A death sentence on 1000 larch trees has been lifted as the disease that threatened their existence is not spreading as quickly as first feared.

However, the trees may still have to come down if the disease reappears.

In March last year it was announced that the pathogen, often referred to as sudden oak death or ramorum dieback, had been found among larch trees in the "secret garden" at Arduaine, south of Oban, owned by the National Trust for Scotland.

Forestry Commission Scotland (FCS) said dramatic measures were needed to prevent its spread. A notice on the Argyllshire garden under the Plant Health (Forestry) Order required all the larch trees, regardless of whether they were showing signs of disease, to be felled or killed by January 2014.

However, only two trees have been chopped down and aerial observation by FCS showed the progression of ramorum at the site was not as rapid as elsewhere in the UK.

FCS said it was now content that, subject to continuous monitoring, the remaining larches do not need to be felled unless, or until, early symptoms of disease become apparent. Maurice Wilkins, head gardener and property manager at Arduaine, said: "Visitors will have noticed very little change to the wonderful setting and plant collections at Arduaine, despite the issues we have been dealing with.

"We are optimistic that this very welcome news from Forestry Commission Scotland means that some of the more drastic actions we had expected to take are now no longer necessary and that there is even less to concern visitors.

"We are very grateful for the swift and prudent actions of FCS and all the help and support they have given us."