User:D.M. Edgar/Millbuies

Millbuies Estate is a Country Park located approximately 4 miles south of Elgin, Morayshire in the North East of Scotland. The Estate comprises approximately 160 acres and is comprised of two adjoined lochs located in a heavily wooded valley. The walk from the parking area around the two lochs is approximately two miles with an uphill/downhill terrain. The park is open to the public.

Millbuies' sheltered location has encouraged the growth of many species of trees and shrubs not necessarily native to the area. Rhododendrons exist throughout in a multitude of colours (mauves, dark reds, light reds, pinks, oranges, yellows, whites). The ground is so fertile that the rhodo's easily self seed and grow to gigantic sizes.

The Estate was gifted to the City and Royal Burgh of Elgin in 1956 by George Boyd Anderson, at the time, a resident of Lossiemouth, a fishing village located approximately 6 miles north of Elgin on the coast of the Moray Firth. Boyd Anderson was originally a resident of Elgin, but spent his working years in Singapore. He acquired Millbuies in the mid-1930’s. There is a cairn located at the entrance to Millbuies to commemorate the gift.

George Edgar, who at the time of Boyd Anderson's gift to Elgin was Convener of Lands and Parks on the Elgin Town Council, made it his personal crusade to make Millbuies available and accessible to the community. Over a number of years on many Saturday and Sunday afternoons, he personally dug and built the footpaths around the two Millbuies lochs so that visitors would be able to see the beauty for themselves.

Edgar was also responsible for the introduction of many new species of trees and shrubs to the estate, most of which have flourished and are clearly identified for visitors today.

At the time of his death in 1971, George Edgar was Lord Provost of the City and Royal Burgh of Elgin. A cairn was erected at Millbuies in his memory and sits close to the junction of the two lochs. The inscription on the cairn reads “To the memory of the Late Lord Provost George Edgar who gave so much of his time and energy to beautifying Millbuies for Elgin – 1972”.

The bridge between the two lochs is a part of the old Deanshaugh bridge over the River Lossie in Elgin. It was transported to Millbuies in the early 1960’s.

The Estate is frequently used as a camp-site by local Boy Scouts and other groups and is also a popular picnic spot.

The lochs are open for fly-fishing from boat in season. Primary species is trout.

D.M. Edgar (talk) 00:26, 08 February 2009 (UTC) --D.M. Edgar (talk) 00:19, 9 February 2009 (UTC)