A Fife attraction at the centre of a funding crisis has been awarded four stars by Scotland’s tourism body.
St Andrews Botanic Garden’s rating was raised by VisitScotland from very good to excellent.
The news comes as the popular garden faces an uncertain future, due to budget cuts at Fife Council.
A bid has been launched to establish a charitable trust to ensure it remains open, as the local authority, which runs it, is unable to continue investing at current levels.
The garden, leased from St Andrews University, costs £300,000 a year to run and the council is proposing to halve the money it spends on it.
It is hoped the endorsement from VisitScotland will encourage more people to explore the garden.
Inspectors from the tourism agency paid an anonymous visit last month. Among the aspects they were most impressed by were the warm welcome from staff, the excellent condition of the garden and the quality of information and signs.
The chairwoman of Friends of the St Andrews Botanic Garden, Louise Roger, said, “This is welcome recognition of the hard work put in by garden staff and volunteers, and we are all very proud of what has been achieved.
“The garden is a vital part of community life in St Andrews and, with all the events and activities we’ve put in place, we hope to have our busiest summer yet.”
She also urged people to visit the garden this summer, outlining events and new features planned.For more information, visit www.st-andrews-botanic.org