A community garden saved for a Perthshire town by an anonymous donor has been officially opened.
St Kessog’s Square, which was formerly known as Bumblebee Square, in Comrie had been threatened with the axe after owner William Frame decided to sell the land, which had been on loan to the village.
Despite a desperate fundraising effort, backed by Hollywood heart-throb Gerard Butler, the community was unable to raise the money needed to buy the garden but it was saved by an 11th hour donation.
That allowed Comrie Parish Church to buy the plot in December last year.
A condition of the gift was that the area be renamed St Kessog’s Square, in honour of a medieval missionary who preached in Perthshire.
The official unveiling of new signage at the site was undertaken by retiring beadle John Robertson and his wife, Joan, this week.
The date was chosen to coincide with the 50th anniversary of the coming together of Comrie’s two churches the Old Parish Church, now the White Church, and St Kessog’s.
Libby Urquhart, chairwoman of Friends of the Square, the organisation behind the original fundraising drive, said: “It was just great.
“It’s super that it’s been taken over everybody’s delighted to know that the square is in good hands and that it will be looked after forever.
“It’s the end of a lot of hard work by Friends of the Square, who kept the profile up.”
It is understood the Friends of the Square group will continue to look after the plot until a church committee can be set up.
The opening was also welcomed by local MSPs Roseanna Cunningham and Liz Smith.
Ms Smith said: “I warmly congratulate all those involved on securing St Kessog’s garden square for the local community.
“St Kessog’s Square will be a great asset to the people and visitors of Comrie for generations to come, offering a peaceful garden meeting place at the heart of the village.”
Ms Cunningham also praised the name change. She explained: “Bumblebee Square was a nice name but St Kessog’s really ties in with Comrie’s history.
“I am delighted that the square, while firmly anchored to the past with this name change, has a secure future and will be enjoyed as a fantastic community resource for many years to come.”