Bell's Cherrybank Centre


(Bell's Cherrybank Gardens)

A 2.8 ha (7 acre) garden on the western edge of Perth, Bell's Cherrybank Gardens is home to the Bell's National Heather Collection comprising over 900 varieties of heather, the largest collection of its kind in the UK. In addition, visitors can see the Pride of Perth Exhibition, which illustrates the story of Perth from mediaeval times to the present day. The garden also includes a visitor centre, several sculptures, water features, tubular bells, a children's play area and the Bell's putting green.

The garden was created in 1984 by Bell's whisky distilling company, whose headquarters once lay adjacent and is now owned by Scotland's Garden Trust. In 2002, the garden was gifted to the trust by Diageo plc, the multi-national company created following the merger of Bell's owners, United Distillers (and their parent, drinks group Guinness), with International Distillers and Vintners (and their parent, hotel group Grand Metropolitan).

Cherrybank provides a headquarters for Scotland's Garden Trust, which in March 2004 announced their intention to develop an adjacent site into a £30 million National Garden for Scotland named The Calyx. Disappointment followed in 2007 when the project failed to gain the required lottery funding.

The collapse of the Calyx scheme brought closure of the gardens in 2008, despite a petition and a mass visit-in by local people. The gardens remain closed awaiting resolution of what has become an acrimonious dispute between the Trust and the local authority.


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