Suntrap Garden was the property of philanthropist, George Boyd Anderson, who commissioned an extraordinary eco house, Millbuies, to be built there in the late 1950s. He designed his garden in a series of rooms. He left his property for the education of the people of Scotland. Ownership was divided between the NTS and the local authority but from 1983, the Garden was utilised and managed by Oatridge College. It established a high reputation as a centre of horticultural learning for adults and children with learning difficulties in addition to other classes and services.
In June 2010, Oatridge College decided to withdraw from Suntrap Garden due to changes in funding. When the top part of Suntrap reverted to the ownership of the NTS in October 2010, NTS’ management claimed it was of no heritage significance despite its history and they planned to dispose of it.
Following Oatridge’s withdrawal, the Save our Suntrap (SOS) Group was formed from the national and local organisations which used Suntrap. The Group is led by Friends of Suntrap, the first ever NTS Friends group which was established in 1977. For the last 2 years, the Group has been striving to establish ownership of the Garden either through a lease agreement or by raising funds to buy the property. Other charities serving a wide range of health and social needs are interested in using the facilities. The aim of the Group is to continue to manage the Garden under a Charitable Company in accordance with the principles of the benefactor. These would include offering therapeutic horticulture, education and promoting Millbuies House as a heritage centre.