Patrons

Brian Cunningham

Brian Cunningham has been Head Gardener at Scone Palace since 2012. His love of gardening began at just 9 years old as he helped the greenkeeper at the bowling club where his mother worked.

After leaving school, Brian became an apprentice at Craigtoun Country Park. He then went on to have roles at the Royal Botanical Gardens in Edinburgh, St Andrews Botanic Gardens and the Backhouse Rossie Estate near Auchtermuchty.

In 2014, the television programme Beechgrove Garden visited Scone Palace for their Chilli Festival. Carole Baxter, a presenter on Beechgrove challenged Brian to a chilli eating contest which saw him then become a regular presenter!

Brian’s main role at Scone Palace today is overseeing its walled garden revival, featuring a formal garden, topiary, orchards, cut flowers and a plant nursery. He is also developing Scone’s role in the community, providing practical classes, garden workshops and a place to buy locally grown produce.

Alan Bell

I may not have come from a gardening family, and to be honest, I didn’t know much about plants when I left school at 16. All I knew was that I wanted to be outdoors—preferably without being stuck in a classroom. One day, while perusing the careers office, an ad titled “A Career in the Great Outdoors” jumped out at me. It was for an apprenticeship as a gardener with Edinburgh Council, and I thought, “Why not?” I applied, got the job, and from that moment, I was hooked on horticulture.

My journey has taken me to some pretty fantastic places, including Culzean Castle and Holyrood Palace. I also had the joy of working as a project advisor for the Society for Horticultural Therapy (now Thrive). On top of that, I founded and managed Community Gardening Projects Scotland and was one of the founding members of Trellis, serving as Chair of the Board for a few years.

I’ve dabbled in community and environmental regeneration too, leading the charge on revitalising Burdiehouse Burn Valley Park. This adventure eventually led me to become the Parks and Gardens Manager for the City of Edinburgh Council, followed by a role as Greenspace Manager. I finally hung up my gardening gloves in 2021, but I’m still gardening, splitting my time  between an allotment in Edinburgh that I share with a friend and nurturing my garden in sunny Murcia, Spain.

Jim McColl, MBE, SHM, NDH, SDH, FrAgS

Jim is a well-known horticultural consultant and TV & radio broadcaster and has been working with people who had learning/physical difficulties since the 1960’s. He soon found how useful gardening could be in helping them achieve a sense of worth, purpose and enjoyment. That feeling hasn’t changed a bit in 50 years!

Joanna Clodagh Gordon

Marchioness of Aberdeen and Temair, Vice Lord-Lieutenant of Aberdeenshire. Born in Moray, Joanna qualified as a Registered General Nurse and Sick Children’s Nurse through the Hospital for Sick Children, Great Ormond Street and University College Hospital, London. She went on to work at the Royal Hospital for Sick Children in Edinburgh and then, back at Great Ormond Street, as a Nurse Specialist in Haematology. During a career break while bringing up a young family of four, Joanna studied with the Open University, achieving a BA in the Humanities. She returned to work as a Research Nurse in community-based studies at the University of Aberdeen, firstly in Child Health and subsequently Neurology until 2009. Joanna is actively involved in several charitable and community initiatives which, along with all her nursing experience makes her an ideal patron for Trellis

Professor John Curtice

John is best known as a commentator in the media on Scottish and British politics, not least on election night when at recent elections he has led the team responsible for the analysis of the TV exit poll. A Professor in Politics at Strathclyde University, the day job involves digging into the details of how people vote and what they think about politics and government. But at the weekend together with his wife, Lisa, he tends an allotment in Glasgow in which they grow a mixture of summer fruit and winter vegetables - and which acts as a year-round safe haven from the hurly-burly of the political scene

Dr Richard Simpson OBE, FRCGP, FRCPsych, DPM, DipSHEB

Honorary Professor Faculty of Health Sciences and Sport University of Stirling Nursing Midwifery and Allied Professionals Research Unit Honorary visiting Professor School of Medicine University of St Andrews.

It is with much sadness that we announce the passing of Lord Aberdeen, patron and friend of Trellis since 2007. The 7th Marquess of Aberdeen and Temair, Alexander George Gordon died on 12th March 2020, aged 64. He passed away peacefully at his home, House of Formartine, on the Haddo Estate. Our sincere condolences and thoughts are with his wife, Joanna Clodagh Gordon, also a patron of Trellis, and their four children. We will really miss Lord Aberdeen’s dedication, intelligence and generous spirit.