enjoyed a long andsuccessful relationship with Scotland's Gardens and it isentirely appropriate that we should mark this importantanniversary with the planting of oak trees. We are verygrateful for the generous support by Scotland's Gardensfor the Gardens Fund of the National Trust for Scotland. "These vital donations have helped fund a variety ofprojects, developments and purchases over the years,helping us conserve some of Scotland's finest gardens."Scotland's Gardens, founded, like the Trust, in 1931,has gifted more than £1 million to Trust gardens.'I am insanelylucky to havefound thisposition'In safe hands -page 33IN THEMAGAZINE