Choked with weeds, and overrun by brambles and bracken, the once carefully tended walled garden of a long-gone grand island home shows all the signs of 70 years of neglect.

Trees from neighbouring woods have taken root, and all that’s left of the fruit trees which once heaved with plump, juicy apples are a single dried stalk clinging to a wall.

In times gone by, the one-acre garden provided fruit, vegetables and flowers for Aros House, near Tobermory on Mull, the impressive granite-built home of the brother of one of the world’s richest men yet destined for a miserable end as target practice for army explosives.

Now though, armed with their spades, trowels and a lot of determination, a community group is set to undo seven decades of twisted and tangled growth in the hope of nurturing the garden back to life.

While tackling 70 years’ worth of weeds and invasive rhododendron ponticum may send a chill down even the most enthusiastic gardener’s spine, the community challenge of reviving the walled garden goes further – they plan to use it to pay homage to the island’s rich heritage, including creating a little corner of Australian plant life.

The Australian section of the revived garden, featuring plants from Down Under chosen to withstand the Inner Hebridean climate, will reflect links with controversial Ulva-born Lachlan Macquarie who went on to become the fifth Governor of New South Wales. Gov. Macquarie has been credited with helping to shape modern Australia, however, he also ordered the massacre of indigenous people who resisted settlers who had taken their land.

His grave, near Salen on the Isle of Mull, is maintained by the National Trust of Australia and inscribed “The Father of Australia”.

As well as Australian-themed plants and areas designed to provide peaceful spots for reflection, the revived garden will also pay homage to the Hooker family of Victorian plant hunters who had links with Lochbuie, and the Beatons of Mull, the family of doctors who from the 14th century onwards provided medical care to the Lords of the Isles and a string of monarchs.

The first Beaton doctor is said to have saved the life of a chief of Lochbuie who was suffering from a serious throat abscess, by brewing a vile tasting herbal potion. The mixture was given to people to taste before being given to the chief, who laughed so much at their expressions of disgust, that he strained his throat and inadvertently cleared the troublesome abscess.

The same medic is said to have used the treatment to save another girl’s life after she swallowed at a tadpole which, legend has it, grew into a frog.

From the 14th to 18th century there were more than 70 physicians linked to the family, with their skills in high demand from kings and clan leaders.

The revival of the garden is being supported by the CalMac Community Fund, which provides grant funds to non-profit groups in areas across the ferry network.

The latest rounds of the Fund, delivered in partnership with Foundation Scotland, has provided grants for west coast community groups spanning sport, mental health, social isolation and environment.

The revival of the walled garden within Aros Park, just outside Tobermory, comes decades after the grand Tudor Gothic style house which it once served was destroyed as part of an Army explosives training exercise.

The house was originally planned as a winter residence for Lt-Col Hugh Maclean of Coll, the last laird of Coll, but was never fully completed because he ran out of money.

It was eventually bought by wealthy shipping heir Bryce Allan, one of five brothers involved in the family-run Allan Line, which traded between Scotland and Canada and became the inspiration for 1970s television drama, The Onedin Line.

One brother, Sir Hugh Allan of Ravenscrag, developed commercial interests in Canada which propelled him to a fortune of around £12 million by the time of his death in 1882.

However, Bryce Allan’s descendants struggled to maintain the grand property on Mull, and it was sold in 1952 and stripped it of its fixtures and fittings.

With walls too thick for easy demolition, the house was destroyed in 1962 by the Army.

The Aros estate was taken over by the Forestry Commission in 1959, however, the walled garden was not originally included and instead left to grow wild. It was recently taken over by the Mull and Iona Community Trust.

Lauren Fraser, of the group carrying out the restoration, says the finished walled garden will provide a space for gatherings and peaceful contemplation.

“It’s a big challenge, and at the moment you need a bit of imagination,” she adds. “In its current state, the garden is more akin to wilderness than a cultivated space.

“It has been abandoned for decades and as a result, what was once a productive and impressive space is now all but impassable, overgrown with bracken and invasive rhododendron ponticum and dominated by self-seeded trees, roots and fallen timber, making it an unappealing and unsafe space.”

The revamped garden is intended to provide benefits for mental and physical health, with opportunities for locals and visitors to volunteer and join workshops, and with parts of the garden designed particularly for quiet meditation and sensory benefit.

An open area of lawn will also provide space for community performances.

The initial phase of the project will involve repairing the unusual lime mortar stone wall, creating paths and preparing the ground for planting. Clearance work has already revealed original box hedging, still growing despite decades of neglect.

Since its launch in 2019 the CalMac Community Fund has supported 195 groups delivering a range of projects.

Gordon McKillop, CalMac’s Corporate Social Responsibility Manager: “The CalMac Community Fund was created to make a difference for our communities and customers, and we are continuing to see its impact and value.

“We are excited to see the benefits from the projects we have supported this year including opportunities for young people living with additional support needs to engage in swimming on Islay, a soup group in Tarbert Loch Fyne for over 60-year-olds, the Oban Toy Cupboard is a toy lending library for people suffering the effects of poverty and Harris Voluntary Services’ Musical Memories engages people on the island living with dementia.

“We are delighted with the Community Fund’s reach and look forward to supporting even more important causes in the future.”