THE NATIONAL Trust for Scotland is shutting all parks and gardens which five days ago said would remain open free of charge for people to "escape isolation" as they respond to the coronavirus outbreak.

The sister conservation charity, National Trust, south of the border, made the move to shut parks and gardens at midnight fron Saturday as it feared that it could not guarantee social distancing in areas they manage.

The decision for England and Wales was taken ahead of Mother’s Day, which the Trust predicts will attract more people to its parks despite Government advice on social distancing.

Houses, cafes and shops belonging to the charity were closed earlier last week.

On Monday afternoon, the NTS said it would now be following suit as concerns persist that not enough people are adhering to rules of social distancing.

MSPs and tourism board bosses have been urging people planning to visit remote parts of Scotland to stay away to protect local residents.

MP for Ross, Skye and Lochaber Ian Blackford said there were reports of a “substantial amount” of tourists in the Highlands.

NTS said it would close all of its gardens and car parks, along with Culzean Country Park and Brodick Country Park, as well as the grounds of properties such as Crathes and Brodie Castles.

It will come into effect from Monday evening.

The Herald:

An NTS spokesman said: "We did review the situation over Saturday and into Sunday, but information from regional managers suggested we weren’t experiencing the same pressures as seen down south. We also have a different legal situation in Scotland pertaining to rights of access. 

"However, in the light of later calls to minimise travel we agreed to today’s action.  Closure of our car parks in particular is hoped will discourage travel across the country."

It will close all holiday let properties and cancelling bookings to the end of April, with the situation to be revised further in coming weeks.

And it is asking people not to travel to its island properties in order to protect communities.

The Trust had previously announced that it would leave some gardens, grounds and parkland open for free access during the crisis.

The NTS said: "The decision to go ahead with a blanket closure follows in the light of calls by the Scottish Government for people to suspend unnecessary travel, especially to more remote areas, and for the owners of all hotels, B&Bs and self-catering accommodation to close.

"The decision was also influenced by a busy weekend at some properties where social distancing guidance was not being followed and the potential threat to the wellbeing to both visitors and the Trust’s staff this was causing."

The NTS is cancelling all holiday let bookings up until at least 30 April, and will extend this if needed. The charity has also said that it will not accept any new bookings for stays before 4 June, again with this date subject to review.

Trust staff are contacting people who have made bookings to offer alternative dates in the future, a voucher that can be exchanged for up to a year ahead, or if necessary a full refund.

The National Trust for Scotland’s chief executive, Simon Skinner said: “As I have said before, our absolute priority is to ensure the wellbeing of our visitors and workforce. It is this that has led us to today’s very difficult decision.

“To support non-essential travel instruction, we are closing all our remaining open properties, including gardens, grounds and country parks along with our car parks and holiday let properties. I am truly sorry for the disappointment and inconvenience this is causing but for the safety of our visitors, volunteers and staff this is the right course of action.

“We are already in touch with those affected to rearrange holidays and events.

“The Trust is also asking people not to travel to our island properties at this time, albeit that this is difficult due to ferry restrictions in any case. We were aware of the serious concerns of residents in places like Canna and Fair Isle, which are remote from healthcare provision and especially vulnerable. For their sakes, no-one should travel to island communities unless it is on essential business.

“While this is a very difficult time, the National Trust for Scotland is carrying on with its vital work of protecting and conserving Scotland’s irreplaceable heritage. We know that our heritage is important to individuals and families, contributing to our individual and national memories, well-being and identity.

“We will continue to care for the places that mean so much to us, and we hope that people will enjoy these when better days return. In the meantime, I want to offer my profound thanks to our members and to donors, and the public at large, who have pledged to continue supporting our ongoing work.”

The National Trust, which has properties, parks and gardens across England and Wales decided to take action to close parks and gardens from Saturday after Boris Johnson’s announcement on Friday that all pubs, clubs and restaurants would be closed.

Director general Hilary McGrady then: “Despite our desire to keep our outdoor spaces open, the health and wellbeing of our staff, volunteers and visitors has to be our top priority.

“Having observed the numbers visiting our properties today I am no longer convinced we can maintain social distancing over Mother’s Day when numbers are likely to grow, and beyond.”

Ms McGrady added that the Trust would be taking measures to ensure that people did not lose their connection with nature, and that sites of natural beauty remained open “virtually”.