The Nature of Scotland

Scottish Natural Heritage Autumn / Winter 2012
The Nature of Scotland
Year of Natural
Scotland 2013
A celebration
Ben Nevis
Mountain action plan
Glasgow’s
Guardians
In a dear green place
www.snh.gov.uk 1

2 The Nature of Scotland

Contents
Features
10 Natural inspiration
Gearing up for Year of
Natural Scotland 2013
4
40
14 Branching Out
A healthy outdoor initiative in
Clyde Muirshiel Country Park
13
50
22 Keeping up traditions
in a digital era
The Birds of Scotland
journey from 1953 to 2012
17
27
60
Regulars
2 Where we are
SNH contact details
3 Welcome
4 Wild calendar
Where to go and what to
see this autumn and winter
18 News
30 Dualchas coitcheann /
Common heritage
Linking language and environment
36 Reserve focus
Discover Caerlaverock NNR
24 Handling the pressure
on Ben Nevis
Looking after Britain’s
highest mountain
28 Mixed fortunes for butterflies
Location is key in poor summer
32 National Wildlife Rescue Centre
A new centre to help
wild animals in distress
48 High-value walks
Arran Mountain Festival
brings economic rewards
50 Glasgow’s green guardians
Keeping the ‘dear green
place’ in good shape
56 After the storms
How Forestry Commission
Scotland deals with storm damage
42 Area news
Reports from round the country
64 Mailing list
Make sure you always
receive your copy
58 Celebrating communication
and conservation
2020Vision project captures
natural heritage at its best
www.snh.gov.uk 1

Credits
The Nature of Scotland
The Magazine of Scottish Natural Heritage
Issue Number 16 — Autumn / Winter 2012
Published twice per year
© SNH 2012
ISSN 1350 309X
Editor: Jim Jeffrey
Tel. 01738 458528
Cover photo: Stac Pollaidh, Assynt
Photographer : Lorne Gill/2020VISION/SNH
Inside cover: Cairngorms National Park
Photographer : Lorne Gill/SNH
Welcome page: Kinnoul Hill, Perth
Photographer: Lorne Gill/2020VISION/SNH
Photography – all images by Lorne Gill/SNH other than; Roy Leverton 4;
David Whitaker 6t, 9 (image 1 in strip), 20, 23r, 27t, 40r; Keith Ringland 8;
Nial Benvie/Images from the Edge 9 (image 3 in strip); Forestry
Commission 19; Alex Mustard 21; Mark Hamblin 23l; Cathy Mayne/SNH
24; Lorne Gill 2020Vision/SNH 28, 60; FLPA/ Alamy 30; Colin Seddon/
National Wildlife Rescue Centre 32, 33, 34 and 35; Juan Brown 42l;
Ian Mitchell/SNH 42m; Waterways Trust 43l; Laurie Campbell 43m;
The Wild Trout Trust 44r; Dumfries & Galloway Bat Group 45l; Andrew
Bielinski 45m; Jim Anderson 45r; Pete Moore/SNH 46l; Feis Rois 46m;
Cath Scott 50; Mark Hamblin/2020VISION 58 and 59, 61,62; Peter
Cairns/2020 VISION 63.
Map, 37 – © Ashworth Maps and Interpretation Ltd 2012.
Based on Ordnance Survey mapping. © Crown copyright
and database right 2012. All rights reserved.
Ordnance Survey Licence number SNH 100017908.
To share your views about The Nature of Scotland or suggest articles for
future issues please contact the editor:
SNH Magazine
Battleby, Redgorton,
Perth PH1 3EW
Email: editor@snh.gov.uk
The views expressed in this magazine do not
necessarily reflect those of SNH.
Printed by: J Thomson Colour Printers, Glasgow
JTCP31k1012
When you’ve finished with this magazine, please recycle it. Pass it to
another reader or dispose of it at your local waste-collection point.
Where we are…
You can contact SNH by
letter, telephone or email.
The following details
should enable you to find
your nearest main office,
but bear in mind that we
also have a number of
offices smaller than those
listed.
A full list of our offices
appears on the SNH
website: www.snh.gov.uk
Corporate
headquarters
Great Glen House,
Leachkin Road,
Inverness IV3 8NW
Tel. 01463 725 000
Email: enquiries@snh.gov.uk
Other main offices
Battleby, Redgorton,
Perth PH1 3EW
Tel. 01738 444 177
Silvan House,
3rd Floor East,
231 Corstorphine Road,
Edinburgh EH12 7AT
Tel. 0131 316 2600
Caspian House,
Mariner Court,
Clydebank Business Park,
Clydebank G81 2NR
Tel. 0141 951 4488
Area offices
Forth
The Beta Centre,
Innovation Park,
University of Stirling,
Stirling FK9 4NF
Tel. 01786 450 362
Forth
Silvan House,
3rd Floor East,
231 Corstorphine Road,
Edinburgh EH12 7AT
Tel. 0131 316 2600
Southern Scotland
Carmont House,
The Crichton,
Bankend Road,
Dumfries DG1 4ZF
Tel. 01387 247 010
Northern Isles
& North Highland
Ground Floor,
Stewart Building,
Alexandra Wharf,
Lerwick,
Shetland ZE1 0LL
Tel. 01595 693 345
Northern Isles
& North Highland
The Links,
Golspie Business Park,
Golspie,
Sutherland KW10 6UB
Tel. 01408 634 063
South Highland
Fodderty Way,
Dingwall Business Park,
Dingwall IV15 9XB
Tel. 01349 865 333
South Highland
The Governor’s House,
The Parade, Fort William,
Inverness-shire PH33 6BA
Tel. 01397 704 716
Strathclyde & Ayrshire
Caspian House,
Mariner Court,
Clydebank Business Park,
Clydebank G81 2NR
Tel. 0141 951 4488
Tayside & Grampian
Battleby, Redgorton,
Perth PH1 3EW
Tel. 01738 444 177
Tayside & Grampian
Inverdee House,
Baxter Street,
Torry,
Aberdeen AB11 9QA
Tel. 01224 266 500
Argyll & Outer Hebrides
32 Francis Street,
Stornoway,
Isle of Lewis HS1 2ND
Tel. 01851 705 258
2 The Nature of Scotland

Welcome
Alison Bell
Principal Adviser – Communications
Scottish Natural Heritage
Welcome to the Autumn/Winter issue of The Nature of Scotland. In this edition
we look forward to the year ahead, as well as reviewing some highlights
from 2012. By sharing ways to enjoy our fabulous natural heritage we hope
to encourage you to find out more or perhaps visit some of these places to
experience them yourself.
Next year, our natural heritage will feature in the ‘Year of Natural Scotland
2013’, the latest of the Scottish Government’s ‘focus’ years. In partnership with a
wide range of organisations concerned with the natural heritage, we will celebrate
our world-class natural assets and inspire more people to experience our natural
environment. A programme of events and activities throughout the year will offer
lots of opportunities to tempt you to explore our natural heritage. Our feature article
introduces some of the plans SNH has in store for the Year of Natural Scotland 2013.
2012 will long be remembered as an Olympic year in which taking part,
as either a volunteer, spectator or competitor, proved highly rewarding.
The expectation is that the enthusiasm that radiated from the London Olympic
Games will be replicated in 2014 when Glasgow hosts the Commonwealth
Games. This will be a chance for Scotland and, in particular, the west of Scotland
to showcase its many assets. We start that process by featuring the work of
Glasgow’s enthusiastic Countryside Rangers across a host of parks and green
spaces. Glasgow may be our biggest city but, as our article reveals, it is also
rightly proud of its rich natural heritage, living up to being a ‘dear green place’.
Away from the urban environment, we look at partnership working to alleviate
the pressures on Scotland’s highest mountain – Ben Nevis – and we feature our
most southerly National Nature Reserve where wide open spaces and distant
horizons make for a tranquil setting.
There is a focus on the stunning imagery captured as part of the
groundbreaking 2020Vision project and we reflect on how the ‘Branching
Out’ project is helping those affected by mental health issues. Climate change
is an ever-present topic these days and impinges on many environmental issues.
Looking at the effects of climate change, we explore how butterflies fared during
what was, for some areas of Scotland, a very wet summer. We also reveal how
colleagues in Forestry Commission Scotland tackle storm damage in popular
recreational spots.
If reading the magazine has stimulated you to find out more about how
Scottish Natural Heritage looks after Scotland’s nature, visit www.snh.gov.uk.
Enjoy reading our latest update in the pages that follow – and make Year of Natural
Scotland 2013 your year to experience something new in our country’s wonderful
natural heritage.

Wild calendar
Kenny Taylor gives
some seasonal
tips for savouring
Scottish wildlife
and landscapes
In the changing tones of leaves and the deepening of dusks, in
the movements of birds to roost, in the dew-spangling of spiders’
webs and the roar of deer in the hills, there’s an energy to autumn.
Make the effort to meet it, and autumn’s nature can revitalise with its
patterns, tones, tastes and sounds. From the tiniest fallen leaf to the
largest mountain, autumn is out there. And it’s beautiful.
Y’s moves
While bird migration can be quite noticeable in autumn,
long-range movements of moths tend to go un-noticed by
most people. But these flights can be just as impressive as
the migrations of birds.
The Silver Y moth, a common migrant to Britain from
Europe, is named for the y-shaped squiggle on each wing. It
arrives in large numbers from countries to the south in spring
and summer. Some individuals go south again in autumn.
What is remarkable is that a Silver Y can match, or beat,
the speed of many small migrant birds. Its technique is to
wait until the wind is blowing in roughly the direction in
which it wants to migrate. Then it flies up to an altitude of
over 400 metres.
With a good push from a tail wind and even some
turbo-boost from the jet stream, a Silver Y can travel up to
700 kilometres in 8 hours of flight. That’s like going from
Edinburgh to Calais, across the English Channel, in a single
working day.
Not bad for a creature that could sit on your thumb.
Web tip: www.nature.com/news/2010/100204/full/
news.2010.54.html
4 The Nature of Scotland

Dung ho!
They’re built like miniature Sumo wrestlers. Dumpy, shortlimbed,
slow-moving, but powerful-looking, you might see
one on a woodland track or at the edge of a field.
They’re less than 3cm long, with dark, shiny wing cases
and surprising shades of iridescent purple on the underside.
Foxes and pine martens are among the few predators that
are happy to chew through this body armour. In turn, this can
give some unusual colours to their own droppings and a clue
that there’s a characterful insect in the area.
Dung (or dor) beetle by name, dung-using by nature.
They eat the stuff, roll balls of it and bury stores of faeces
to raise their young. These small relatives of the scarab –
whose dung-rolling led ancient Egyptians to believe they
also kept the sun moving – are very, very strong.
One member of the wider world clan of dung beetles can
pull more than 1,100 times its own body weight. It uses this
super-strength to battle rivals at choice dung pats.
Thank goodness, then, that dung beetles are not
Sumo-sized.
Autumn
Web tip: www.uksafari.com/dorbeetles.htm
Old nutters
Think of autumn nuts, and you might picture
horse chestnuts, shiny as polished mahogany.
Or perhaps you’ll imagine a medley of shelled
nuts, ready for Halloween, and mostly sourced far
from Scotland.
We’re thin on choice of native nuts in
Scotland. There’s hazel… and that’s about it.
But our links with hazel go back a very long way,
in both practical and mythical connections.
The very first people to live in Scotland after
the last Ice Age went a bundle on hazelnuts.
There’s evidence from more than 8,000 years ago,
on places such as Rum, that these ‘mesolithic’ folk
feasted on huge quantities of roasted hazelnuts.
And in Celtic lore, nine nuts from magic hazel
trees overhanging a particular pool were eaten by
Fintan, the Salmon of Knowledge (bradán feasa).
When Fionn mac Cumhaill tasted the salmon’s
flesh, he gained knowledge of all things.
At the same time, as we now know, Fionn
would also have had a protein boost from both the
fish and the nuts and a useful dose of Omega 3.
Nuts? Maybe not.
Web tip: www.allotment.org.uk/grow-yourown/nuts/hazelnuts
www.snh.gov.uk 5

Ready for the storm
Sometimes you might see one on the
very top of a tree, as the sky darkens
and strengthening wind bounces bird
and branches. Early in the year, it might
even sing as the rain clouds move in.
Stormcock. That’s one of the
traditional names for this bird that
seems almost to revel in shifts of
weather, like a feathered John Muir in
the woods of his homeland.
Mistle thrush. That’s the usual name,
given for the thought that it might help
to spread seeds of mistletoe, which
then lodge and grow high in some
trees.
Autumn is a challenge for the
stormcock. Not for the weather, but
for the migrant invaders that can foil
its plans for winter. Mistle thrushes
are resident in their home patch, year
round. Here, they try to defend berrybearing
bushes and trees so they have
a food source to re-visit.
Waves of hungry fieldfares and
redwings swooping in from Scandinavia
can scupper such plans. Viking hordes
1, Stormcocks 0. That’s the predicted
score in some hedges near you this
autumn.
Web tip: www.garden-birds.co.uk/
birds/mistlethrush.htm
Some other things to look for in autumn:
Dark glossy elderberries: brilliant yellow aspen leaves; clusters of fungi; ‘V’ shapes of flocks
of geese overhead
6 The Nature of Scotland

Winter
Daylight hours are few now, but that means more chances to appreciate the tones
of dawn and dusk. How does a local wall look when the first rays touch the stems of
grasses beside it? How long will the Scots pine trunks hold the shades of orangegold
at sunset, before the colours fade? What does the robin’s song sound like as it
sings by the light of a streetlamp? Nature and winter: there’s plenty to enjoy.
Winter
Clock the ages
A winter walk in the Scottish uplands can bring many
pleasures. Among those can be the patterns on large
boulders, if you take the time to look closely.
Shapes and textures of rocks are often interesting, but
it’s also likely that many of the rocks will support growths of
lichens. Some of these may be tiny, their details obvious only
through a magnifying lens. Others, including map lichen, are
obvious, with striking contrasts in colour.
Map lichen thrives in areas of low air pollution. Each
forms a patch, bordered by a black line of spores. Several
growing on one rock give an effect that obviously brought a
tinted map to mind for whoever gave the species its common
name.
Lichenometrists love map lichen. It’s their boulderbrightener
of choice. They use it to reckon how long a rock
has been exposed and therefore open to lichen growth after
being held in a glacier. Knowing the average map-lichen
growth rate, the size of the largest patch allows them to
calculate the minimum time since the rock was deposited.
Web tip: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lichenometry
Rambling bramblings
Watch a bird feeder through winter, and you’ll know that
it’s not just the acrobatics of blue tits that can fascinate.
The birds that typically use the ground below are often just
as numerous, and equally interesting.
Chaffinches are likely to be among them. Females have
remarkably good camouflage through winter in their dowdy,
dead-leaf-toned plumage. Hot pinks of the males’ summer
finery have also dulled: a smart move to make them harder
for hungry sparrowhawks to spot.
Very occasionally, you might also see a bird that is
roughly the same size and pattern as a chaffinch, but just a
little bit different. Stronger black and orange in the plumage
are pointers that it is a brambling, and a pure white rump
when it flies is a give-away.
Bramblings come to Scotland from Norway each autumn,
but the numbers wintering here vary a great deal. In Europe,
where migrant bramblings feed in large beechwoods in the
heart of the continent, flocks of millions have been recorded.
But in Scotland, seeing even one bird can be a winter
birdwatching bonus.
Web tip: www.birdsofbritain.co.uk/bird-guide/
brambling.asp
www.snh.gov.uk 7

Foxy ladies wanted
The stillness of some winter nights
can be crystalline. Go outside in a
calm place, when frost has crisped the
grass and stars by the galaxy-load glint
overhead. Then listen to the silence.
The screaming bark of a red fox
can cut through the calm of such a
night. Sharp, sudden, then gone, it also
seems to amplify the wider quiet.
That’s from a human perspective.
From the fox’s point of view, barking
in winter is a way of communicating
with potential mates and rivals. Two of
these will probably be the female and
dominant male whose ranges overlap
in the area where one or both of them
is calling.
The dog fox will be particularly
focused on this vixen in the mating
season during January and February.
A vixen’s calls and her response to
his bark can help him home in on
the female when she’s most likely to
conceive. But he may not succeed.
No wonder – to a human ear – that
there can be such a plaintive quality to
those short, unexpected fox calls in the
dark.
Web tip: sounds.bl.uk/Environment/
British-wildlife-recordings/022M-
W1CDR0001494-1600V0
8 The Nature of Scotland

Winter
Branches of learning
Look at the shapes of branches, twigs and stems when broadleaved trees and
woody shoots have shed their leaves. Sometimes the effect can be minimalist,
with one or two thin lines against a background of ice or snow. At other times,
the intricacy is much greater.
Such sights can be inspirations for art. And for some people with a
mathematical turn of mind, they can fairly tickle the brain.
The flowerheads of some ‘umbellifers’ such as hogweeds, for example, have
a simple ‘fractal’ arrangement. A big sphere (the whole head) is made up from
smaller spheres (the individual florets).
With trees, things can get complex. More than 500 years ago, Leonardo da
Vinci noticed that the combined thickness of branches matched that of the mother
branch from which they divided. But it took until 2011 for the mathematics of that
relationship to be used to explore what ‘Leonardo’s Rule’ might mean for a tree.
The answer is that it helps the tree to withstand winds. So what other secrets
might be there, in the patterns of winter nature?
Web tip: phys.org/news/2012-01-leonardo-da-vinci-tree.html
Some other things to look for in winter:
Sea ducks, such as scoters, inshore; skeleton leaves on woodland paths; animal pawprints
in snow; bright green moss tussocks
www.snh.gov.uk 9

Natural inspiration
As part of an exciting year-long programme, stunning scenery and fabulous
wildlife will play a starring role in ‘Year of Natural Scotland 2013’.
10 The Nature of Scotland

1
Year of Natural Scotland 2013 is the latest in a
series of ‘focus’ years being promoted by the
Scottish Government. Scotland is renowned for
its breathtaking scenery and wonderfully diverse
wildlife and during the ‘Year of Natural Scotland’
we invite everyone to find out more about and
appreciate our country’s great natural assets.
1
Little details in a big
landscape: thrift by
the seashore.
We know that our natural heritage is appealing when it
comes to attracting visitors to Scotland. For example, in
2008 a survey revealed that 95% of visitors from the United
States saw scenery as a significant part of their decision
to come here, and that figure rose to 97% when German
tourists were questioned.
The focus of 2013 will be to inspire all of the people of
Scotland, as well as our visitors, to experience our natural
heritage, promoting our natural tourism attractions and how
to enjoy them responsibly.
There is wide recognition that our cultural heritage is
strongly linked to our landscapes and wildlife and the Year of
Natural Scotland 2013 underlines our role and commitment
to looking after our outstanding natural environment.
Delivered by a partnership led by Scottish Government,
VisitScotland, EventScotland and Scottish Natural Heritage,
and supported by a wide range of organisations involved
with our natural heritage, Year of Natural Scotland 2013
will offer a programme of activities and events to encourage
people to experience the best of Scotland’s natural and built
tourism attractions. As the programme for next year begins
to take shape, we invite you to enjoy a flavour of the ways in
which you can get involved in the Year of Natural Scotland
2013.
The Big Five
Marion Mulholland, Campaigns Manager at SNH, is one
of those closely involved in the planning behind Year of
Natural Scotland. “In SNH we will be launching the ‘Big Five’
campaign. By highlighting our natural environment through a
focus on five of Scotland’s iconic species we want to inspire
and encourage debate about our natural heritage. The
campaign is really about raising awareness of this fantastic
natural asset. Ultimately we want to encourage people to
get out and discover some of the best places in Scotland
to experience the Big Five, and to find out more about the
range of wildlife and landscapes of these places too.
“The Big Five will be announced shortly. We have chosen
five species that are firmly associated with Scotland, hugely
popular, and where there are good opportunities to see at
least some of them, no matter where you are in Scotland.”
Of course, picking a Big Five will spark debate, and
you can expect that everyone will have their own favourite
five. Marion hopes this in itself will be part of the fun. “We
know that some people will question our Big Five selection
and that’s something we welcome and encourage. We are
looking forward to hearing different opinions on the Big Five,
www.snh.gov.uk 11

and we will be running a national vote to invite everyone to
choose their own Big Five.”
In early 2013 look out for special events featuring the
Big Five, competitions, posters and lots of information about
the Big Five species – and many others. Check the SNH
website (www.snh.gov.uk) to find out more.
Creative thinking
The Big Five is just one of the exciting plans in the pipeline
for 2013. People travelling by train around Scotland will
soon be able to find out more about what they see as they
journey around the country. Plans are underway to develop a
downloadable guide for three of Scotland’s major rail routes,
providing information on the natural heritage, including
information about the landscapes, history and culture along
key routes.
Alison Bell, who is leading SNH’s plans for the Year of
Natural Scotland, said: “For both visitors and all of us living
here, providing information on the natural environment will
help everyone to find out more about our country as they
travel around – and inspire our visitors to come back. The
Year of Natural Scotland is a great opportunity to use new
technology to inform people about our natural heritage.”
2012 was Year of Creative Scotland and celebrated the
cultural and creative strengths of the nation. SNH will build
on that successful year by linking with Creative Scotland
to explore the links between the creative world and natural
Scotland as we raise awareness of nature and landscapes.
SNH is also developing a new web portal and Facebook
app for young people to share their own ideas, stories and
experiences of Scotland’s outdoors online.
John Muir Day
The Year of Natural Scotland will see a focus on the work
of John Muir, including marking John Muir Day on 21
April 2013. Muir was a pioneering, influential Scots-born
conservationist who was passionate about the wild. He
emigrated to North America at a young age, dedicated his
life to protecting wild places and campaigned successfully
for the establishment of national parks to safeguard
vast tracts of wild lands, most notably Yosemite Valley in
California. Muir’s legacy is huge and, in his own words,
featured in the design of the Scottish Parliament building:
“The battle for conservation will go on endlessly. It is part of
the universal battle between right and wrong.”
“The Year of Natural Scotland is a great opportunity for
us all to explore our own country,” said Alison Bell. “Make
this your year to be curious about Scotland and our natural
environment and experience it anew. Set aside time to get
out and do something in the outdoors in 2013 that you
might not usually do – climb that hill, walk a long-distance
route, seek out some of the many wonderful species
found in our country, visit your local green space – be it
park, field, moorland or even your own garden – there’s
always something new to discover in Scotland’s rich natural
environment.”
2
2
Nature, landscapes
and a sense of history
enliven many a rail
journey.
12 The Nature of Scotland

www.snh.gov.uk 13

Countryside Ranger Claire Paterson explains
how 12-week programmes of inspirational
activity in woodland settings are helping adults
improve their mental health.
‘Branching Out’
1
14 The Nature of Scotland

It’s an unpleasant fact but it is reckoned that one adult in four
will experience mental illness at some point in their lifetime. At
Clyde Muirshiel Regional Park, which lies south-west of Glasgow,
‘Branching Out’ programmes are tackling that statistic and
improving mental health.
‘Branching Out’ is an award-winning concept devised by Forestry Commission
Scotland, in partnership with the NHS and mental health charities. Participants
who attend the course, usually in groups of 12, visit the Regional Park once a
week for three hours over a twelve-week period.
The course involves clients referred from mental health services participating
in a wide variety of activities such as conserving and improving habitats, through
alien species removal and birdbox building, to more artistic activities such as
willow sculpture, environmental art and photography. Taking part in creative
pursuits is one way in which participants express what they are feeling, and
sharing experiences with others helps them overcome feelings of isolation. At the
end of the course there is a graduation ceremony with certificates of completion,
tool-handling and achievement.
The group adopt an area to work in and, using bushcraft, develop skills in
basic tool use as well as communication and teamwork. Underpinning it all is
the calming atmosphere of the natural environment and fresh air, which helps
participants relax and, most importantly, enjoy themselves. It’s part of our Natural
Health Service!
The first public authority partner of the scheme, Clyde Muirshiel, will soon be
delivering its eighth programme for groups from Renfrewshire and Inverclyde.
1
Artistic activities such
as photography
encourage creativity
as well as enabling
participants to record
their ‘journey’ through
the programme.
2
The course includes
shared experiences to
build teamwork skills
and overcome
isolation.
2
www.snh.gov.uk 15

3
4
3
The Rangers use
skills and techniques
developed from
their traditional
competencies to
good effect throughout
the course.
4
Gentle exercise
and guided walks
form a key part of
the ‘Branching Out’
approach.
5
Art is a core
component when it
comes to building
confidence and
improving self-esteem.
16 The Nature of Scotland

5
“‘Branching Out’ fits
well with volunteering,
health benefits and
skills development.”
‘Branching Out’ fits extremely well
with the Regional Park’s strategic
priorities around volunteering, health
benefits and skills development.
So much so that the Clyde Muirshiel
Park Authority is committed to the longterm
development of this programme
and it is now engaged in a programme
of training staff in Scottish Mental
Health First Aid, ‘Branching Out’ Leader
Training and Food Hygiene courses.
‘Branching Out’ is one of the activity
options in the Scottish Association
for Mental Health (SAMH) Get Active
Scheme, launched by Ambassador
(and record-breaking Olympic cyclist)
Sir Chris Hoy. Their independent
evaluation showed that an impressive
91% of 600 participants felt happier
after their involvement.
High attendance and retention rates,
particularly when compared with other
activity programmes in non-countryside
locations, are a clear measure of
success. Physical health benefits are
also recognised.
However, often it is the effect the
programme has on the individual
which is the most telling and powerful
outcome. Amongst the benefits that
people notice after attendance are
improved sleep and confidence whilst
others note weight-loss through gentle
exercise such as guided walks.
The benefits to well-being are clear
and one participant summed it up neatly:
“I thoroughly enjoyed the whole experience
and have gained immense confidence
and self-esteem as a result. The changes
I’ve seen in myself (and been told about
by others) have led to other positive
improvements. The ‘Branching Out’
programme is very beneficial and does
have an impact on people’s lives.”
This model has been successfully
adopted by Clyde Muirshiel Regional
Park since 2010 and has been tailored
to the skills of the Ranger Service
and the Regional Park’s stunning
locations. However, it has been a
highly collaborative exercise and the
Regional Park staff are working closely
with all partners and are grateful for the
financial aid and support provided by
Forestry Commission Scotland.
To find out more about ‘Branching
Out’ go to www.forestry.gov.uk/
branchingout
For more information on ‘Branching
Out’ at Clyde Muirshiel Regional Park,
email info@clydemuirshiel.co.uk or
call 01505 614 791.
For more information on SAMH’s
Get Active Scheme visit www.
samh.org.uk/our-work/nationalprogrammes/get-active
www.snh.gov.uk 17

NEWS
A soaring success
Over the past six years, 85 young sea eagles have been released from a secret location in Fife in a
bid to restore this magnificent bird to its former range in eastern Scotland. The August release of six
youngsters marked the end of a successful reintroduction programme.
A partnership, consisting of RSPB Scotland, Scottish Natural Heritage and Forestry Commission
Scotland (FCS), with additional financial support from Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) and Fife and Rural
Tayside LEADER 2007–2013 Programme, hope the birds will begin to produce young on Scotland’s
east coast in the coming years.
Stewart Stevenson, who was Minister for Environment & Climate Change at the time, said: “We
have been pleased to support this project over the last six years. The return of sea eagles to the skies
of Scotland’s east coast marks an important step in ensuring we now have a viable population of these
magnificent birds. As well as fulfilling a role in our ecosystems, the birds are an important feature for
our growing nature-based tourism industry.”
Once a regular sight in Scotland’s skies, the sea eagle was driven to extinction in the Victorian era.
It returned to the UK only after a successful reintroduction to the west of Scotland, which began on
the island of Rum in 1975.
Although the majority of the Scottish population remains on the west of the country, the species
is now regularly spotted in eastern and central Scotland too. The latest batch of released birds
have been fitted with radio and wing tags so both project staff and the public can follow their future
progress.
Head of Policy and Advice at SNH, Ron MacDonald, added: “Scotland is once again home to a
healthy sea eagle population, with many breeding successfully in the west. This project in the east
will help them spread to much of their former range. It will also give more people the chance to see
them and allow more communities to benefit from their status as a visitor attraction. This brings the
reintroduction programme to a close and it’s important to acknowledge the huge amount of work by
all those involved, from volunteers to land managers, who along with RSPB and FCS have made this
project work. Alv Ottar Folkstead and his fellow fieldworkers in Norway deserve particular recognition
for their work in providing the chicks for Scotland.”
18 The Nature of Scotland

SNH PINS its notices on new online service
We’ve started publishing our public notices
through the Public Information Notices
for Scotland (PINS) service on the www.
tellmescotland.gov.uk website. Starting with
notices about National Nature Reserves, we
also plan to use the service for notices about
Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and
consultations over new Natura sites and strategic
environmental assessments. We may also publish
these in other places and as required in local
newspapers.
‘tellmescotland’ is set to become the main
place to find notices from local authorities
(planning, licensing, traffic) and many public
bodies. The Improvement Service – a partnership
of the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities
and the Society of Local Authority Chief
Executives, runs the service with support from
the Scottish Government.
Stewart Pritchard, SNH’s Operations
Manager for Protected Places, emphasises that
the initiative is designed to give a better public
service. “PINS will give people longer to read our
notices at times when it suits them,” he explained.
“We can also provide the reader with more
information, wherever they are, at whatever time.”
Go to ‘tellmescotland’ to simply browse live
notices, or register and let the PINS service alert
you when a notice of interest to you is published.
You can choose to be alerted by email or text to
notices for your postcode area.
NEWS
The Saxons invade Fife
Moth trapping evenings are becoming increasingly
popular. In July last year a Forestry Commission
event in Fife resulted in a catch of 34 different
species, but when the event was repeated in July
2012, this had increased to 60 species and in
amongst those increased numbers was a genuine
surprise – Fife’s first ever Saxon moth.
The survey took place at Devilla Forest, close
to the town of Kincardine. It is the first time the
moth has been found in Fife. Jenny Ventham,
Forestry Commission Scotland’s Community
Ranger, commented: “To have increased the
number of moth species by nearly 100% in one
year is in itself amazing, but to find the Saxon
moth among them, for the first time in Fife, is just
fantastic. It goes to show that the hard work we
have been putting in to improve wildlife habitats
in the forest is really paying off and the forest
is becoming much more biodiverse. Devilla
is an amazing forest and every season brings
something new to see.”
Duncan Davidson from Butterfly Conservation
commented: “I think it is fantastic that the
Saxon moth has been found in Devilla Forest.
It is a particularly attractive creature and it is a
welcome addition to Fife’s species list. Moths and
butterflies are important indicators of all sorts of
things, including air quality, habitat health and
climate change, and the discovery of the Saxon in
Devilla Forest indicates that the forest is in great
shape. It also shows that Scotland is bucking the
trend elsewhere in the UK, which shows a decline
in moth numbers.”
The Saxon moth is an attractive moorland
species with distinctive grey and black markings.
It spends the winter as a caterpillar, sleeping
in a silk-lined chamber just underneath the
soil surface, then pupating in the springtime to
become a moth. Sightings of the Saxon have
increased dramatically since 2000 across central
and northern Scotland and now for the first time
in Fife.
www.snh.gov.uk 19

NEWS
Wards Estate
in good hands
It’s not every day that one of the country’s most
important nature sites comes on the market, but
that’s what happened in Autumn 2011 when
Wards Estate at Loch Lomond was officially put
up for sale.
The rare opportunity saw the beginning of
an exciting new partnership between RSPB
Scotland, Scottish Natural Heritage and Loch
Lomond & The Trossachs National Park Authority.
The trio, with financial support from the
Heritage Lottery Fund and generous donations
from RSPB supporters, successfully purchased
the site in April 2012.
It is the first time a non-government
wildlife charity, a national park and a statutory
conservation body have joined forces in this way
to acquire and look after a key site for biodiversity
and people in Scotland.
And what a site it is: situated close to
Gartocharn at the south-east shore of Loch
Lomond, the estate is home to a rich variety of
wildlife that inhabits the woodlands, mires, fens,
grasslands and floodplain of the River Endrick.
Species including Greenland white-fronted
geese, osprey and whooper swans, otters,
Atlantic salmon and river lamprey are all present.
In fact, the Loch Lomond NNR, of which the site
is a large part, supports 400 species of vascular
plant, which is about a quarter of all the species
that have been found in Britain. RSPB Scotland
wants to protect what is there, find what hasn’t
already been discovered and allow existing and
new visitors more opportunities to experience the
landscape and wildlife.
In order to do this, RSPB Scotland and
the partners will work closely with the local
community, gathering information about the
site and monitoring the wildlife, with the view of
introducing official visitor facilities in the coming
years. In the meantime, if you want to visit the
reserve there is a path from the Millennium Hall in
Gartocharn, which will give a flavour of the site’s
potential.
‘Talking About Our Place’
A new web guide, ‘Talking About Our Place’, has
been launched by Scottish Natural Heritage.
‘Talking About Our Place’ provides an online
resource for communities, and the organisations
working with them, interested in their local
landscape. Whether you want to celebrate what
is special, tackle an eyesore, promote the area to
visitors and residents, or just think about how your
surroundings could change, this guide will help.
Ultimately the guide will enable communities
to be more confident about their landscape,
and progress from ‘Talking About Our Place’ to
influencing change.
The key aims of the toolkit are to assist
communities to:
– think about their place and identify the
benefits they derive from their local
landscape (what are called ‘ecosystem
services’);
– understand the effect of landscape
change on these benefits;
– better input to decisions affecting
landscape change, particularly by local
authorities and other agencies considering
land use and planning decisions; and
– organise their priorities in enhancing
the place they live in, including advice
on accessing support for future actions.
The online guide will assist organisers in
setting up their project and identify who can help,
and suggests a range of activities that will help a
community discuss what is important about their
locality and the benefits their landscape provides.
It can also help communities and their partners
identify actions that they can take to improve their
place.
This approach supports the European
Landscape Convention’s approach of
encouraging wider community involvement in
decisions affecting tomorrow’s landscapes.
If you have any questions about the toolkit
or may be interested in using it, please contact
elli.carlisle@snh.gov.uk or visit www.snh.gov.
uk/protecting-scotlands-nature/looking-afterlandscapes/communities/talking-about-ourplace
20 The Nature of Scotland

NEWS
Basking shark tagging project
Scottish Natural Heritage and the University
of Exeter have joined forces in an exciting new
tagging project which will help to solve some of
the mysteries about basking shark behaviour.
Together we have tagged 20 basking sharks
in hotspots off Scotland’s west coast and for
the first time in Scotland the sharks’ movements
will be displayed online. The project focuses on
the seas around Coll, Tiree and Canna, where
basking sharks are regular summer visitors. The
study will tell us a lot more about these fascinating
creatures and the results will support ongoing
work to identify potential Marine Protected Areas
in Scottish waters.
Some of the tags will transmit co-ordinates
when the sharks come to the surface using
satellites (the Argos System) and modified GPS.
And, whilst the ongoing transmission of data is very
useful, the actual recovery of the tags will reveal
even more information.
The public are being asked to help the project
by returning any detached tags they come across.
The tags are designed to float and they can get
washed up onto the beach. Black and dark grey in
colour they are torpedo or submarine shaped and
both have a short antenna. They are 15 or 18cm
in length and around 5 or 6cm wide. You can see
an image of the tags at www.snh.gov.uk/aboutscotlands-nature/species/fish/sea-fish/sharktagging-project.
The project is seeking to answer several specific
questions about the basking shark, such as
— How long do basking sharks remain
feeding in certain hotspot areas in
Scottish waters?
— Where do basking sharks go after their
summer feeding in Scotland’s seas?
— Do the sharks remain in deeper waters off
Scotland over winter?
If you see a basking shark then please take
time to report it to the Marine Conservation
Society, www.mcsuk.org/conservation_in_
action. Basking sharks sightings information
helps increase our understanding of these large,
enigmatic and important sharks. And of course
if you find a tag please contact Scottish Natural
Heritage at our Oban office on 0300 244 9360,
or email baskingsharks@snh.gov.uk
www.snh.gov.uk 21

The Scottish Ornithologists’ Club (SOC) is supplementing their sumptuous
two-volume The Birds of Scotland with the launch of a digital version.
Keeping up traditions
in a digital era
Available since 2008, the last of the 3,500 printed
copies was recently sold at auction. With over one
million words, 1,600 pages and featuring no fewer
than 509 bird species this substantial publication
provided the definitive account of the state of
Scotland’s birds. The production of a digital copy
on CD will ensure that this essential reference tool
remains available.
A digital counterpart to The Birds of Scotland is a
completely new venture for the SOC, and the hope is
that the CD version will further extend the reach of this
comprehensive work.
The publication, of course, is no newcomer to the scene.
Indeed the most recent edition updates two earlier works.
Scottish Natural Heritage helped fund the third edition and
our predecessor bodies – Nature Conservancy Council and
Countryside Commission for Scotland – had strong links
with the earlier volumes.
It was in 1953 that Drs. Evelyn Baxter and Leonora
Rintoul published their ground-breaking The Birds of
Scotland. Costing 63 shillings, two lovingly-crafted hardback
volumes covered the history, distribution and migration
of Scottish birds, setting a new benchmark for quality
Scottish wildlife books. As the Times Literary Supplement
noted at the time, the book was a reference work that moved
“beyond reciting size, song, plumage and nest” and benefited
from “excellent production standards”. Featuring drawings by
George Lodge, and a number of high-quality photographs,
the two volumes helped make both ladies well-known
beyond the ornithological world. The books became known
simply as “B & R” and the meticulous research, engaging
text and sheer enthusiasm leapt from the pages.
Just over 30 years later Valerie Thom updated the story
in style by issuing a new volume. Keeping her work to a
manageable size was the main challenge. In just under 400
pages she managed to feature species numbers, habitat
status and all of the associated issues in what was a highly
popular update, praised for its brevity and concise summary
of progress. A trust established by ‘the good ladies’ (as
Baxter and Rintoul became known) went a considerable way
to making that 1986 version possible.
For the current version, put together by nine editors with
157 expert contributors, Scottish Natural Heritage was able
to provide a warmly welcomed grant towards publication
22 The Nature of Scotland

1
Red kite recovery
features prominently in
the new publication
but the species was
noted as having all but
disappeared in earlier
volumes.
2
The crested tit was a
cover star on the
Baxter and Rintoul
volumes and fronts the
new CD version.
3
There are worrying
figures on whinchat
numbers in the new
Birds of Scotland
publication.
1 2 3
costs. It took five years from start to finish to compile this
ultimate work on Scotland’s birds and once more it has been
a labour of love for a dedicated team of enthusiasts and
professional naturalists.
One of the benefits of continuing the story of Scotland’s
birds in this manner is that comparisons are easily made,
and issues (and successes) can be both highlighted and
monitored.
Duncan Orr-Ewing, RSPB Scotland’s head of species
and land management, and author of the red kite section,
was able to highlight one of the real success stories. “In the
previous editions of Birds of Scotland it was reported that
the red kite, once commonplace as a native breeding bird,
had disappeared in most areas of Scotland well before the
end of the nineteenth century. This before final extinction in
the early twentieth century. Thanks to an active programme
of reintroduction, involving both conservationists and
landowners, the red kite is likely to have a healthy population
of more than 200 breeding pairs in Scotland in 2012. It is
now firmly re-established across large swathes of its former
range and expanding its population each year.”
The other side of the coin was presented by Ken
Shaw, author of the whinchat entry and President of the
SOC: “The whinchat is a bird of open habitats breeding in
grassland, bracken, mixed low vegetation, gorse, heather
and young conifers. It is a summer visitor arriving in late April
and early May. Sadly, the whinchat has declined in the east
but it has held up in the west, particularly the south-west.
In Fife, for example, a survey in 2008 showed that there
were as few as six whinchat territories. This compares with
30+ territories in the Lomond Hills alone in 1984.”
W. J. Eggeling, in the preface to the 1986 version,
stated an expectation that an updated volume would follow
early in the next century. He was proved right. What he and
the rest of us didn’t envisage, however, was that the next
edition would also have a digital counterpart.
The Birds of Scotland digital version costs £15
including UK postage and packaging. A £2 postage
supplement applies to non-UK addresses. The SOC
is offering The Birds of Scotland Digital free with any
new membership to the Club when subscribers pay
by direct debit. Contact jane.cleaver@the-soc.org.uk
(Tel: 01875 871 330).
www.snh.gov.uk 23

Handling the
pressure on
Ben Nevis
Ben Nevis is a national treasure. Britain’s
highest mountain, it attracts huge numbers
of visitors every year but that popularity
places strains on the mountain and its
surroundings.
24 The Nature of Scotland

1
A new funding package should help alleviate
some of the pressures on Ben Nevis and ensure
that Scotland’s most iconic of mountains is in
good shape for years to come.
On 23 July the Nevis Partnership announced that it had
secured a funding package in the region of £4 million
designed to enhance the Ben Nevis area for visitors and
biodiversity. Half the money is being made available through
the Heritage Lottery Fund, and the remainder will include
contributions from the Highland Council, Scottish Natural
Heritage and other sources.
The Nevis Landscape Partnership, the new body being
set up to manage the project is truly a team effort. It includes
representatives of the landowners involved (Rio Tinto Alcan
and the John Muir Trust), SNH, the Highland Council,
Forestry Commission Scotland, the West Highland College
(University of the Highlands and Islands), the Fort William
Mountain Festival, the Mountaineering Council of Scotland,
SportScotland, the Fort William and District Chamber
of Commerce, Outdoor Capital UK, local residents and
community councils. This sizable collaboration aims to make
a major impact over the next six years through a range of
projects that will tackle some of the areas experiencing the
greatest visitor pressure.
John Hutchison, Executive Director of the Nevis
Partnership and Chairman of the John Muir Trust, summed
up the optimistic mood neatly. “The Nevis Area is loved by
the local community,” he explained, “and the Landscape
Partnership project will pull together the drive and expertise of
a variety of interested parties. When we called the first public
meeting in November 1998 it was clear that a big job had to
be done and so it is very satisfying that this funding award will
ensure that we will still be delivering, 20 years on!”
The lure of the Ben
1
Looking across the
precipitous north face
of Ben Nevis to the
summit cairn and
emergency shelter –
perched on top of a
huge pile of stones to
stand clear of the snow
in winter.
Ben Nevis, the most visited mountain in Scotland, is a
national icon and therefore not surprisingly features on the
itinerary of many visitors to the Highlands. It receives in the
region of 200,000 walkers every year, most of whom ascend
via the old pony path on the south side of the mountain to
the site of the old weather observatory right on the summit.
The mountain also forms a focus for a number of local
events including the Ben Nevis Hill Race, one of the longestrunning
challenges in the country, having first been run in
1898 under Scottish Amateur Athletic Association rules.
The current record, held since 1984, is 1 hour, 25 minutes
and 34 seconds for a course that is 16 km long and with an
ascent and descent of 2,600m.
This may not be something that the average visitor can
aspire to, but many do come and climb ‘the Ben’ even if they
have never climbed a mountain before (and may never do so
again). There is an increasing number of events that focus
on charity fundraising or similar community-orientated goals.
One of the flames for the London 2012 Paralympic Games
www.snh.gov.uk 25

2
2
Glen Nevis offers
an entrancing
kaleidoscope of
natural wonders for all
visitors to enjoy.
3
Specialist plants add a
touch of colour to the
mountain’s rocky
ledges and screes.
4
Water rushing over
pink granite in the
River Nevis.
was lit on the summit of ‘the Ben’ in
August whilst in June a beacon was lit to
celebrate the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee.
Path work
Some of the money that is going
to be available through the Nevis
Landscape Partnership is earmarked
for maintenance on the lower sections
of the main path up Ben Nevis, which in
places is now in a poor state of repair,
and for the development of a new path
in Glen Nevis, expanding the existing
network.
The new path will run on the east
side of the River Nevis, extending
the Riverside Walk beyond the Youth
Hostel all the way to the Lower Falls.
Dun Deardail, an Iron Age hill fort
perched high above the glen with
stunning views east to the Ben and
south to the Mamores will also be an
important focus. Archaeological work
here will provide opportunities for
volunteering and public engagement in
the area’s rich cultural heritage.
There is a popular dedicated visitor
centre run by Highland Council at the
bottom of the Ben Nevis path. Here
people can get information about
routes on the mountain and in the
glen, find out about the weather, and
discover more about the environment
through the displays. A booking system
operates for groups wanting to walk
to the top of the Ben, a reflection
on the level of use and the need to
distribute groups through the main part
of the year so that the path never gets
impossibly busy.
Species-related actions
Other challenges that need to be met
include continuing work to clear the
Polldubh Crags of some of the trees
that screen them, to re-open them up
for climbers to enjoy, and to maintain
the dramatic landscape for visitors
to absorb. Wild camping along the
river can also pose problems, with
the potential for litter and pollution of
this otherwise pristine watercourse.
Providing the information to give an
enhanced experience for visitors is
going to be a key element of the Nevis
Landscape Partnership.
A range of biodiversity work will be
carried out, including the protection of
riverbed spawning grounds, improving
habitats for water voles and red
squirrels and an action plan for the
area’s rare plant species. Not far from
the well-used routes are some really
remote areas, where plants, animals
and birds can thrive undisturbed. Better
understanding of these species will
inform land management to secure their
existence for the future and potentially
expand their populations.
Much of this work will be carried out
locally, using the skills available through
volunteering bodies such as the Friends
of Nevis and institutions such as the
West Highland College UHI. There will
be many opportunities for local people
and communities to re-connect with
the Glen and the Ben through activity,
learning, work and leisure. An enhanced
experience for all those people who are
engaged will lead to a greater desire
to conserve and protect this national
treasure.
26 The Nature of Scotland

3
4
www.snh.gov.uk 27

1
Mixed fortunes for
butterflies
28 The Nature of Scotland

It has been another poor summer weather-wise for most of the
country, with perhaps the far west and north being the exception.
Dr. Tom Prescott of Butterfly Conservation Scotland explains how a
disappointing summer has impacted on some of our favourite insects.
1
In the UK, the
chequered skipper
is found only in
Scotland.
“How have our butterflies fared in 2012?” The answer is that we
don’t quite know the definitive answer yet. The results are still
coming in from the sixty or so butterfly transects that are walked
weekly across Scotland during the summer, mainly by volunteers, to
monitor populations.
A tale of two summers
Wettest Scottish readings
Kirkcudbrightshire: 599.2mm
(average is 305.6mm)
Dumfriesshire: 573.2mm
(average is 281.5mm)
Wigtownshire: 514.5mm
(average is 255.0mm)
Driest Scottish readings
Caithness:171.4mm
(average is 192.4mm)
Sutherland: 225.2mm
(average is 272.7mm)
Ross & Cromarty: 246.8mm
(average is 315.7mm)
Summer snippets
Edinburgh received 214% of its
average rainfall this summer.
Glasgow 156% and Eskdalemuir
154%. Conversely, the north-east
mainland and Western Isles received
only 65% and 80%, respectively.
Source: Crown Copyright Met Office.
However, we do know that poor weather reduces opportunities for adult
butterflies to fly, mate and for the females to lay eggs, resulting in reduced
breeding numbers. In addition, it is not just the adults that require warm and dry
weather as the development and growth of the caterpillars are limited in cold and
wet weather, resulting in increased mortality due to predation and disease. This
can also result in species emerging on the wing later than normal.
The vast majority of Scotland’s thirty-two resident butterflies have an annual
life-cycle. That means it takes a year for them to complete their transformation
from egg to caterpillar to pupa to adult. As a result, the adults that we see this
year often reflect the breeding success of the previous season, so 2013 may be
a poor year. By contrast, in ‘good’ years some species are able to respond quickly
by having two generations in a year.
Scarce migrants
Some of the commonest butterflies found in towns and gardens are migrants,
including the red admiral and painted lady, which have ventured here from further
afield. They are unable to survive our winter, and thus we are reliant on new
colonists every year, but they require settled weather, usually with a trailing wind,
to reach Scotland. The absence of these conditions this year has meant that they
have been very scarce, adding to the general lack of butterflies.
The poor weather also restricts the activities and tests the patience of even
the most enthusiastic butterfly recorder, who needs to have the flexibility to dash
out in those all too brief spells of sunshine.
Nevertheless, many of Scotland’s butterflies are designed for this weather
as we have a number of northern species, including Scotch argus, northern
brown argus and mountain ringlet, that favour a cooler climate and are absent
in the warmer south. In addition, Scottish species have adapted to our cooler
weather and fly at lower temperatures. As a result, Scottish butterfly recorders
are permitted to walk their transects at a lower minimum temperature than their
counterparts south of the border. Northern species of butterfly also respond
quickly to brief spells of sunshine. For instance, it can be staggering to see
hundreds of Scotch argus rise up out of the grass in a woodland clearing as the
sun emerges from behind a cloud.
However, it is not all doom and gloom. A survey organised by Butterfly
Conservation Scotland of the chequered skipper, a rare butterfly that in the UK
is found only in Scotland, discovered the butterfly to be present at twenty-three
new locations.
For more information about Scotland’s butterflies and to get involved visit
www.butterfly-conservation.org/scotland or email scotland@butterflyconservation.org
www.snh.gov.uk 29

Dualchas coitcheann
Common heritage
The meadow pipit (Anthus pratensis) is commonly
known in Gaelic as the ‘cuckoo’s attendant’.
Ruairidh MacIlleathain explores the relationship
between two unlikely companions.
30 The Nature of Scotland

Gocan na Cuthaig
Tha abairt ann an Gàidhlig: Tha e coltach ris an t-snàthadag a’ leantainn na
cuthaig. Tha i a’ bualadh air duine a bhios an-còmhnaidh a’ leantainn neach eile.
’S e an t-snàthadag (no snathag no riabhag-mhonaidh) eun beag riabhach, a
tha cumanta air monaidhean na Gàidhealtachd, a bhios gu tric air fhaicinn, agus
e a’ leantainn cuthaig. Air sgàth sin, ’s dòcha gur e an t-ainm air an eun seo as
aithnichte a th’ ann do na Gàidheil gocan-cuthaig, a’ ciallachadh ‘gille-frithealaidh
cuthaig’. Ann an Albais, bithear a’ bruidhinn air gowk and titling ‘cuthag agus
gocan-cuthaig’, a’ ciallachadh dithis charaidean a tha an-còmhnaidh còmhla.
Agus ann an Cuimris, tha traidisean car coltach, oir canar gwas y gôg ris an
t-snàthadaig, a’ ciallachadh ‘gille-frithealaidh na cuthaig’.
Tha an càirdeas ag èirigh bho dhol-a-mach na cuthaig, agus a’ chearc a’
fàgail a h-uighean ann an neadan eun eile. Ann am monaidhean na h-Alba, ’s e
an gocan-cuthaig, a tha a’ neadachadh air an talamh, as motha a bhios a’ fulang
san dòigh sin. Bidh na h-uighean aig cuthagan a tha ag amas air a’ ghocan, seach
gnèithean eòin eile, a’ coimhead uabhasach coltach ri uighean a’ ghocain fhèin.
Bidh na gocain a’ gur ugh na cuthaig, agus bidh an t-isean-cuthaig a’ cur nan
uighean eile, no iseanan eile, a-mach às an nead. Gheibh e an uair sin biadh is
cùram bho na gocain fhèin.
Agus chan eil an fhoill a’ stad aige sin. Airson ùine às dèidh a bhreith, leanaidh
na gocain a’ chuthag òg airson biadh a chumail rithe, ged a tha i a-nise mòran nas
motha na iad fhèin.
Bidh an gocan a’ feuchainn ri a nead a chumail am falach am measg fraoch,
feur no raineach, agus e mothachail don chunnart an cois na cuthaig, ach bidh na
cuthagan a’ coimhead gu dlùth air a ghluasadan, feuch an nead a lorg. Agus cha
tomhais na gocain an t-isean-cuthaig anns an aon dòigh ri a mhàthair – bidh iad
ga fhrithealadh gu dùrachdach.
Eu-coltach ri nead a’ ghocain, chan fhaighear lorg air nead cuthaig ged
a chumar sùilean fosgailte gu bràth, oir chan eil a leithid ann! Thathar ag
aithneachadh sin anns an abairt: gheibh thu e nuair a gheibh thu nead na
cuthaig, a’ ciallachadh nach fhaighear gu bràth e!
The cuckoo’s attendant
’S e an t-snàthadag gu
tric a bhios a’
frithealadh na cuthaig.
The meadow pipit is a
common ‘victim’ of the
cuckoo.
There is a saying in Gaelic: Tha e coltach ris an t-snàthadag a’ leantainn na
cuthaig ‘he’s like the meadow pipit following the cuckoo’, which refers to a person
who is always found trailing around after somebody else. In addition to snàthadag,
another common name for the meadow pipit is gocan-cuthaig [goch-kuhn KOOik]
‘cuckoo’s attendant’ because this small bird is often to be seen in the train of
the much larger cuckoo. A similar expression in Scots is gowk and titling ‘cuckoo
and pipit’, referring to a pair of inseparable friends.
The relationship derives from the habit of the cuckoo laying its eggs in the
nests of other species. In the upland parts of Scotland, the meadow pipit, a
ground-nesting species, is the most common victim of this behaviour. The young
cuckoo, once hatched, forces the pipit’s eggs or chicks out of the nest and
becomes the sole recipient of the parent pipits’ care and attention. For some time
after the cuckoo chick leaves the nest, the parent pipits will follow it, continuing to
feed it even though it is now much larger than them.
The meadow pipit tries to conceal its nest among dense vegetation but
cuckoos watch the adult birds carefully to determine the location. On the other
hand, the cuckoo’s nest is the best hidden of all, for it does not exist! This is
reflected in the Gaelic expression: gheibh thu e nuair a gheibh thu nead na
cuthaig, ‘you’ll get it when you find the cuckoo’s nest’ – i.e. never!
www.snh.gov.uk 31

1
National Wildlife
Rescue Centre
The Scottish SPCA’s new National Wildlife Rescue Centre
is a major boost for animal welfare in Scotland. A state-ofthe-art
facility, it’s ideal for rehabilitation and replaces the
previous Middlebank centre in Fife.
The Scottish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Scottish SPCA) is
justifiably proud of its new £3.5m development at Fishcross, Clackmannanshire.
Funded entirely through public donations, the new centre has already cared for
over 2,000 sick, injured and orphaned wild animals.
Scotland’s first National Wildlife Rescue Centre has given the charity much
needed and increased capacity to rescue and rehabilitate every kind of wild
animal in Scotland, with whales and dolphins being the only exception.
Animals including birds, seals, red squirrels, badgers, hedgehogs, otters, pine
martens, foxes and deer have already been treated by the charity’s dedicated
wildlife team. This has all been done through the use of the brand-new veterinary
facilities; seal, swan and otter pools; aviaries; wild mammal enclosures; paddocks;
and a stable block for deer.
32 The Nature of Scotland

Centre manager Colin Seddon stressed the need for the
new facility. “Our previous centre at Middlebank in Fife was
being stretched to cope with the volume and diversity of
animals we were rescuing. The new centre has been a major
step forward for animal welfare in Scotland, enabling us to
care for a staggering 2,284 wildlife casualties already.
“We’ve been extremely busy with baby birds throughout
the fledgling season, which is only now beginning to slow
down. However, there’s still a huge amount of work to do
before the year is out and over the autumn and winter period,
particularly when the grey seal pupping season begins, we’ll
be treating many more casualties.”
Colin knows this is just the start of what will be a steady
stream of work. “We expect to take in and release at least
another 1,000 animals by the end of December.”
The Scottish SPCA can now care for up to 5,000 sick,
injured and orphaned wild animals at the centre each year
and it is the only centre in Scotland with facilities to care for
oiled birds.
Colin continues, “We can now treat up to 1,000 oiled
bird casualties at any one time, which is absolutely vital
should there ever be a large-scale oil disaster in Scottish
waters.
“Another key aspect of our new centre is that all animals
can now be cared for in one place right up until they
are ready to be released back into their natural habitat.
Previously, we often had to transfer wildlife to other
organisations to continue their rehabilitation, which wasn’t
always ideal.
“With our new facilities, there’s no need to move animals
on and human interaction and stress can now be kept to an
absolute minimum. Otter cub siblings Flash and Flood, who
were rescued after they became separated from their mother
during a spell of torrential rain, are a great example of how
animals are benefitting.
“Previously, these cubs would have come to us in the
first instance but would then have been moved to the
International Otter Survival Fund on Skye, where they would
remain for around 12 months. Thanks to our improved
facilities, Flash and Flood can stay here for the entire
duration of their rehabilitation and they’re really thriving.
We’re very hopeful we’ll be able to release them both back
into their natural habitat.”
Having already taken in over half of last year’s figure since
its opening in April, the demand on the charity’s facilities and
wildlife team is greater than ever.
Colin knows this is a challenge. “Treatment can range
from simply providing rest and recuperation to around-theclock
feeding and arranging specialist veterinary treatment,”
he explained. “It certainly isn’t a typical nine to five job or
something you can switch off from. If a wildlife casualty
comes in at 11pm, we’re here to help.
“Although it’s hard work, we all know we’re extremely
privileged to be able to work with wild animals and help
return them fit and healthy to their natural habitats. Watching
an animal, who may have suffered and died without our
help, being released back into the wild really does make
everything worthwhile.”
The Scottish SPCA’s National Wildlife Rescue Centre
is not open to visitors. However, members of the public can
take sick or injured wild animals to the centre for treatment.
Anyone who discovers an injured or distressed wild
animal should call the Scottish SPCA Animal Helpline
on 03000 999 999.
2
1
A young red squirrel is
nursed back to health
by being syringe-fed.
2
A young song-thrush is
typical of the fledglings
that keep the centre
busy throughout
spring.
www.snh.gov.uk 33

Centre manager Colin Seddon has seen all sorts of cases during his career. He talks
us through four cases that have recently kept staff busy at the new centre. As his stories
reveal, there can be more to aiding recovery than simply providing medication.
Squirrelly, an orphaned red squirrel, was the
1,000th animal to be rescued, rehabilitated and
released back into the wild by the Scottish
SPCA this year. The charity rescued him in May
when he was only a week old, after he was
picked up by a dog in woodland in Inverness.
“Squirrelly was very weak and struggled to feed when he first
arrived at the National Wildlife Rescue Centre in May, but
two months on and the young squirrel was released back
into the wild fully fit and healthy.
“Squirrelly had to be syringe-fed every two to three hours
when he first came into our care, but he soon grew stronger
and began taking solid food quite happily.
“We gradually withdrew handling to help Squirrelly
become independent of humans and at ten weeks old he
was showing all the signs of being ready to be released.
A soft release site, where we know there is an abundance
of food, was chosen to help Squirrelly make a smooth
transition into the wild.”
Flash and Flood are two otters who were
orphaned during a spell of heavy rain in
Inverness. The male and female cubs were
around ten to twelve weeks old when they
were rescued in May and taken to the National
Wildlife Rescue Centre.
“Otters usually remain with their parents until they’re around
a year old, so these cubs were far too young to be on their
own and wouldn’t have been able to survive in the wild.
Flash and Flood are very healthy and are really thriving in
our care.
“They’re being kept together, which is ideal as otter cubs
depend on interaction with their own kind to help them
develop behaviourally. We take a hands-off approach here
as we need these youngsters to maintain their natural fear of
humans so they can eventually be returned to the wild. Flash
and Flood will remain with us until around January, at which
point we’re very hopeful we’ll be able to release them back
into their natural habitat.”
34 The Nature of Scotland

“A key aspect of our new centre
is that animals can now be cared
for in one place until they are
released back into their natural
habitat.”
Nipper and Rowan are two roe deer who were
rescued in May after they became separated
from their mothers. Nipper, a one-week-old
male, was found stuck down a hole in Brora,
while Rowan, a two-week-old female, was
found orphaned after her mum was chased by
dogs in Nairn.
Martina is a young pine marten who was
fortunately rescued after she fell from a tree
in the Highlands and injured her back. She
was just ten weeks old when a member of the
public discovered her lying on the ground in
a car park between Tore and Dingwall. Swift
intervention was key to her survival.
“It’s very unfortunate that Nipper and Rowan became
separated from their mothers but this is, sadly, quite a
common occurrence when deer and man live side-by-side.
Thankfully the people who found the fawns did the right thing
by calling us for help and keeping them comfortable and
quiet until we arrived. Nipper and Rowan were kept together
here, which helped with their socialisation and gave them
comfort, and they came on really well. They both started
taking a bottle and became stronger and more active every
day and have continued to make a great recovery. They
should be ready to be returned to the wild in around two
months.”
“Martina would have been extremely vulnerable to predators
had she not been found as she was unable to move due to
a slight back injury she has sustained by falling from a tree.
Thankfully her injury was not serious and she responded very
well to treatment. We’ve kept human contact with Martina to
an absolute minimum to ensure that she remains a truly wild
animal.
“I’d say pine martens are one of the more unusual animals
I’ve ever come across in over thirty years of dealing with
wildlife. We plan to release Martina back into the wild in
around two months, once she is fully developed and able to
fend for herself.”
www.snh.gov.uk 35

Reserve focus
Mud, glorious mud
36 The Nature of Scotland

Caerlaverock National Nature Reserve is one of the oldest and largest wetland
reserves in Scotland. Located on the Solway Firth, it was established in 1957 to
protect the saltmarsh and rapidly declining Svalbard barnacle goose population.
1
Mudflats and creeks
are a big feature at
Caerlaverock NNR on
the Solway Firth.
The goose population was in severe decline
as a result of intensive shooting from largely
unregulated wildfowling and heavy commercial
exploitation in post-war Britain.
The vision of the Duke of Norfolk, who owned
the area prior to it becoming an NNR, was to
establish a reserve where the interests of farming,
fishing and wildfowling could co-exist alongside
the nature conservation interests of the area. This
far-sighted approach remains at the core of the
reserve today, which now extends to 8,000 ha.
Most of the reserve is intertidal sands and
mud of the estuary of the River Nith where it
discharges into the Solway Firth. The Solway is
the third-largest estuary in the UK and has one of
the biggest tidal ranges in the world, which twice
a day covers almost 90% of the reserve. The
remainder is saltmarsh, known locally as merse,
along with brackish and freshwater marsh.
This extensive continuous area of saltmarsh is
one of Scotland’s largest and is valued for grazing
cattle. It also provides excellent habitat to support
the rare natterjack toad at the most northern and
western edge of its range in Europe, and feeding
on the merse and safe roosts on the mud for over
20,000 wintering barnacle geese and an average
of 8,000–10,000 pink-footed geese.
There is a fascinating social and political history
in this area too. Caerlaverock (‘Castle of the Lark’)
takes its name from the medieval stronghold of
the Maxwell family. The earliest castle, built in
1220, was quickly abandoned, probably due to the
instability of its marshy foundations. The current
triangular castle lies just inland on drier ground and
was established in 1270.
The walk that we suggest here starts at the
Castle Corner car park just off the B725, south
of Glencaple village. Use the numbered map and
directions in the text to guide you round.
Parking
Toilets
Information centre
Walks
Picnic area
Bird hide
Historic structure
Refreshments
Main trail
Alternative route
Merse
Mixed woodland
Reserve boundary
Shooting zone
Sanctuary area
www.snh.gov.uk 0 kilometres 1
37
0 1
miles
1
2 3 4
Parking
Toilets
Information centre
Walks
Picnic area
Bird hide
Historic structure
Refreshments
0 kilometres 1
0 1
miles
Main trail
Alternative route
Merse
Mixed woodland
Reserve boundary
Shooting zone
Sanctuary area

2
1
The walk begins at the short salt-clipped scrub which backs
the merse, before heading into Castle Wood. This oak
woodland has recently undergone significant management
to remove the plantation of non-native Norway spruce and
replace it with native oak, rowan, hazel and birch. The path
follows level ground which then slopes gently up onto the
remains of a fixed sand dune that once formed the edge of
the sea.
To the west is the extensive flat merse which has built
up on the estuary but which today is subject to accretion
(growth) and erosion. Storm events and flooding from the
river constantly change the position of the main channels of
the Nith, which leads to deposition or erosion of the merse.
This dynamic process means some areas to the east are
currently building new merse, whilst to the north near the
car park erosion is taking away the merse to be deposited
elsewhere as new mud and sand banks.
2
Castle Wood is now
dominated by oak, but
this is in part due to the
removal of non-native
Norway spruce.
3
The ancient ruins of
Caerlaverock Castle
pull many visitors to
this region.
38 The Nature of Scotland

3
2
The path divides at this point and continues to the left on
to Caerlaverock Castle. The castle is in the care of Historic
Scotland and entry is by an admission charge. There is a
tearoom, visitor centre and toilets at the castle for those in
need of a break or wishing a detour.
Our walk continues to the right past a small pentagonal
shelter and information point. Pass through the gap in the
hedge to the left of the shelter and, keeping the fence on
your right, continue forwards to the next fence.
Do not cross the fence onto the merse; instead, follow
the path to the left and continue through the reed beds
where there are boardwalks to assist you. There is a large
pool to the right (which is clearly visible in all seasons bar
the very height of summer) and this is one of the best places
to hear the loud rasping calls of natterjack toads. The best
time to hear and see them is on warm, damp evenings
between May and July, when the chorus of males trying to
attract mates can travel over a kilometre.
These are small toads with short legs better equipped
for running rather than crawling or jumping like common
toads and frogs. They are sometimes known as the running
toad, although the impression of their speed is perhaps an
exaggeration.
You should be aware that if you make a detour from the
recommended route to look more closely at the pool on the
merse then you will be entering an area grazed by cattle.
www.snh.gov.uk 39

4 5
3 4
The path along the flood bank extends for about 1 km
before the boardwalk on the left appears and access to the
Flooders is available. The wet marsh to the left has been
created by breaches in the flood bank allowing the tide to
inundate the marsh and mix with freshwater seeping from
the fields inland. ‘The Flooders’ (as this area is known) once
grew barley and other cereal crops. The unequal struggle
to keep out the sea was abandoned and today it is a very
wet marsh, with deep overgrown and hidden channels and
disused drainage ditches, which supports an abundance of
wildflowers, including meadowsweet, northern marsh orchid,
ragged robin and flag iris. The pools also support dragonflies
and the oldest living species in the world, the tadpole
shrimp, a species largely unchanged over 220 million years.
It survives in slightly salty, muddy pools and its eggs can
survive for decades in the mud. The species has recently
been rediscovered on the reserve following an absence of
almost 50 years from the Solway coast.
On warm spring and summer days, the merse is full of
the song of skylarks towering high into the air proclaiming
their territory. This is the lark of the castle’s name and whose
song is such a distinctive part of the reserve. In summer
large flocks of shelduck gather with their crèche of ducklings
on this section of the merse. These large black-and-white
ducks with their green heads, red bills and pink feet are
almost as big as geese and are characteristic of the reserve.
The merse at this time can be a carpet of pink flowers of
thrift, with sea aster and sea lavender on the edges of the
creeks, pools and salt pans.
In autumn and winter, this can be one of the best
places to see grazing flocks of barnacle and pink-footed
geese along with whooper swans and, at the biggest tides
which can lap the foot of the flood bank, huge flocks of
waders such as curlew, lapwing, golden plover, knot and
oystercatcher. It is worth searching for the visiting flocks
of twite and linnets, occasionally with snow buntings, and
small finches with tinkling calls, feeding on seeds washed
up along the tide line.
The boardwalk to the left is the only safe access onto the
Flooders and leads on to the reed beds and past newlycreated
pools in a circular walk. In summer this reedbed is
home to sedge warblers and the occasional marsh harrier.
In winter it provides a roost for starlings, with attendant
sparrowhawks, merlin and peregrine falcon in pursuit of a
meal.
Follow the boardwalk past the lane that leads to
Hollands farm and on to where the boardwalk divides, the
left branch leading to the corner of the field where a path
leads between hawthorn hedges. The fields on either side
are frequently used by geese to feed during the autumn
and winter. The hedgerow can also be full of fieldfares and
redwings gorging themselves on the abundance of berries.
The path leads on to the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust
reserve. There is an admission charge to the reserve, but the
centre holds a shop, tearoom and toilets.
4
‘The Flooders’ is a wet
marsh supporting a
huge range of plant
species.
5
Barnacle geese are an
autumn and winter
highlight on the
reserve.
6
Boardwalks assist the
visitor to reach a range
of otherwise difficult to
access habitats.
Caerlaverock is
one of 47 NNRs in
Scotland. Find out
more at www.nnrscotland.org.uk
40 The Nature of Scotland

6
Essential information
Caerlaverock NNR lies on the Solway Firth and the nearest town is Dumfries. The usual approach by car is south along the
B725 from Dumfries. There is an SNH reserve office and information board on a small minor road leading off the B725. To
reach the reserve office take the B725 south from Dumfries to Glencaple/Bankend, following the east bank of the River
Nith, or, from Annan, take the B724 then the B725 west to Bankend. The visitor centre is well-signposted.
The nearest bus stop is at Caerlaverock (1.3 miles) on the Dumfries to Caerlaverock route and the nearest railway
station is in Dumfries (8 miles) on the Kilmarnock to Carlisle line.
OS maps
Explorer 313, 314 and 322. Unfortunately the reserve does
not fall completely within one Explorer map; indeed, it falls
between three OS Explorer maps.
Landranger 84 (Dumfries and Castle Douglas) and 85
(Carlisle and Solway Firth).
Trail length
From the Castle Corner car park to Eastpark, the route is
approximately 4km long (8km return) although a shorter return
walk is available from Castle Wood or Caerlaverock Castle.
Terrain
The walk follows a hard surfaced path to Caerlaverock
Castle with a mown grass path as far as the Flooders.
Through the Flooders the route follows a timber boardwalk
before re-joining a grass path and finally a hard surfaced
track. The route is almost flat and is easy to walk.
Dogs
Please follow the Scottish Outdoor Access Code and local
guidance at the reserve. Please keep your dog(s) under
close control or on a short lead at sensitive times and
comply with any notices you see. A short lead is taken to be
two metres, and ‘under close control’ means that the dog is
able to respond to your commands and kept close at heel.
Nearby natural attractions
The Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust have had a centre at
Caerlaverock since 1970. They manage their farmland and
merse for wildlife and provide important feeding areas for
wild geese over the winter.
Further information
You can contact SNH on 01387 770275.
You can also download a leaflet about the reserve
at www.nnr-scotland.org.uk/caerlaverock
www.snh.gov.uk
41

SNH Area News
Northern Isles & Northern Highland
Correspondents: Juan Brown, Ian Mitchell, Kate Thompson
Weather impacts
A predominance of north-easterly winds
has frustrated visitors trying to make
the short crossing to the spectacular
seabird island of Noss. Shetland
escaped the deluge that dampened
spring and early summer further
south, with a protracted period of
exceptionally dry weather. But with the
wind generally east of north, conditions
on the Bressay shore of Noss Sound
were just too choppy to safely land the
small inflatable ferry.
Conditions did not let up for the
ever-popular Noss Open Day, which
had to be cancelled for only the third
time in its 25-year history (all in the
past four years). Noss Open Day is
an annual event which sees hundreds
of folk flocking to the National Nature
Reserve to take part in especially laidon
events such as guided walks and
children’s activities. Let’s hope recent
patterns are merely a blip and the long
run of good open day weather resumes
in 2013!
The weather has at least been good
for delivering a plentiful supply of power
and water to the Noss wardens! With
the island isolated from mains supplies,
all this wind and sun has kept a new
solar-powered water pump and recently
overhauled 12-volt electricity supply
running at full efficiency.
Hearts pumping
Nearly 50 former cardiac patients joined
forces with SNH, the NHS, Forestry
Commission, RSPB and Highland
Council’s Countryside Rangers on two
guided walks this summer to Loch Fleet
National Nature Reserve (just south
of Golspie, Sutherland). The walks,
initiated by SNH, took participants to
the bird hide overlooking Balblair Bay.
This gave everyone an opportunity to
enjoy a good walk in the fresh air and to
learn something about the wildlife and
history of the Nature Reserve.
Patients who suffer from a range
of heart problems and are recovering
after medical or surgical treatment, can
participate in a Cardiac Rehabilitation
Programme run by the NHS where
physiotherapy staff build patient
confidence and encourage them to take
regular exercise, improving their general
health and hopefully reducing the risks
of future heart problems.
When the programme is completed,
patients are encouraged to continue
their exercises and especially to go for
regular walks in the fresh air. However,
many people who have suffered from
cardiac conditions often feel uneasy
about attempting a new unknown
walk. The guided ‘Cardiac Walks’ were
specifically designed to show former
NHS patients and their families the
easily accessible facilities that are on
many of our National Nature Reserves.
Supporting renewables
SNH staff in Orkney recently organised
workshops to support the sustainable
development of terrestrial and marine
renewables in the county.
The first workshop focused on ports
and harbours developments to support
wave and tidal projects. Attendees
included representatives from Orkney
Islands Council’s engineering, marine
and development planning departments
with guest speakers from Marine
Scotland Licensing. Presentations
on Marine Licensing, Marine Natural
Heritage and Marine Noise were
followed by informal discussions.
A second event focused on
terrestrial wind turbines, and in
particular on the recent rapid increase
in numbers of applications for small
and medium-sized-turbines in Orkney.
Specialist advisers and local staff from
SNH met with local agents and council
planners to explore a range of issues,
including cumulative landscape and
visual impacts, and to introduce the
new SNH guidance.
Both events proved successful in
raising awareness of SNH’s role with
respect to these types of development
in Orkney and in promoting constructive
working relationships on the ground.
Crucially, they have helped to identify
and promote positive approaches to
renewables developments in Orkney
that will help to avoid or mitigate
adverse impacts on the natural heritage.
42 The Nature of Scotland

SNH Area News
Forth
Correspondents: John O’Keefe, Michael Thornton, Zoe Kemp
Volunteering boost
A new post is being created in
Falkirk for a Canal Development and
Greenspace Officer. The post will help
encourage people to get more from
West Lothian and Falkirk’s nature,
landscapes and waterways. It’s hoped
that locals will be encouraged to use
the Forth & Clyde Canal, Union Canal,
Muiravonside Country Park, Callendar
Wood, The Helix and The Falkirk Wheel
as locations for exercise, leisure and
learning. The new position is funded
by Scottish Natural Heritage, The
Waterways Trust, British Waterways,
The Helix Project and Callendar
Estates.
The post will create opportunities
to get people more active and
healthier through walking, cycling
and volunteering to improve and
enhance the waterway and woodland
environments. People will be
encouraged to ‘adopt their patch’ and
get involved in regular volunteering in
the outdoors.
The Waterways Trust will work with
local schools and community groups
offering guided walks and opportunities
to volunteer or participate in learning
about the environment in their local
area. Schools and community groups
will also be able to complete their
Discovery Level John Muir Award.
Grey partridge help
The grey partridge is a species
of conservation concern and has
undergone a rapid population decline
since the 1970s. This has been
largely due to intensive agricultural
management and the use of pesticides,
as well as the loss of important nesting
habitat and winter food supplies.
Habitat management for grey
partridge, such as the creation of
wildflower field margins, will also
benefit a wide range of other farmland
biodiversity including plants, insects
and mammals.
The Game & Wildlife Conservation
Trust launched a grey partridge
conservation scheme at Whitburgh
Farm in Midlothian in June. Plans for
the next 5 years are to demonstrate
management for grey partridge within
an economically viable farm business.
Some of this management work is
being funded through the Scottish
Rural Development Programme – Rural
Priorities scheme whilst SNH provided
advice and guidance during the
application stage of this scheme.
A detailed monitoring programme
will monitor grey partridge numbers and
chick survival as well as other farmland
biodiversity, including partridge food,
cover and wild bird abundance. It is
hoped that the results from this work
will inform environmental measures
currently being developed under the
Common Agricultural Policy.
Stirling Ecosystems
SNH has recently launched a project
working with communities and land
owners in southern Stirlingshire. The
project aims to use the Ecosystem
Approach to help local people be
involved in decisions about how land
could be used in the future to secure
sustainable benefits that could be
delivered from their local ecosystems.
Our aim is to develop a project
in collaboration with land managers
and local partners. This should test
an approach to land-use decisionmaking
using the Ecosystem Approach,
but more importantly lead to genuine
change ‘on the ground’.
The Ecosystem Approach stems
from the Land Use Strategy for
Scotland. It involves a range of steps
that should lead to increased public
understanding of the services and
benefits which ecosystems deliver
(such as fresh water, biodiversity, food,
recreation, fuel and so on) and help
people to influence land management
to deliver these benefits. We are also
keen to evaluate the project all the way
through to make sure we learn any
lessons from the various stages.
For more information contact Zoe
Kemp, Operations Manager at Scottish
Natural Heritage, at zoe.kemp@snh.
gov.uk or by calling 01786 435 356.
www.snh.gov.uk 43

SNH Area News
Argyll and Outer Hebrides
Correspondents: Mags Russell, Roddy MacMinn, Stephen Austin
Snapberry goes fourth
From a simple idea to encourage
teenagers to look closer at their
surrounding environment through the
lens of a camera came a multi-layered
educational arts project that has
steadily grown over its four years of
existence.
This year Snapberry, celebrating the
Year of Creative Scotland, attracted the
attention of Michael Russell MSP, who
joined the students of Lochgilphead
Joint Campus in May on their field trip
around Mòine Mhòr National Nature
Reserve. This was a great opportunity
for the students to talk about the
project and their first-hand experience
of the programme. The project cuts
across and merges parts of the school
curriculum engaging students in
creative media education.
This year the stunning images
were exhibited at The Piggery, Taynish
National Nature Reserve, in August, and
a large-scale projection is scheduled
for November as part of the Lantern
Parade/Firework celebrations in
Lochgilphead town centre, an event
attracting in excess of 3,000 people
from all parts of the country every year.
For more information on Snapberry,
contact Caroline Anderson at caroline.
anderson@snh.gov.uk or by calling
01546 603611.
Pearls in Peril
The survival of the freshwater pearl
mussel population in Harris was put
further in doubt recently with several
instances of illegal fishing being
discovered.
Freshwater pearl mussels are listed
as one of the world’s most critically
endangered species and tackling the
illegal fishery has become a wildlife
crime priority. Since 1998 it has been a
criminal offence to either remove pearl
mussels or disturb the river beds in
which they are found.
As part of the ‘Pearls in Peril’
LIFE project, SNH aims to establish
a ‘Riverwatch’ programme in Harris
during 2013. Whilst the police and
other organisations do their best to try
to tackle the illegal fishery, your help
could be crucial in conserving our
remaining populations. Pearl-fishing
often occurs early in the morning during
spring and summer and in order to
conserve our remaining populations the
public’s help could be crucial in helping
to spot and report any suspicious
activity. Signs that pearl fishing has
been carried out include piles of dead
shells on the river bank, in the water, or
at secluded spots nearby.
If you do suspect someone is pearl
fishing, or find any evidence such as
a pile of dead shells, please report
it to the nearest police station or
Crimestoppers as soon as possible.
Black Lynn action
Argyll is thought to be one of the
most biodiverse regions in the UK and
is renowned for its basking sharks,
eagles, oak woods, butterflies and
lichens. However, the majority of its
population live in towns, such as Oban,
and it is easy to forget that looking after
and enhancing the environment where
people live is just as important for their
quality of life.
SNH along with Argyll Fishery Trust,
the Wild Trout Trust and the Scottish
Environment Protection Agency recently
became involved in a community-led
project to clean up the Black Lynn
burn, which runs through the centre of
Oban and flows into Oban Bay. Like
many town centre burns, the Black Lynn
became a repository for plastic bags
and shopping trolleys with colonies of
Japanese knotweed on its banks.
However, in a recent survey, brown
trout, sea trout, flounder and a foot-long
eel were all present along with ducks
and dippers, proving that, in times
when money is tight, the hard work of
volunteers and community activists,
coupled with some well-targeted
advice, can work wonders for our
environment.
44 The Nature of Scotland

SNH Area News
Southern Scotland
Correspondents: Beth Wilson, Chris Miles, Georgia Conolly, Trevor Godden
Brilliant bats!
Thanks to a Community Action Grant
(CAG) from SNH, the Dumfries
and Galloway Bat Group will be
encouraging more people to get
involved in protecting bats. The
group have been able to buy display
equipment and materials, so members
can attend more local events and
outdoor festivals. Here they’ll be
doing their best to recruit new bat
group volunteers and make people
more aware of these mysterious and
fascinating creatures.
The group was set up in 2005 and
is made up entirely of volunteers; they
work together to further the welfare and
understanding of bats locally. Much of
their work is carried out in the evening
or at dawn, so bat workers have to
be prepared to be out and about at
unsociable hours. Members put up bat
boxes in woodlands; give advice and
practical help to householders with bat
roosts; carry out surveys to monitor
the population status of various bat
species; give educational talks; and
organise bat walks, using bat detectors
to locate bats.
All these tasks depend on the
group having a healthy membership of
committed volunteers. With an SNH
grant to help with recruitment, these
activities look set to continue for the
benefit of these vulnerable and often
misunderstood mammals.
Biosphere accolade
Galloway and Southern Ayrshire
achieved global recognition as
Scotland’s first new-style UNESCO
Biosphere earlier this year. The region
has now become part of a worldwide
network of Biosphere Reserves
that include the Sierra Nevada and
Mount Olympus. The successful
application for Biosphere status was
the culmination of several years’ work
by a broad partnership of communities,
businesses, local councils and public
agencies, including SNH.
In the application the partners were
able to set out the zoned approach
UNESCO requires for every Biosphere.
At its heart is the core area – the
Merrick, Rhinns of Kells and Cairnsmore
of Fleet – where the landscape and
wildlife are protected. The surrounding
Galloway Forest Park acts as a buffer
zone managed to sustain and enhance
the natural heritage of the core. Outside
this is the transition area where most
people live and work.
Biospheres are created to protect
the biological and cultural diversity of
a region while promoting sustainable
economic development. They involve
no new legislation or regulation, nor
do they bring extra resources. They
do, however, require community buy-in
and action to succeed. The awarding
of Biosphere status shows that most of
the local communities have recognised
how crucial sustaining the natural
environment is for their future.
Rare sea slug found
Colourful, interesting, pretty – not
words you would usually associate
with slugs. But these are sea slugs, or
‘nudibranchs’, just some of the amazing
marine life to be seen at St Abbs and
Eyemouth Voluntary Marine Reserve.
These strange and beautiful
creatures were the subject of an
underwater wildlife identification
course for divers held at the reserve.
The course was led by Jim Anderson,
a nudibranch expert who has travelled
the world to study and photograph
these stunning creatures. Participants
did two dives and found a staggering
27 different species. One sea slug that
was found, Janolus hyalinus, is very
rare and has never been recorded on
the east coast of Britain before.
Nudibranchs are related to garden
snails but have evolved without a shell;
they have other ways of defending
themselves against their enemies.
Some store the stinging cells of their
preferred foods, such as hydroids, in
the surface of their skin which makes
them distasteful or poisonous; others
are brightly coloured to warn off
predators.
Divers are not the only ones who
can appreciate the wildlife of the marine
reserve: why not walk the coastal path
or explore the fantastic rock pools at
Coldingham and Eyemouth? For more
information visit www.marine-reserve.
co.uk.
www.snh.gov.uk 45

SNH Area News
South Highland
Correspondents: Keith Duncan, Kenny Nelson, Corrina Mertens
Mountain rescue
Climbers from Scotland’s national
outdoor training centre have been
roped in to help rescue a rare Highland
plant from local extinction. In a bid to
help boost the population of woolly
willow plants in Glen Feshie climbers
belayed down an inaccessible crag with
plants and digging gear. Woolly willow
(Salix lanata) is one of Scotland’s most
endangered plants and until a few years
ago the Glen Feshie crag had only 14
plants left. Following previous work and
this most recent planting, the numbers
have been boosted to 85.
Phil Baarda of SNH said: “This has
been a real team effort – the seedlings
have been grown on by willow expert
Richard Marriot and the team from
Glenmore Lodge have helped plant
them out on the crag. Across Scotland
the woolly willow population has been
reduced by burning and grazing, but
with this restoration work, and the
management efforts of Glen Feshie
estate, the future of this population is
looking a lot brighter.”
This work is funded by SNH and
the Heritage Lottery Memorial Fund
(HLF) Mountain Restoration project
managed by Highland Birchwoods.
You can find out more at:
www.snh.gov.uk/protectingscotlands-nature/species-actionframework/species-action-list/
woolly-willow/
Gàidhlig anns na Glinn
The rich links between Gaelic culture
and nature have been celebrated on
two Highland National Nature Reserves
this summer.
At Creag Meagaidh a group of
teenagers visited the reserve as part
of their participation in the John Muir
Award through the medium of Gaelic,
run by Comunn na Gàidhlig. They
took part in a guided walk, species
identification activities and made a short
film clip about wildlife management on
the reserve.
Meanwhile, Beinn Eighe NNR
played host to the ‘Fèis Rois Ceilidh
Trail’ musicians, who entertained visitors
with an open-air concert of traditional
music. Roddy Maclean, a regular
contributor to Nature of Scotland, led a
guided walk looking at Gaelic plant lore
along the woodland trail. A barbecue
promoting ‘Scotland’s Natural Larder’
provided the chance to sample some
of the best of our home-grown foods,
including local Beinn Eighe venison
burgers, mackerel and smoked trout.
Emily Edwards, SNH’s Gaelic
communications officer, said, “NNRs
provide an excellent opportunity to
explore the close relationship between
the Gaelic language and nature. Given
the success of the two events this
summer we will continue to use the
NNRs to encourage visitors and locals
to discover more about Gaelic and our
natural heritage.”
Clearing out crayfish
Work got underway this summer in
Lochaber to eradicate the non-native,
North American signal crayfish.
Discovered last year by Highland
Council Rangers, these freshwater
lobster-like animals can have a
devastating impact on Scotland’s native
wildlife. They out-compete many native
species, consuming large quantities of
aquatic plants and invertebrates, and
predating or displacing young fish and
eggs. Their burrows can cause serious
bank erosion or habitat loss.
SNH Area Officer, Corrina Mertens,
explained: “It’s likely that the crayfish
were brought in by people, and this is
the first time they have been recorded in
Lochaber, making it especially important
that this population is prevented from
spreading into nearby rivers and lochs.
A controlled application of a natural
pyrethrum chemical was used to poison
the crayfish, there being no important
wildlife species in the ponds which could
be affected by the process. Wildlife
will re-colonise naturally and Lochaber
Fisheries Trust will keep monitoring the
local watercourses for crayfish.”
If you see any signal crayfish in
Lochaber please contact the Lochaber
Fisheries Trust on 01397 703728.
To find out more about signal crayfish
visit our website: www.snh.gov.
uk/protecting-scotlands-nature/
species-action-framework/speciesaction-list/na-sig-crayfish/
46 The Nature of Scotland

SNH Area News
Tayside and Grampian
Correspondents: Shona Smith, Denise Reed, Joel Paterson
Focused on nature
In July, a group of enthusiastic
photographers set out on a photo
walk up to Corrie Fee National Nature
Reserve. Armed with anything from a
compact camera to a digital SLR, all
were keen to improve their photography
skills.
There to help them was our
professional, award-winning
photographer Lorne Gill. Lorne’s son
Fergus, who has also won awards for
his wildlife photography, accompanied
the group too. You can see some of the
results and add your own photos in the
Corrie Fee photo album on Scotland’s
National Nature Reserves’ Facebook
page.
This was one of a series of events
where a professional expert will
accompany the Ranger and offer the
public a unique insight into what is
special about Corrie Fee and how we
manage it. ‘Clash of the Titans’ will
be led by a professional deer stalker
during the red deer rut in October and
‘A Winter Wonderland’ will be led by a
geologist in January.
For more information, please
visit www.angus.gov.uk/
leisure/rangerservice/pdfs/
rangerservicediary.pdf If you are
interested in taking part in one of these
events, please call 01575 550233 or
email GlenDollRanger@angus.gov.uk
to book.
Doggie Days Out
In 2010 and 2011, Nature Reserve
staff at St Cyrus organised ‘doggy days
out’ for people in the St Cyrus area.
For many years there have been
problems with disturbance of groundnesting
birds and dog fouling – which
deters some school groups from
visiting.
In an effort to get their support for
our access guidance, dog walkers were
invited to hear about which areas of
the Reserve were sensitive and which
were less so. In turn, our staff got the
opportunity to hear what dog walkers
thought.
As a result, new relationships have
been forged and most dog walkers
now respect bird-sensitive areas and
requests for dogs to be under close
control in the dune areas. Our advice
is that the beach is the best place to
let dogs stretch their legs and even go
for a swim. New dog poo bins were
also installed. The events were a great
success as demonstrated this summer
by staff recording few dogs wandering
into the bird-sensitive area, increased
bird breeding success and a dramatic
reduction in problems with dog fouling.
Aliens in Perthshire
The first phase of a three year control
of Himalayan balsam (Impatiens
glandulifera) in the catchment of the
Lunan Burn in Perthshire has been
completed. This important project aims
to work with local landowners to target
and eradicate Himalayan balsam in the
catchment, with follow-up work taking
place in 2013 and 2014.
Himalayan balsam is an attractive
but highly invasive non-native plant
species which crowds out native
vegetation along river banks, loch
shores and wetlands. Dying back in
winter, it leaves bare soil which erodes
when water levels are high, silting up
breeding areas for fish. Lochs Clunie,
Marlee and others in the Lunan Burn
catchment have been the subject of an
SNH management scheme to improve
water quality.
The plant had been found in small
patches along burns and ditches – so
quick action was needed to prevent it
spreading everywhere. A further survey
has been undertaken in order to identify
those areas which require re-treatment
in coming years, but the initial treatment
appears to have been successful with
many of the identified areas dying back.
A stitch in time has hopefully saved
nine.
For more information contact Joel
Paterson at joel.paterson@snh.gov.uk
www.snh.gov.uk 47

High-value walks
1
48 The Nature of Scotland

Green tourism is
one of Scotland’s
growth areas and
with our outstanding
natural heritage
it’s little wonder
that walking and
landscape-tourism
continue to thrive.
“Active breaks are
what more people
are looking for.”
1
Arran is one of
Scotland’s most
popular walking
destinations.
The Arran Mountain Festival is a
classic of its kind; a four-day ‘feast’
that enables locals and visitors alike
to explore fantastic mountains in the
safe hands of experienced guides. It’s
also a good example of how valuable
Scotland’s stunning natural heritage is
to our economy.
The Festival started out as the
‘Outdoor and Walking Festival’ in 2007,
becoming the Arran Mountain Festival
in 2010 to better reflect the highlevel
all-day walks that dominate the
programme.
Set up as a community-run event,
its aims remain sharply focussed on
organising an annual walking and
outdoor activity festival which will:
– extend the local tourism season;
– promote health and the outdoors;
– promote sustainable and
responsible access;
– promote green tourism; and
– foster an understanding of Arran’s
cultural and natural heritage, whilst
bringing benefits to the local
community and businesses.
The four days of the Festival rely
heavily on the dedicated volunteer
walk-leaders who willingly donate their
time, experience and expertise. Yet for
all their experience those at the heart
of the Festival are open to change and
experimentation too.
Jo Totty, chair of the Arran Mountain
Festival, explained the latest tweak.
“The 2012 Festival moved from its
established September slot to mid-May.
This was a gamble with a successful
formula, but one that proved to be
hugely successful with both locals and
visitors. True, the Festival did start with
wintry conditions and snow on the
Friday, but this was swiftly followed by
scorching sunshine that stayed with us
to the end”.
There were 16 walks on offer, taking
in 12 different routes. As in previous
years there were the old stalwarts such
as Ceum na Caillich (Witch’s Step),
Caisteal Abhail (The Castles), the
Three Beinns horseshoe and the
challenging A’Chir ridge walk. And
some new routes really caught the
imagination – a new and unusual way
onto Goatfell and the 12-hour Glen
Sannox horseshoe epic!
Over the years of the Festival, the
community of Arran has increasingly
embraced the event with many local
individuals and organisations having
been involved for several years. So
much so that in 2011 the Arran
Mountain Festival set up a sponsorship
scheme, with the hope of making
the Festival a viable Arran event,
independent of external funding from
public bodies and European grants.
Amongst those supporting the
Festival were the Auchrannie Resort,
which noted how “The Festival extends
the tourist season and brings more
customers to the island which can only
be good for our island economy. It’s
really good for the island by promoting
active breaks for customers, which is
what more people are looking for”.
The National Trust for Scotland was
enthusiastic too, noting that, “Although
it takes time and energy to be involved
in the Festival, this is far outweighed by
helping people enjoy and understand
a bit about the mountain environment,
whether it be learning about the
flora and fauna or issues of path
maintenance.”
Jo Totty sums up the feel-good
factor that green tourism can bring.
“The people on the walks have
obviously had a magical time,” she
notes, “with comments like ‘superb
walking’, ‘stunning views’, and ‘wouldn’t
attempt it myself but happy to be
guided’ dominating the feedback.”
With a national value of around
£900 million, walking and landscape
tourism make a considerable
contribution to the Scottish economy.
The Arran Mountain Festival is just one
example of how nature-based tourism
and a healthy natural heritage go hand
in hand.
For further information on the
Arran Mountain Festival visit
www.arranmountainfestival.co.uk
www.snh.gov.uk 49

1
Glasgow’s
green
guardians
50 The Nature of Scotland

Glasgow’s Countryside Rangers
have a challenging role that seeks
to balance preserving a rich array of
historic green spaces with working to
embed new initiatives.
Since the time St Mungo established a monastery on a
tributary of the Clyde in the 6th century, Glasgow has been
known as the ‘dear green place’.
That iconic definition is one the city is rightly proud of,
and still relevant in the 21st century. Famed for its parks and
open spaces, Glasgow has always been a city at ease with
‘the countryside’ within its boundaries.
But in Scotland’s most heavily populated city it’s also a
resource that comes under pressure. It needs to be nurtured
and cared for if it is to provide those same famous green
‘lungs’ for future generations.
Fortunately for Glaswegians an enthusiastic and
imaginative team of Glasgow Countryside Rangers have the
task well in hand.
“There is a great historical legacy to work with and today
Glasgow boasts an astounding range of valuable sites,”
remarked Gary Linstead, Ranger for the southern area of the
city. “A distinct patchwork of former estate grounds such
as Pollok, Bellahouston and Bishops Estate help to break
up the impact of the built environment. These and other
green havens from a bygone mercantile era form today’s five
1
Biodiversity on the
doorstep of Glasgow’s
Kelvingrove Art Gallery
and Museum.
2
Cathkin Braes offers a
fine vantage point to
view the city and the
hills to the north of
Glasgow.
2
www.snh.gov.uk 51

3
‘City’ & 12 ‘District’ parks. Add to this the city’s major rivers
(Kelvin, Clyde and Cart), the Forth & Clyde canal, threads of
disused rail lines, and swathes of private gardens and it is
clear that Glasgow is rich in green spaces.”
Visit Glasgow and it’s very hard not to be impressed
by the sheer breadth of natural space. Glasgow has 14
habitats with action plans (HAPs), ranging from broadleaved
and mixed woodland to neutral and acid grassland, dwarf
shrub heath, fens, marsh, swamps, reed beds and even
raised bog.
An area to the north-east of the city known as the Seven
Lochs Wetland Park is of huge interest. The area stretches
from Hogganfield Loch through to Drumpellier Country Park
in North Lanarkshire, forming part of the Gartloch Gartcosh
Green Network Strategy (this is spearheaded by Glasgow
Clyde Valley Green Network).
Sandy McNeil, a resident bird-ringer and Ranger in the
north-east of the city, works at Hogganfield Loch Local
Nature Reserve (LNR). “A mixed winter-food crop has been
planted under the direction of the Council’s Conservation
section,” explains Sandy. “The hope is that this will provide
winter feeding for seed-eating birds such as the nationally
declining reed bunting, one of Glasgow’s Local Biodiversity
Action Plan species.”
Through the winter months swans and other wildfowl
are provided with supplementary barley at the loch and the
RSPB Glasgow Group run monthly public bird-feeding
events. Sandy notes the value of this work: “It’s a great
initiative and Hogganfield is one of only two places in
Glasgow’s Top
Ten Green Facts
1 20% of Glasgow City’s area is
greenspace (3527.8 hectares)
2 10% of the area is woodland
3 More than 90 parks
4 82 Tree Preservation Orders
5 97 Sites of Importance
for Nature Conservation
(48 City, 49 Local) (2784 hectares)
6 Eight designated Local Nature
Reserves with two proposed
7 Five Sites of Special Scientific
Interest
8 11 Countryside Rangers
9 One Country Park
10 80% of greenspace under
designated protection
52 The Nature of Scotland

4
Scotland where wild whooper swans can be seen feeding at
very close range.”
And Hogganfield isn’t an isolated example of a
captivating city habitat. Millichen Flood has been designated
as an SINC (Site of Importance for Nature Conservation)
due to its importance for wintering wildfowl. An area of
low-lying farmland adjacent to the River Kelvin, on the north
fringe of Glasgow, this is where Countryside Rangers make
monthly Wetland Bird Survey (WeBS) counts.
Unsurprisingly this site periodically floods, particularly
during the autumn and winter, attracting a wide variety of
interesting birds. Black-tailed godwit and ruff are regularly
present alongside commoner but declining species such as
lapwing.
And Glasgow’s surprises don’t end there. Glasgow
actually still benefits from 10 farms within its city bounds,
although, for the most part, they are lightly farmed with the
focus on conservation.
Glasgow has recorded a remarkable 6,000 species,
including 2,950 invertebrates, 1,600 vascular plants, 800
other plants, 373 aquatic invertebrates, 242 birds and
47 mammals excluding, of course, Homo sapiens. Most
would agree it amounts to a staggering count; all the more
remarkable given the abundance of people (584,240 at the
last count) living in a quarter of a million households in the city.
That pressure is the reason why there is a vital role for
Glasgow’s Rangers to act as ‘mediator’ between people and
the land. It’s also the reason why environmental education
features so highly in their citywide delivery.
“Hogganfield Loch
is one of only two
places in Scotland
where wild whooper
swans can be seen
feeding at close
range.”
3
The River Kelvin offers
a green corridor within
Glasgow’s northern
districts.
4
Whooper swans with
their bright yellow bills
are amongst the
wildfowl encountered
at Hogganfield Loch.
www.snh.gov.uk 53

Outdoor learning boost
Allison Greig, the Senior Countryside Ranger, is proud
of the role of her team in developing and delivering a
bespoke Glasgow outdoor learning project known as the
‘Healthy World Challenge’. “In the run-up to the eagerly
anticipated Commonwealth Games, Glasgow’s Education
and Land & Environmental Services have come together in a
project that rebrands 11 Glasgow parks as Commonwealth
Parks.
“The parks are being used as educational hubs for the
2014 Games,” explained Allison. “All of Glasgow’s 300
plus schools are now ‘twinned’ with one of the 72 countries
of the Commonwealth and a city park. Schools are being
encouraged to visit their partner park and participate in a
variety of practical, active and outdoor learning experiences
alongside the Countryside Rangers. Free buses through
the Class Connexion scheme mean that many of the normal
barriers to outdoor learning have been removed.”
This exciting initiative will allow the city’s young people
to become more involved with the city’s parks and foster a
sense of ownership. The project will also afford opportunities
to engage everyone in looking at how people live in different
parts of the world and how everyone’s actions impact on
the environment, both here in Scotland and in the farthest
reaches of the Commonwealth.
Finally, to celebrate the Queen’s 60th year as head of the
Commonwealth, Glasgow schools and residents are being
invited to vote for their favourite ‘Top 60 Jubilee trees’.
The 72 candidate trees for nomination have been
selected by an expert group reflecting the heritage, age,
rarity and exotic value of the trees. Glasgow Park’s web
page contains voting forms, maps and tree information
packs, which can be downloaded for each location.
Schools, families and individuals are encouraged to visit
the trees before they vote and it is widely acknowledged
that Glasgow’s parks have some of Scotland’s finest tree
collections. The 60 trees with the most votes will be taken as
a whole and comprise a ‘super’ arboretum, drawn together
into a virtual trail across the city. The species list will also
help to inform a public planting scheme across the city parks
to begin replacing the 1,000 trees lost during the Christmas
storms.
So with a city so green in both reality and ambition, is
it any wonder it’s still known to this day as the ‘dear green
place’?
5
54 The Nature of Scotland

6
5
Countryside Rangers
offer valuable outdoor
learning experiences
for the city’s young
people.
6
Glasgow boasts over
90 parks and
Kelvingrove, lying
close to Glasgow
University, is amongst
the most popular.
With thanks to Allison Greig, Gary
Linstead and Sandy McNeil from
Glasgow’s Countryside Ranger Team
and Cath Scott of the Conservation
Team.
Find out more at:
www.glasgow.gov.uk/en/
AboutGlasgow/Factsheets/
Glasgow/KeyFacts.htm
www.gcvgreennetwork.gov.uk/
projects/Gartloch-Gartcosh/7-
Lochs-Wetland-Park.html
www.glasgow.gov.uk/en/
Residents/Parks_Outdoors/
Ecology/Biodiversity/
localbiodiversityactionplan.htm
www.snh.gov.uk 55

1
After the storms
Powerful storms ripped through west and
central Scotland last winter. For many
people that meant dealing with structural
damage; for Forestry Commission Scotland
it presented a challenge across a number of
popular sites.
56 The Nature of Scotland

Climate change and more extreme weather events are
amongst the biggest challenges facing Scotland’s nature
and landscapes. We are becoming more accustomed to
witnessing localised flooding, for example, and last winter
high winds battered our forests leaving behind huge
amounts of damage.
Forestry Commission Scotland saw many of its forests
take a real pounding and to complicate matters the resulting
storm damage wasn’t typical either. Rather than being
concentrated in a small number of large areas, the bulk
of the damage was in pockets scattered across a wide
geographical spread.
One of the worst-hit areas was the hugely popular Tay
Forest Park in Perthshire. Here the damage was extensive
– not just with trees blocking trails but also through trees
leaning precariously on others, ready to fall at any time. The
priority in planning the subsequent clean-up was safety for
those carrying out the operation, any immediate neighbours,
and those planning to use the forest for enjoyment.
“The storms in December and January proved fairly
traumatic in certain forests – such as Allean on the
north side of Loch Tummel,” explained Charlie Taylor, the
Commission’s District Manager for the area.
“This is a key site within Tay Forest Park and the local
team had been working hard for two years on a programme
of enhancing the areas around the car park and walks. For
many regular visitors, it meant their favourite forest was
suddenly out of bounds.
“The first task was to quickly assess the extent of the
damage and identify risks from damaged trees to transport
routes, public access and neighbouring properties. This
resulted in a host of tasks from closing off access to the
forest, organising contractors to deal with any immediate
risks to the public on the margins of the forest and bringing
in specialist arboricultural teams to deal with the most tricky
and hazardous situations.
“Once the immediate dangers had been dealt with, the
local team then set to work on the major task of clearing
the fallen timber, making the site safe and reinstating basic
access to the forest. This required our contract teams to
switch locations to focus on the damaged areas and for
our timber customers to be made aware of the changes
we were making to their supply chain. In Allean this work
was complicated by the need to shut down a powerline for
a period – a tricky task, given that this line also serves the
local community.
“With the windblown trees cleared, we were fully able to
assess the damage to our trails and get contracts organised
to reinstate them. This is skilled and time-consuming work
and meant that it took until the end of July, before the local
forester was satisfied that the main trails were back up to
standard and could be re-opened and promoted again
on our website. We now need a helping hand from nature
for the vegetation to recolonise the edge of the trails and,
hopefully, by the end of next season no-one will realise what
took place in the winter of 2011/12.
“During this period, other work had to be delayed and it
takes many months to get all our planned programmes back
on track. The good news is that storms of this magnitude
don’t happen very often – there hasn’t been one on this
scale affecting Allean Forest in living memory. We often get
small-scale damage from regular winter storms and have
got used to taking these in our stride – that experience
also helps keep us prepared for dealing with the, thankfully,
infrequent big ones.
“They say that ‘Every cloud has a silver lining’ and that’s
the positive attitude being displayed in Tay Forest Park. Our
visitors now have some wonderful new views out from the
forest and we have the chance to enhance the structural and
species diversity to improve the amenity of the area for the
future.”
2
1
Schiehallion and Loch
Tummel framed by one
of the tall conifers that
can be enjoyed at
Allean in the Tay Forest
Park.
2
One of the trails leads
to the remains of an
8th-century Pictish
ring fort.
www.snh.gov.uk 57

Celebrating
communication
and conservation
2020VISION documented 20 flagship
habitat restoration projects in a groundbreaking
photographic project.
58 The Nature of Scotland

1
Black grouse seen
displaying by a forest
edge in spring.
www.snh.gov.uk 59

2020VISION was the most ambitious nature photography
project ever staged in the UK. Mark Hamblin looks back on
two years of frantic activity by 20 noted wildlife photographers.
Just over two years ago Peter Cairns and I were
contemplating our next photographic venture.
Initially we struggled to come up with anything really
substantial; all we knew was that we wanted a
nationwide project – something of real substance,
something that had the potential to make a
difference to the way people perceived nature.
We noticed that a growing band of organisations, such as
the RSPB and the Wildlife Trusts, were beginning to take
a very ambitious approach to nature conservation. They
seemed to be reaching beyond designated nature reserves
and attempting to invigorate whole ecosystems.
It was this fresh way of thinking that ignited the
2020VISION project, a project driven by visual media but
one that became fundamentally about communicating the
value of a healthy, robust environment. Enthused by this
‘big picture’ approach, we had our subject and we swiftly
gathered like-minded photographers to help us document
this bold method.
What made 2020VISION unique is that for the first time
20 of the UK’s top nature photographers joined forces with
a single mission to make the most compelling case possible
for repairing and re-connecting our fragmented habitats – to
rebuild our natural home.
In November 2010 we set to work on documenting 20
flagship habitat restoration projects and we gave ourselves
20 months to get the job done.
In Scotland we travelled to the far north of Shetland in
search of killer whales; waited patiently by peaty pools in
the Flow Country for red-throated divers; dived underwater
in the aquamarine waters of the Outer Hebrides for basking
sharks; endured ferocious midges in the Caledonian
pinewoods; camped on windswept moors for the dawn
chorus of black grouse; and scaled the highest tops of
the Cairngorms in search of ptarmigan, mountain hare and
dotterel. And that’s just a flavour of what we did – there was
much more besides.
What we gradually witnessed was a heroic effort – not by
our team, but by the people out there doing the big nature
repair jobs on our behalf. We saw ambition and dedication
and there was remarkable variety too. Some projects stretch
over hundreds of square kilometres of wild country, others
are in the heart of our busy cities, some will take decades to
complete, whilst a few will even take centuries.
2020VISION is merely a witness to all of these
gargantuan efforts and it’s the fruits of those efforts, many
still be fully realised, that 2020VISION celebrates.
By July this year we had amassed a huge collection of
images. It was then that our hard work really began as we
sifted through the 20,000 pictures for the 2020VISION book
and a touring exhibition that had its first outing in Edinburgh
earlier in the summer. These are the tools we hope will
captivate and enthuse as we tell this wonderful story.
The exhibition will also be hosted in the Cairngorms
National Park. Indeed it plays a key visual role and forms a
very public part of a wider set of resources generated by
the 2020VISION project to engage with a wide mainstream
audience.
Our big challenge now is to use the great breadth of
material we have captured to communicate that nature is not
just for wildlife; it’s fundamental to each and every one of us.
And that it is in all of our interests to help keep our natural
home in good health.
Two years ago we deliberated at length on what our next
project should be; we hope that, in picking a project to help
people appreciate the value of our environment, we chose well.
If this article has whetted your appetite don’t forget
that you can see much more stunning imagery from
the 2020VISION collection by visiting the website at
www.2020v.org. There is also a beautiful hardback coffeetable
book to accompany the project, crammed with superb
habitat and species images.
2
60 The Nature of Scotland

3
More than just a peat bog
We have begun to realise that healthy peat bogs, in all their wild wetness, are much more useful than
you might imagine. Yes, they are wild places full of wildlife, but they are also valuable allies in our
efforts to combat climate change. Metre for metre, peatlands and bogs store more carbon than tropical
rainforests – not to mention their ability to purify our water.
So it makes complete sense to repair those that have been damaged in the past and in many
places people are coming together to do exactly that. Drains are being blocked, water levels raised,
alien trees removed, peat extraction halted and bog mosses reintroduced. Bogs and peatlands are
coming back to life.
Of all the unique species associated with Scotland’s remote bogs few are as symbolic as the redthroated
diver, its haunting call a melancholic soundtrack to the wild north and a reminder, that this
watery wilderness is home to some of the rarest and most charismatic birds in Scotland.
Peat bogs in numbers
4,000 square kilometres: The area covered by Scotland’s Flow Country, Europe’s biggest
blanket bog.
1mm: The depth by which peat ‘grows’ each year.
2,200 hectares: The area of drained bog being restored at RSPB Forsinard Flows through
blocking drains.
2
Bog pools and blanket
bog at the Flows
National Nature
Reserve, Forsinard.
3
Red-throated diver
on breeding loch,
Caithness.
www.snh.gov.uk 61

4
More than just a forest
In the natural course of things, much of the UK would be cloaked in trees, from coasts to
mountainsides, but over the centuries, our woodland cover has dwindled and is now amongst the
lowest of any European country. But something is stirring in the UK’s forests.
The trees are ‘on the march’ and it couldn’t be more timely. Trees trap carbon dioxide – a key
greenhouse gas – so they can help us to slow down climate change. Forests are an outdoor
playground, a green gym and a place of refuge. Forests can provide us with heating fuel, construction
materials and food.
But never mind the money. What price the red squirrel, peeking at you from an ancient pine, or the
family of badgers, rooting in an oakwood? The pine woodlands of the north represent the red squirrel’s
primary UK stronghold and as the pressures on them increase from disease and competition from their
grey cousins, a healthy forest becomes all the more essential. Across the UK, ancient forests are being
brought back to life and new forests are taking root. The trees are indeed on the march.
Forests in numbers
1 million: The number of native trees planted in the Highlands by Scottish charity Trees for Life.
1 in 5: The number of Scots who regularly collect berries, fungi, moss and foliage from the forest.
13%: The area of the UK which is forested, compared with a European average of 44%.
4
Red squirrels have
become one of our
favourite wildlife
celebrities and are the
subject of major
conservation.
62 The Nature of Scotland

More than just some hills
The very idea of ‘mountains’ looms large in our minds, firing our imaginations; they are the very essence
of ‘wildness’ and even though you may never climb a single one (although you really should), it’s good
just to know they are there.
Although often distant the impact of hills is far-reaching. Most of our major rivers begin their journey
in the hills and that very movement of water from high ground to low ground is something that affects
us all. Mountains catch, hold, filter and release enormous quantities of water, including the water with
which we drink and wash. Loosen the fragile mountain soils, for example by heavy grazing, and water
run-off is faster and dirtier with an increased risk of heavy flooding down below.
Tackling these complex upland issues can be tricky, but far-sighted groups of people up and down
the country are doing just that. Conservation groups, farmers, hillwalkers, landowners, mountaineers
and water companies are all investing time, energy and money in restoring our uplands. Their feet are
on the ground but they are thinking big and aiming high.
Hills in numbers
3,699 hectares: The area of the John Muir Trust Quinag Estate in Assynt.
100%: The projected percentage increase in native woodland on the Glenfeshie Estate as a result of
reducing grazing pressure by deer.
60%: The percentage of Scotland’s landmass that can be termed as hills or mountains.
5
The Cairngorms.
There are few places in
Scotland where the
upper limit of trees is
governed only by
natural forces such as
climate and soil quality.
In Glenfeshie attempts
are underway to
re-establish this
sub-alpine habitat and
its associated plant
communities.
‘In numbers’ facts are courtesy of the 2020Vision project.
5
www.snh.gov.uk 63

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66 The Nature of Scotland