By Dave Lord

THE LARGEST community orchard in Scotland was planted in Perthshire yesterday with the help of more than 600 volunteers.

Hundreds of trees and fruit bushes were planted in Birnam in the effort sponsored and supported by staff from accountancy giant PricewaterhouseCoopers.

The site, on the banks of the River Tay, will now be open to community use for generations to come.

Land for the huge orchard was donated by Atholl Estates, who will also help to maintain the site.

The project was organised by the Children’s Orchard, a Scotland-wide initiative to encourage children and their communities to plant fruit trees.

“What we are creating here is a legacy, which we hope local children will remember for a long time,” said director John Hancox.

“Perhaps they will bring their own children back one day to pick apples here.

“More than that, we also hope that this orchard will become a real community facility and that a Dunkeld Apple Fair will become a regular fixture.”

David Greer, head of rural enterprises with Atholl Estates, said, “We are delighted to be involved in this project. It is great to be working with other organisations that promote the value of community and sustainability in their normal business practice.”

Around 600 of the accountant’s employees—from senior partners to new graduates at its three offices in Aberdeen, Edinburgh and Glasgow—helped out during the mass planting session.

The day out formed part of the firm’s All Scotland Away Day, an annual event for employees.

Paul Brewer, senior partner at the Edinburgh office, said staff were delighted to be involved in what is Scotland’s biggest corporate volunteering event.

“Over the years we have invested strongly in our community volunteering programme and have also built a strong reputation for sustainability,” he said.

“Our aim is to build on this strong platform through involvement with exciting projects such as this, which both engage and involve the community, young and old.

“This strategy also fits well with the development of our sustainability team, a growing area where we are helping clients and in which we are investing.”

A range of other organisations are also helping out to ensure the orchard blossoms. They include the Forestry Commission and the Royal School of Dunkeld.