At Tagsa’s Gardens we offer a safe, welcoming environment for outdoor activities and a sanctuary for all, as well as opportunity for engagement, learning, conservation, collaboration and volunteering, for all ages and abilities, by gardening for wellbeing.
Tagsa gardens is an environment that nurtures nature and our climate, individuals and groups, promotes social inclusion and can be stimulating or relaxing, inspiring or calming, and is an environment conducive to therapeutic intervention, reflection, and opportunity.
At Tagsa Gardens we provide a community focal point to reduce social isolation & loneliness, to support physical & mental wellbeing, and positive mental health, through daily, outdoor activities for wellbeing. We care for the garden and all that grow within it, and we encourage others to do the same.
We provide an example of local, nutritious fresh food being produced and consumed locally, whilst caring for our soil, our climate, restoring and enhancing the natural beauties of our islands.
We celebrate and promote the use of all the abundant natural resources around us, support the circular food economy in Uist, and actively demonstrate and educate responsible and sustainable gardening, crofting, and horticultural practices.
We are delighted to announce a two‑year collaboration agreement with the Woodland Trust/Point and Sandwick Trust that saw the long‑term management of the Uist & Barra Tree Nursery formally transfer to Tagsa from June 2026.
The nursery, established in 2022 through an informal partnership between the Croft Woodlands Project (funded by WT/PST), Stòras Uibhist, and Tagsa Uibhist, has already become a vital local resource. For decades, almost all tree stock used in the Western Isles had to be imported from the mainland: bringing risks of pests and diseases, high transportation costs, and plants poorly suited to island conditions. The nursery was created to change that, producing native tree species grown from local seed sources, adapted to thrive in the unique climate of the islands.
Since its inception, the nursery has grown into a fully accredited operation under both the ‘UK & Ireland Sourced and Grown’ scheme and the Scottish Government’s Plant Passporting requirements. Demand for trees continues to rise, with crofters, community groups, and Forestry Grant Scheme projects requiring up to 15,000 trees annually.
This transition marks a significant step in strengthening local resilience and reinforcing the role of volunteers in supporting environmental sustainability. Income from tree sales will be reinvested directly into the nursery, ensuring its long‑term viability.
The partnership represents a strong, collaborative commitment to growing the future of Uist—one tree at a time.
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