A NEW community orchard at Kilmun Younger Hall was officially opened on Saturday as residents came together for a successful autumn fair celebrating local produce, gardening and community spirit.
Luke Senior, curator at Benmore Botanic Garden, performed the official opening ceremony, cutting the twine to mark the latest chapter in the hall’s development.
Speaking at the event, Luke highlighted the historic connection between Benmore Gardens and Younger Hall, reflecting on the legacy of the Younger family, who gifted the hall to the people of Kilmun for community use.
He praised the orchard project as a continuation of that legacy, providing a space where local people can work together, share skills and enjoy the benefits of growing their own produce.
Luke also drew comparisons between gardening and community life, observing that both require patience and resilience.
Just as an orchard is made up of individual trees producing different fruits, he suggested, a thriving community depends on people bringing together their different talents and abilities.
That spirit of cooperation was evident throughout Saturday’s celebrations, with volunteers and residents contributing to a lively programme of autumn activities.
Visitors enjoyed home baking, stalls and a range of apple-themed attractions, including traditional apple dooking, apple spirals, dried apple rings and apple tasting.
Younger visitors also joined in the festivities, creating colourful apple prints as part of the day’s activities.
Organisers said the opening was just the beginning of the orchard’s story, with further opportunities planned for residents to get involved in developing and maintaining the space.
A volunteer working group will meet on the third Saturday of each month, from 11am until 1pm, with the next session on November 21 focusing on building a dead hedge within the orchard.
Meanwhile, a separate gardening group meets on the last Thursday of each month at 11am to help develop the hall’s front garden.
The orchard project has also inspired a vegetable fermentation workshop, which will take place on November 14 from 1pm until 3pm.
All activities are free, with organisers encouraging anyone interested in gardening, growing food or contributing to the community to get involved.
Further information, including details of how to register for activities or volunteer, will be available through the Kilmun Younger Hall website.
