AN HISTORIC garden which is becoming an increasingly popular tourist destination has been visited by two of the county’s senior politicians.

Amisfield Walled Garden, on Haddington’s eastern edge, dates back to the late 18th century and is one of the largest gardens of its kind in Scotland.

In 2012, the Amisfield Preservation Trust was granted a 99-year lease of the garden from East Lothian Council, the current owners, on the condition that the garden be developed as a community resource.

In the seven years since, volunteers have worked hard to breathe new life into it.

Kate Rycroft, chairwoman of Amisfield Preservation Trust, and Alasdair McDougall, volunteer co-ordinator, met East Lothian MP Martin Whitfield and MSP Iain Gray at the garden last month to discuss future plans.

Mr Whitfield was impressed with the work on the site and said: “Over the last few years, a dedicated team of volunteers have transformed the walled garden from a sadly neglected state into a beautiful community garden with a venue for education and training for people of all abilities.

“It was clear that all the hard work they have undertaken has helped the garden become increasingly popular as a visitor destination, with an annual programme of events and activities helping to attract well over 1,000 visitors a year.

“It is a really fantastic local attraction at the heart of our great county and I can thoroughly recommend it to anyone who has not yet had a chance to visit.”