CONCERNS have been raised over the long-term future of three historic attractions in the Borders.

Several local jobs have are also being put at risk as the National Trust for Scotland (NTS) plans for a major management restructure.

The conservation charity operates, among its 130 properties across the country, Robert Smail's Printing Works in Innerleithen as well as Priorwood Garden and Harmony Gardens in Melrose.

Under proposals revealed last week up to 79 posts are at risk of redundancy.

One local employee told us: "There is a lot of concern about the future of the attractions and how they will operate.

"Because Robert Smail's Printing Works, as well as the gardens in Melrose, are highly specialised if people were to lose their jobs a lot of expertise would also be lost.

"These proposals could have a hugely detrimental effect on the attractions."

The changes put forward by the National Trust for Scotland to reshape its management structure have already come under attack from politicians.

Although the plans would also see the creation of 63 new posts, unions have hit out claiming many staff members will have their jobs downgraded and others will cease to exist.

Robert Smail's Printing Works, which first opened in 1866, is one of the region's main heritage attractions and has won many awards over the years for its visitor experiences and preservation work.

Priorwood Garden, in the shadow of Melrose Abbey, is Scotland's only dried-flower garden and features an extensive historical orchard.

Neighbouring Harmony Garden, which is now home to the Borders Book Festival, offers manicured lawns and scented borders set out around the Georgian manor house.

Both gardens in Melrose welcome thousands of visitors every year.

A total of 10 members of staff are employed at Robert Smail's Printing Works in Innerleithen - seven of them seasonal.

The NTS began notifying its affected employees last week.

Patrick Duffy, the NTS’s chief operating officer, said: “Each of the general managers is deciding on the best ways to invest the new resources being allocated and to determine how to improve the visitor experience and heritage stories.

“The proposed changes mean reducing the level of administrative activities undertaken at properties thereby focussing the teams at them much more on visitor services, quality and delivering conservation work more effectively.

“If we are to offer visitor experiences that meet today’s and tomorrow’s expectations, we need to have the right combination of skills in the teams running properties.

“In short, we have to make changes. We are proposing to create circa 63 new and adapted roles in the regions across Scotland.

"However, this does mean that we will have to phase out around 79 of the old roles."

The latest redundancies come on the back of around 60 job losses in 2016.

The proposals are now subject to 30 days of consultation between staff, unions and stakeholders throughout the affected properties.

It is expected that the finalised reorganisation will be implemented during February and March.