Hollywood star Brian Cox has given his backing to a campaign to help safeguard the future of some of Scotland’s most treasured landmarks.
The Succession star has lent his voice to the National Trust for Scotland’s (NTS) new SOS appeal TV advert.
Cox recorded the voice-over remotely from his home in up-state New York as he got behind the Trust’s appeal to help save its properties amid financial uncertainty.
The TV advert, currently running on STV, highlights the plight of the Trust in the wake of pandemic lockdown measures.
Showing some of Scotland’s most treasured places and spaces such as Glencoe, Culzean Castle and The Hill House, Cox urges people to “save our sealife, save our summits and save our stories” by donating today.
Although some NTS properties are gearing up to re-open in the summer months, there is a £28 million shortfall in the charity’s income for 2020.
This means that only a fraction of its locations will be able to open in 2020 and into 2021, either due to lack of resources or because they cannot be adequately adapted to ongoing social distancing restrictions.
The Save Our Scotland appeal aims to raise a minimum of £2.5million to ensure the continued protection of the properties and cultural heritage in NTS care.
The charity relies on memberships and donations to ensure the long term preservation of its sites, and a drop in income may see sites mothballed or – worse still – sold to private owners.
Mark Bishop, director of customer and cause at the NTS said: “Right now the Trust is in crisis and we need the help of our members, donors and the public more than ever before.
“Our job is to protect many of the things that make Scotland so unique, from castles steeped in history, to landscapes famous the world over and the wealth of natural habitats.
“If we aren’t able to love and care for these wonderful places and spaces, Scotland’s natural and built heritage is at significant risk. If we lose it now, we are robbing future generations of what we enjoy so much today.”
Donate at nts.org.uk/donate
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