A NATIONAL Trust for Scotland site was vandalised "for weeks" in a campaign that saw hundreds of flowers cut apart and a variety of tools and facilities damaged and destroyed.
A group of teenagers broke into the Greenbank Gardens heritage site in Clarkston several times in June, causing large amounts of damage which staff at the site called "disheartening".
Posting on Facebook, staff at the heritage site said: "Over the last few weeks, the team here at Greenbank has been dealing with a very disheartening issue.
"A group of teenagers has been breaking in to the garden and vandalising it – this has happened five times already in the past two weeks.
"We take pride at Greenbank to ensure that the garden is a place where people can come and relax. When things like this happens it winds us."
It went on to say that the staff at the site had contacted Police Scotland after the incidents, and had the young vandals on CCTV.
The damage to the site was widespread, with staff saying that "hundreds of flowers" were cut off with loppers, and that several garden tools had been broken.
A glasshouse at the site was damaged and had "profane images and writing" added to it, and a memorial bench was broken.
On top of that, lumps of plants and compost heaps were trampled, and the site's farmyard had potato seed spread over it.
Alcohol bottles were found disposed of on the site, and props from various events at the gardens were found on rooftops.
The site, consisting of walled gardens, is centred around the A-listed Greenbank House, built in 1763.
In 1976, it was donated to the National Trust by its then-owners, who had transformed it from agricultural land to the garden experience known today.
Alongside the gardens, the site features 16 acres of woodland, featuring a range of woody plants and a herd of Highland cattle.
A National Trust for Scotland spokesperson said: “Sadly, a few weeks ago we did experience some vandalism at the lovely Greenbank Garden.
"This has all been tidied up and we are pleased to say that we’ve had no issues since then.
"It’s a shame when things like this happen – our conservation charity works so hard to look after Greenbank Garden and make it a welcoming place for all our visitors."
Police Scotland was contacted for comment.
