The Crichton Estate Awarded Green Flag Status for 2024 

The Board of Trustees at The Crichton are delighted to announce that the Estate has been awarded Green Flag status for the third year in a row, recognising the dedication and hard work of the Grounds and Estate team year-round.

The Green Flag Award aims:

• To ensure that everybody has access to quality green and other open spaces, irrespective of where they live.
• To ensure that these spaces are appropriately managed and meet the needs of the communities that they serve.
• To establish standards of good management, and to promote and share best practice amongst the green space sector.
• To recognise and reward the hard work of managers, staff and volunteers.

Recognising the very best outdoor areas in Scotland, the International Green Flag Award acts as a benchmark for clean, safe and well-maintained parks and green spaces. The Green Flag Award supports the opportunities that our green spaces provide to enable exercise, improve mental wellbeing and provide safe spaces for play.

There were a number of things about The Crichton Estate that contributed to the 2024 award, including:

• A safe place for dog walking, plus a willingness to engage with this clientele
• Formalised litter and waste management policies
• The decision made to reduce all forms of waste and to monitor this regularly
• A dedicated Environmental Policy has been created with set objectives which are monitored annually
• A clear and achievable ambition to maintain and constantly improve the landscape (horticultural) maintenance.
• An action Plan in place to maintain the existing arborical collection, and have a working tree inventory in place.
• Ambitious rewilding and biodiversity initiatives

David Hall, Chair of The Crichton Trust had the following to say about the 2024 award:

“We are so pleased to be awarded a Green Flag for our Estate, its wonderful recognition of the skills and hard work our Gardens team puts into to, not only, helping maintain the Estate but also plan how to ensure it is a vibrant, climate ready Estate for the future, building on our near 200year history.”

In addition Gary McCormick, our Head Gardener noted  “The team consistently work hard to manage the estate to ensure its there for our community, business tenants and residents to enjoy, and it is great to know that this has been recognised and we have achieved Green Flag status once again.”  

Keep Scotland Beautiful who judge and award the Green Flags here in Scotland said that:

“The Crichton Trust is a heritage estate and the greenspaces in between the 27 red sandstone buildings is a vitally important part that makes the Estate a wonderful place to work, live and play.  Having the recognition of a Green Flag wholly endorses all the hard work the grounds and gardens team put into ensuring the space is welcoming, friendly, well maintained and provides important spaces and places for all the flora, fauna and wildlife to flourish.   

Open all day every day to the public the 85acres offers wildflower meadows, heritage and veteran trees, pathways, rest points and accessible and a changing places toilet, so that as many people as possible can come and enjoy the Estate.”