Station volunteers turn Scotland’s neglected corners into gardens

Neglected station corners are becoming gardens, wildlife patches and more welcoming entrances across Scotland, thanks to local volunteers.

ScotRail says 1,054 volunteers gave 47,916 hours over the past year through its Adopt a Station programme, which now covers 214 stations. Groups include schools, charities and community organisations.

At Kirkconnel in Dumfries and Galloway, Guides and helpers cleared an overgrown area, built raised beds and a pebble path, planted wildflowers and added a rainwater supply. At Newtonmore, four volunteers spent around 60 hours uncovering a forgotten planter and clearing vegetation.

The programme’s guidance explains the support behind the work: safety briefings, permission for projects and events where adopters exchange ideas, including advice on biodiversity.

The hours are ScotRail’s reported activity figures, rather than a measure of changes in wildlife or passenger wellbeing. Keeping gardens going also takes continuing effort.

But the improvements are tangible: spaces once hidden by overgrowth are being cared for, with local people shaping the stations their communities use.

Sources

• Glasgow View — ScotRail volunteers give almost 48,000 hours
• ScotRail — Volunteers transform stations across Scotland
• ScotRail — Adopt a station