Crieff Hydro has put down roots with the Perthshire Big Tree Country Initiative, a Perth and Kinross Countryside Trust (PKCT) scheme to preserve and promote the breath-taking beauty of the Perthshire countryside, by planting a South-American tree in the gardens of the award winning resort and inviting their guests to donate £1 per stay to the project.

Based in the very heart of rural Perthshire, Crieff Hydro is aiming to raise awareness of the work the PKCT does and the donations from their guests will help PKCT to protect and promote the many remarkable trees, woodlands and country gardens found in this area of Scotland.

Chief Executive of Crieff Hydro, Stephen Leckie, and the Chairman of the PKCT Board of Trustees, Neil Kilpatrick, planted the Fitzroya cupressoides tree, brought along by PKCT Tree Expert, Tom Christian, to celebrate the partnership. Also known as ‘Alerce’, Fitzroya is native to Chile and Argentina where it is threatened with extinction in the wild. The tree planted in the hotel gardens is part of the Perthshire Big Tree Country Conifer Conservation Programme; a partnership between the Perth and Kinross Countryside Trust, Forestry Commission Scotland and the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh to help conserve some of the world’s most enigmatic conifers in the woods, forests and estates of Perthshire.

Stephen Leckie, Chief Executive of Crieff Hydro Family of Hotels, commented:

“Here at Crieff Hydro we’re surrounded by some of the most spectacular green spaces in Scotland and we are proud to support the work the Perth and Kinross Countryside Trust are doing to preserve them through their Perthshire Big Tree Country Initiative. It seemed only right to grab a spade and celebrate this partnership by planting this magnificent tree, which our guests will be able to see growing for many years to come.”

As well as supporting the initiative through collecting donations, Crieff Hydro plans to introduce information points around the 900 acre resort to further raise awareness of the many different species of trees found throughout Perthshire.

Tom Christian, Perth and Kinross Countryside Trust’s Tree Expert, added:

“It is amazing how many incredible trees there are on people’s doorstep all over Perthshire. Crieff Hydro’s surrounding grounds offer an amazing snapshot of Perthshire Big Tree Country for people visiting this area of Scotland, and we are delighted to be teaming up with the resort to raise awareness about the preservation of our trees, landscapes and rural environments.”