COMMUNITY spirit as been blooming in Abbeyview with the official opening of a special garden.

Work on the Lynburn Community Garden in Drum Road has been ongoing for two years and also boasts an orchard, wildlife area and seating.

It was opened by deputy First Minister John Swinney last Thursday.

Kirsty Riddell, chair of Abbeyview Community Council and Lynburn Primary’s Parent Partnership, said: "We are quite proud that it has turned out so well.

“It was quite a big part of the curriculum that the children have outdoor learning and I think the nearest place was up at Calais Woods which is obviously quite a distance for them to walk or put transport on.

“We had discovered this piece of land was sitting there and we got the opportunity to make it over. It is a very short distance from the school and the classes are now timetabled to use it.”

Although home to the school’s outdoor classroom, Kirsty stressed they hope community members – young and old – will take advantage of the facility.

“It is a community garden and hopefully as more people see it, they will realise it is there for them,” she added. “We have put some nice seating in and it is a nice place to sit in. We also involved some children from Woodmill High. It was local kids and we had them digging at the start and taking ownership of the garden. We hope they will be proud of it."

It has been a really good project for the whole community.

“We are overwhelmed and very grateful for all the support we have had.”