At its first meeting of the New Year, Anstruther Rotary club welcomed speaker Roger Brown, who is NTS property manager at Kellie Castle, Hill of Tarvit and Balmerino Abbey.

The NTS was formed in 1931 and is the leading conservation charity in Scotland with some 130 properties, 100,000 precious artefacts, 200 thousand acres of land – and 1 million breeding seabirds! The bulk of the charity’s income comes from its 300,000 plus members.

A brief mention of Hill of Tarvit, once owned by Dundee industrialist Frederick Sharp, brought back memories for club members who, on a club outing, experienced the challenge of the restored golf course. The course is played with hickory-shafted clubs; a fact that led to the weaknesses of even skilled players being quickly and cruelly exposed!

After a quick foray to 13C Cistercian Balmerino Abbey and its 400-year old chestnut tree, Roger concentrated on Kellie Castle, just a short but rewarding journey from Anstruther.
We heard of the very early history starting with the 13C Siward family, then via Sir Walter Oliphant, Thomas Erskine and the Earls of Kellie until the house was abandoned in 1870. Perhaps the most interesting part of Kellie’s history is the period from 1878, when the talented and artistic Lorimer family took over the then ruin. Through three generations, family members rescued the house and restored it to the form we recognise today and much as it was when taken over by the NTS in 1970.

The final flourish was to learn of NTS work in rescuing the now very beautiful gardens from near dereliction. Run for 20 years on organic principles, the garden boasts 75 varieties of apples and an amazing 30 varieties of rhubarb!  

Altogether a most interesting talk and one reflected in an appreciative vote of thanks proposed by Bill Henderson.