Celebrating our 2024 Diana Macnab for Outstanding Service Nominees

Every year we ask our community of garden owners and volunteers to nominate somebody who they feel has gone the extra mile to volunteer for Scotland’s Gardens Scheme, and deserves to be recognised for their efforts. This year we celebrate two volunteers who have served the Scheme valiantly over many years in so many capacities, Sarah Landale from Dumfriesshire and Minette Struthers from Argyll and Lochaber. 

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Sarah Landale District Organiser,
former Trustee, Garden Owner

Sarah Landale has been opening her garden in Dumfriesshire for many years, each year involving the local community and various local crafters with stalls and attractions throughout the day. Additionally, she has master-minded the opening of Portrack, the Garden of Cosmic Speculation, every time it has opened in the last 20 years, a huge operation which has raised over £186,000 in the past ten years alone. 

Sarah has been the District Organiser for Dumfriesshire for the last 21 years, finding and supporting gardens new and old. Finally, as if all of that is not enough, she has been on the Board of Scotland’s Gardens Scheme as a Trustee for the last 17 years, the last five of which as Vice Chair, contributing wisely and with candour to the strategic direction of the charity, retiring at the 2024 AGM.  

Sarah is a tireless supporter and advocate for Scotland’s Gardens Scheme and continues to share her time and energies with us all in the most humble and gracious way, always with a smile and a very kind and willing heart. 

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Minette Struthers District Organiser,
former Trustee, Garden Owner


Minette Struthers has been a staunch supporter of Scotland’s Gardens Scheme for many years, most notably as the District Organiser for Argyll and Lochaber. She has covered hundreds of miles travelling across her geographically challenging district visiting garden owners and encouraging new gardens to open. 

As a Board member and Trustee from 2000 to 2019, Minette sat on many committees and was very much part of the decision-making body of Scotland’s Gardens Scheme throughout that time. She also opens her own garden at Ardmaddy Castle under SGS and is a consummate plantswoman and dendrologist in her own right. 

Minette has been a truly reliable and tireless member of the Scotland’s Gardens Scheme family through a number of decades. She is energetic, calm, full of wisdom and always so encouraging of those around her. 

We commend both Sarah and Minette as extremely worthy recipients of the Diana Macnab award for 2025. 


Our full list of worthy 2024 nominees:

Ann WatsonDistrict Organiser, Wigtownshire
Annie Stewart, Area Organiser, Moray & Nairn
Caroline Critchlow, Former District Organiser, Orkney
Fiona Stewart, District Organiser and Garden Owner,
Perth & Kinross
James Byatt, District Organiser, Moray & Nairn
Jean Gillan, Treasurer and Committee Member, Renfrewshire
Lesley McDavid, District Organiser, Peeblesshire and Tweeddale
Michael Tinson, Treasurer, Perth & Kinross
Sarah Ward, Garden Owner, East Lothian 
Verity Walters, District Organiser, Aberdeenshire

We are delighted to share a few reasons for some of our nominations this year:

“Verity has supported SGS for many years now and is so quietly supportive and persuasive at the same time! She is a brilliant ambassador and always so helpful at our garden opening.”

“Not only has Fiona opened her garden for many years but has been proactive in encouraging gardeners to join the scheme.”

“Years of being Perth & Kinross treasurer, always so helpful and kind and an excellent treasurer. Couldn’t do it without him (Michael)!”

Our many congratulations to you all!