10 The case for greater wild land protection

14 Examining the role of National Parks

22 Tales from the north face of Ben Nevis

JOHN MUIR TRUST

JOURNAL51 autumn 1 1

Love wild places? Then join us.Glorious vistas, fresh air, freedom and well-being in the greatoutdoors – the John Muir Trust is about all of these things andmore. For us and our members, wildness is essential. Thatuplifting feeling you get in the natural world, close to wildlife,absorbing distant horizons. That’s why we work to protect and enhance wild places for us and for future generations.

If you’d like to join us, call 0131 554 0114 or email membership@jmt.org

CONTENTS 03

R E G U L A R S

04 Foreword from the Chairman

06 News round-up

21 TestimonialBen Nevis Distillery – the spirit of a wild place

32 Classic textsIsland Years, Island Farm, Frank Fraser Darling

33 Book reviewsA Dip in the Ocean – Rowing Solo across the Indian, Sarah Outen; My First Summer in the Sierra, John Muir, 100th Anniversary IllustratedEdition. Photographs by Scot Miller; It’s a Fine Day for the Hill, Adam Watson

34 Our properties: Glenlude, Scottish BordersIntroducing the John Muir Trust’s latest property

F E AT U R E S

10 Time to actThe John Muir Trust believes there is a strong case for improving statutoryprotection of wild land across the UK– with time of the essence

1 4 What next for our National Parks?A look back at the creation of the National Park system in England and Wales and some of the threats these special areas face today

1 8 Covering tracksCelebrating the successful restoration of a major hill track on the Mar Lodge Estate in the Cairngorms

22 Tales from the topTall tales from a high-altitude day on Ben Nevis as part of the countdown to the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games

24 Working with National ParksThe John Muir Award’s links with a variety of National Parks provide an important UK-wide presence

26 Walk the lineThoughts from a mammoth walk along Scotland’s watershed

J O U R NA L 5 1 , AU T U M N 1 1Editor: Richard Roweemail: journal@jmt.org

Managing Editor: Susan Wright email: susan.wright@jmt.org

Design and production: Various Creativeemail: ask@various.uk.comThis Journal is printed on Revive 100 Uncoatedstock, a recycled grade paper containing 100%post-consumer waste and manufactured at a mill accredited with ISO 14001 environmentalmanagement standard. The pulp used in thisproduct is bleached using an Elemental ChlorineFree (ECF) process. We use a Scottish printer,Thomson Colour, who have excellent environmentalcredentials, achieving environmental standardISO 4001 in 2006 and the FSC and PEFCstandards in 2006. If you would rather receive your publicationsfrom the John Muir Trust electronically, pleaseemail membership@jmt.orgThe John Muir Trust is a Scottish charitablecompany limited by guarantee. Registered office:Tower House, Station Road, Pitlochry PH16 5ANCharity No. SC002061Company No. SC081620

P I T L O C H RY O F F I C EJohn Muir Trust Tower House, Station Road, Pitlochry PH16 5ANtelephone: 01796 470 080fax: 01796 473 514

L E I T H O F F I C EJohn Muir Trust 41 Commercial Street, Edinburgh EH6 6JD telephone: 0131 554 0114fax: 0131 555 2112

www.jmt.orginfo@jmt.org

Cover photographyFirst Light, Old Man of Storr, Isle of Skye © GLEN C CAMPBELL 2011 – LIGHTSTALKERS SCOTLAND

Inside front cover photographyBeinn na Caillich, one of the Red Cuillin on Skye© SHIRLEY GRANT WWW.SHIRLEYGRANT.CO.UK

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FOREWORD04 Continuing our focus on preserving wild land

JOHN MUIR TRUST JOURNALAUTUMN 2011

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From the ChairmanJohn Hutchison introduces an issue of the Journal that does much to reinforce the John Muir Trust’s focus on highlighting the value of wild land and wild places

Welcome to the Autumn 2011 edition of the Journal, as we again celebrate ourwork and the beautiful landscapes heldin guardianship for the future. That land,plus our members and staff, are our mostprecious assets. I hope you will agree thatthis Journal transmits our enthusiasm to‘educate, conserve and inspire’.

As a Lochaber resident, I’m pleased tosee the testimonial from the local BenNevis Distillery, where Manager ColinRoss has been an enthusiastic supporterof our work for some time. We deeplyappreciate and are greatly encouraged by such support from our corporatemembers.

In this issue, our educational theme runs through book reviews such as Frank Fraser Darling’s Island Years,Island Farm (see page 32) and Muir’sown My First Summer in the Sierra(p33), both veritable classics. I hope that Ribbon of Wildness, Peter Wright’sbook about his epic watershed walkthrough Scotland, will become a classic,too. The interview with Peter (p26)provides an engaging segue from NicBullivant’s article in the last Journalwhich recounted a wild walk from Glen Clova to Beinn Alligin – pretty well reversing the route of one of my own TGO Challenges from a few years ago.

Another character-forming walk for me was my ‘First Class Journey’ while in the Scouts in the early 1960s, with the50-mile route finishing via Glenlude inthe Scottish Borders. For this reason, the Glenlude estate which is now in our portfolio has a special resonance and John Thomas’s article (p34) takes me back to those days when I tentativelyventured further afield from Edinburgh.

Our Chief Executive, Stuart Brooks,explores the need for a wild landdesignation and the role it can play inrestoring, maintaining and preservingoutstanding parts of our landscape. We will continue to take a strong lead in this, working with governments,natural heritage and environmentalprotection agencies and other NGOsthroughout the UK.

One of these NGOs – the National Trustfor Scotland – features in Shaila Rao’sarticle on the often intricate ecologicalwork involved in the restoration of theBeinn a’ Bhùird hill track on the MarLodge Estate (p18). While this is locateddeep in the Cairngorms National Park,we can read too in Rob Bushby’s accounthow our work with the John Muir Awardcontinues to forge strong links with otherNational Parks around the UK (p24).

Elsewhere (p14), Ruth Chambers fromthe Campaign for National Parks exploresthe question of whether National Parksin England and Wales are ‘working’ andto what extent they are achieving theiraims. At the time of writing, I am involvedwith a group that is assessing the needfor more integrated management ofGlencoe and Nevis, so this analysis is particularly useful for me.

Talk of Nevis leads me to one of the mostinspiring days I have had on the hill forsome time when I joined 25 others to beenthralled by climber Dave MacLeod’sguided exploration of the north face ofBen Nevis. An event that was part of aUK-wide series of celebrations marking‘One Year to Go’ to the London 2012Olympic and Paralympic Games, the daywas blessed with excellent weather as welearned first-hand of Dave’s mental andphysical approach to his craft (see p22).

Whether a member, supporter or staff in the John Muir Trust, I hope that youenjoy this Journal as a celebration of our work and the landscapes in our care.Please come back to us with comments,ideas and opinions or simply to let usknow what you would like to see infuture editions.

John Hutchison chairmanjohn muir trust

Wild ridge (opposite): Striding Edgein the Lake District National Park;the north face of Ben Nevis (right)

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NEWS06 JOHN MUIR TRUST JOURNALAUTUMN 2011

WILDLIFE AWARD FOR ARGYLLBEAVERS

The Scottish Beaver Trial in Knapdale,Argyll has won the prestigious LonelyPlanet Wildlife Comeback Award. Theaward celebrates the trial as a must-see tourist destination over the last 12 months and recognises the site’sgrowing popularity.“We’re absolutely delighted to havereceived this award as only 24 weregiven across the whole world,”commented Simon Jones, ScottishBeaver Trial Project Manager. “This is a huge accolade and fantasticrecognition for the project and for the local area.”

The first beaver families were releasedin May 2009 as part of a five-year trialreintroduction and are now settled intheir new home in Knapdale. The trial, a partnership project between the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland, the Scottish Wildlife Trust and hostpartner Forestry Commission Scotland,aims to determine how beavers willprosper in Scottish habitats and toassess their impact on the currentScottish environment. The independent scientific monitoring of the beavers is being undertaken byScottish Natural Heritage, and it is theirfinal report at the trial’s conclusion thatwill help to decide the long-term futurefor beavers in Scotland. Beavers are native to the UK and wereonce a common sight before they werehunted to extinction by man in the 16th century. Beavers are known as a ‘keystone’ species in that they bringmany benefits to wetland environmentsand improve habitats for a variety ofother species. More than 20 Europeancountries have already reintroducedbeavers back into the wild. “The beavers have been busy constructinglodges and building dams, as well asenjoying swimming in the lochs, all of which provide a great spectacle forthose visitors fortunate enough to catch a glimpse of these amazing creatures,”explained Jones. “We’re delighted thatthe Lonely Plant Awards will raise theprofile of the project and highlight theopportunity people have to explore abeaver landscape in a stunning part of Scotland.”> www.scottishbeavers.org.uk

WALK ON THE QUIET SIDE Visitors to Loch Ness can now explorethe less-travelled south side of thisfamous Scottish loch with greater ease, thanks to the opening of a new 45-kilometre trail taking in the best the area has to offer. The South Loch Ness Trail, which wasofficially launched in August, creates a continuous, managed track along thesouth side of the loch, offering an idealway primarily for walkers, as well as off-road cyclists and horse riders, toenjoy the surrounding landscape. Thetrail, which runs from Loch Tarff nearFort Augustus in the west to Torbreck on the outskirts of Inverness in the east,connects existing and upgraded trackswith new sections along the way. Alternately bordered by steep moorlandand dense pine forests, highlights of thetrail include the falls at Foyers (of RabbieBurns fame), the site of an Iron Age fortat Inverfarigaig and the finest survivingexample of a single span General Wadebridge dating from the 18th century.Trail users are guided by way markersand informed by interpretation panels tohelp them understand a local environmentthat is rich in flora and fauna (maybeincluding a certain mythical beastie).The opening of the trail is part of anambitious long-term tourism plan forthe area with the Destination Loch Nessorganisation working in partnership withother agencies to improve the visitorexperience in the area. Future plansinclude linking the trail to the Great Glen Way on the loch’s north side, while from spring 2012 visitors will also be able to take advantage of the new Great Glen Canoe Trail from Fort William to Inverness.> www.visitlochness.com

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The Knapdale beavers continue todraw wildlife tourists to the area

On the South Loch Ness Trail, near Fort Augustus

NEWS 07

FUNDING COMMUNITYCONSERVATION

Solar panels on the Isle of Skye, a pony enclosure on the Knoydartpeninsula and a heritage trail in NorthLewis are among projects across theScottish Highlands and islands that have benefited from the John Muir Trust Conservation Fund. In all, tenprojects in Skye, Knoydart, Lewis, Harris and Sutherland have beenawarded grants totalling £15,000. “The purpose of the Conservation Fundis to support projects on our propertiesand partnership properties that willbenefit the local community and theenvironment,” explained Mike Daniels,the Trust’s Head of Land and Science.“We want to ensure that people living in remote communities are able to live sustainably among the spectacularlandscapes that we value. I’m reallylooking forward to seeing these projects progress.”Other projects to receive funding thisyear include work to restore peatlandson a croft at Drinan in Skye, and supportfor two crofters on the Sandwood Estatein Sutherland who aim to improvebiodiversity on their land. Elsewhere, the Knoydart Foundation has been awarded funding to help build

a new pony enclosure at Follach. Theponies are used as an environmentallyfriendly alternative to all-terrain vehiclesfor extracting deer carcasses on the7,000-hectare Knoydart Estate. “The ponies are an integral part of our deer management operation,enabling us to extract deer carcassesfrom some of the most remote parts of the peninsula, which adjoin the JohnMuir Trust land at Li & Coire Dhorrcail,”explained Jim Brown, the Foundation’shead stalker. “The new enclosure willhelp us maintain the deer population at a density that conserves the openrange habitat, while ensuring key areas of land are protected for nativewoodland regeneration.”The Conservation Fund allocates grants once a year to projects thatreflect the values and ethos of the John Muir Trust. It aims to helpindividuals, communities and groupsresiding on John Muir Trust land – orland managed in partnership with theTrust – to undertake environmental andassociated cultural activities consistentwith the Trust’s charitable objectives.

SAVE THE BBC WILDLIFE FUND The John Muir Trust has added its nameto other conservation bodies who haveall signed a letter calling for the BBC notto close its Wildlife Fund and to ensurethat the Fund continues to supportthreatened species and habitats at what is a particularly critical time for global biodiversity. Although less well-known than other BBC appeals such as Children inNeed, the Wildlife Fund is nonethelessextremely important. Since it wasestablished in 2007, the fund has raised nearly £3 million and supports 87 projects around the world. Many of these projects involve highlyendangered species such as theSumatran rhino, Siberian tiger andleatherback turtle. Closer to home, it has supported projects to help avariety of species, from water voles and sea eagles to stag beetles whichthrive in some of London’s wild places. The public petition to save the WildlifeFund can be found atwww.savebbcwildlifefund.net

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Ponies are an invaluable resource for extracting deer carcasses

NEWS08 JOHN MUIR TRUST JOURNALAUTUMN 2011

LOTTERY BOOST FOR SCOTTISH LANDSCAPES

The Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) hasearmarked first-round passes for grantstotalling £3.3m to protect two diverseScottish landscapes: the Lomond Hills in Fife and sections of the River Tay nearPerth. While funding is not guaranteed, a first-round pass means that moneyhas been set aside by the HeritageLottery Fund and is an indication ofpositive support. In the case of the Living LomondsLandscape Partnership, the project has been awarded a first-round pass of £1,800,400, including a developmentgrant of £90,600. The Living Lomondsfocuses on a 162km2 area of Fife coveringthe Lomond Hills and contrastingcommunities to the north and south of them, including Falkland – Scotland’sfirst conservation village – and historicmining communities such as Benarty. Led by Fife Coast and Countryside Trust, the scheme aims to reconnectpeople with the hills so that they canbetter understand and celebrate thebuilt and natural heritage that theyshare. Woodlands, dry-stone walls andhistoric pilgrim routes will be restoredand new all-access paths created.Volunteering, training and employmentopportunities will be created in heritageskills while a programme of activitieswill aim to provide a stronger connectionbetween people and the landscape.Meanwhile, the Tay Landscape Partnershiphas been awarded a first-round pass of £1,535,500 including a developmentgrant of £100,000. Led by Perth & KinrossCountryside Trust, the scheme covers an area of 200km2 and is designed toreconnect communities with the area’snatural and cultural heritage, as well as restore what remains.

A programme of reed-bed managementwill be introduced, remaining orchardsprotected and historic buildings conserved.Access to the Tay, as the main feature ofthe landscape, will be improved with newpath networks and other initiatives sothat people can reach the river. Manyvolunteers will be involved in carryingout the works, while community andschool events such as orchard festivals,talks and workshops will engage thepublic in the area’s landscape and history.The Landscape Partnership is designedto help conserve landscape through the forging of public and communitypartnerships. People work together,through many interlinked projects, to tackle the environmental needs oftheir local landscape, while celebrating,conserving and restoring the natural and built heritage of the area. Over the past six years, HLF has helped protect some of Scotland’s mosttreasured landscapes, from Orkney’sScapa Flow to the floodplains of theRiver Tweed, thanks to an investmenttotalling more than £8.5m. > www.hlf.org.uk

SWIMMING THE CORRYVRECKANThe notorious Gulf of Corryvreckan haswrecked ships and nearly drowned GeorgeOrwell, but Rohan Beyts, an Aberdeenshiresocial worker, has successfully swumacross this daunting strait to raisemoney for the John Muir Trust. A keen hillwalker and cyclist, Rohan, 56,from Ellon, is a Trustee of the John MuirTrust. She swam the 1,100-metre channelin 30 minutes, during a narrow windowof slack tide. At the time of writing, she had raised more than £1,300. Rohan was inspired to take on thechallenge after reading about it in a magazine. “I thought it would be an interesting thing to do,” she said. “I hardly slept thinking about the swim but it was better than I imagined. Youdon’t know what to expect because thesea can change so quickly. The conditionscouldn’t have been better but I still had some choppy waves coming over my head.”The Gulf of Corryvreckan, betweenScarba and Jura in the Inner Hebrides, is home to the third largest whirlpool inthe world. This phenomenon is createdby an underwater pinnacle that forcesthe fast-flowing water upwards towardsthe surface. As the tide flows fasterround one side of the pinnacle, it catches the upwelling and creates both whirlpools and turbulence.John Hutchison, Chairman of the John Muir Trust, said: “Rohan isincredibly fit and there was no doubt she could rise to the challenge. Everyyear I’m amazed by the physical featsthat people set themselves to help raise funds for the Trust.” For more on Rohan’s challenge, visithttp://rohanswim.blogspot.com

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Kinnoull Hill, near Perth

The Lomond Hills from Benarty

Rohan in mid swim

NEWS 09

STOP PRESSThe 2012 John Muir Trust AGM &Members’ Gathering will be held overthe weekend of 4-6 May at the LochLomond Outdoor Education Centre,Ardlui. The weekend will see an informal dinner and social on theevening of Friday, 4 May. Staff Reportsand the AGM will then be held on themorning of Saturday, 5 May, with anopportunity to join excursions in theafternoon. A BBQ will be provided in the evening and will be followed byeither a lecture or local music to end the day. Further excursions will beavailable on Sunday, 6 May.

DOUBLE YOUR MONEYFor the second year running, we areoffering the chance to double yourdonation to the John Muir Trust, throughthe Big Give Christmas Challenge 2011.To take advantage of this opportunity, all you have to do is donate through theBig Give website from 5-9 December.The double your money offer means that if you give £25 to support ourprotection of wild land, your donationwill actually be worth £50 to us. In 2010 the Big Give raised £13,000 forthe John Muir Trust thanks to generoussupport from members and supporters.This year we hope to raise £12,000 indonations that will then be doubled to £24,000. This year’s total will be used to extendthe Trust’s work to protect wild landthrough our activities in Scotland andthroughout the UK. If you can help, please make a diary note to go online at www.jmt.org/biggiveon 5 December. To ensure your donationcounts, please ensure you get online as soon as possible. A limited amount of funding is available each day and will be used up by others if we don’t get there first!For further information, please contactKate Barclay on 0131 554 0114,kate.barclay@jmt.orgPlease mark 5 December in your diariesnow – and spread the word to others whoalso want to protect wild land

WILDNESS KEY TO NATIONAL PARK PLANNING

The Cairngorms National Park Authority (CNPA) has set out a draft plan for controlling development withinthe park over the next five years –with wildness a key part of the overall thinking. The Cairngorms National Park is home to some of the best wild land inthe UK, including impressive mountainssuch as Ben Avon, the easternmost ofthe high Cairngorms, and Carn Dearg in the Monadliaths, which is under threat from a wind farm development. “Wildness is one of the reasons so many people love and enjoy cominghere,” said Hamish Trench, CNPAStrategic Land Use Director. “We needpeople to take part in our consultationsand share their ideas and suggestionson how we can build on the work alreadyunderway to make the National Park a better place to live, work and visit.

“The responses we receive to the draftNational Park Plan will help us shapethe priorities for the future managementof the National Park.”Wildness is one of the main priorities in the draft National Park Plan. TheAuthority’s target is for a 10% increasein the area characterised as ‘high ormedium wildness’ by 2017. However, the Park Authority says that achievingthis target will be a challenge given thenumber of large-scale wind developmentsproposed around its boundary.The National Park Authority is alsoconsulting on its Cairngorms LocalDevelopment Plan Main Issues Report.The Local Development Plan willdetermine where and what kinds of development can take place in the Park.The consultation for both documentsbegan in September with a closing datefor submissions of 9 December. Copiesof both publications and details of how to respond can be downloaded atwww.cairngorms.co.uk

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Loch Etchachan, high in the Cairngorms

A typically wild Cairngorm view

CONSERVING10 The case for greater wild land protection

Time to actThe John Muir Trust believes there is a strong case for improving statutory protection of wild land across the UK– with time very much of the essence. Stuart Brooks explains

JOHN MUIR TRUST JOURNALAUTUMN 2011

The John Muir Trust’s call for betterstatutory protection of wild land is farfrom an isolated voice. A number ofdebates, policy and practical initiativesfor our protected areas network in theUK have created a supportive backdropto our ambitions. Here, I would like to explore some of the options andconnections that could see the UKaddress many of the inadequacies that have led to our failure to meetbiodiversity conservation targets as well as the despoiling of our natural, wild landscapes.

The UK has a long history of protectingits natural and cultural heritage, in partrecognising the moral imperative thatwildlife and landscapes have intrinsicvalue and should be cherished to pass on to future generations. Now, fresharguments for protecting nature for itsecological or ecosystem services, such as provision of clean air, food, water andregulation of our climate, are beginningto drive land use policies and influencethe debate on the future of our protectedareas network.

The cornerstone of modern protectedareas legislation in the UK was theNational Park and Access to theCountryside Act 1949. This laid thefoundations for designating places thatare special for wildlife (such as NationalNature Reserves and Sites of SpecialScientific Interest) and people (NationalParks and Areas of Outstanding NaturalBeauty). Subsequent legislation hasimproved first the protection and, morerecently, the management of wildlifesites. However, there has been no realrecognition of any physical or functionalconnection between these special places –and many have subsequently becomeisolated fragments of nature in anincreasingly hostile territory.

The Natura 2000 network – whichcomprises Special Areas of Conservationand Special Protection Areas acrossEurope – provides a higher level ofprotection and has encouraged activemanagement for habitats and species in the UK. The underpinning EuropeanDirective (Article 10) also recognises the idea of a network of sites to supportecological coherence1 although theambition was never truly realised in its implementation in the UK.

On the landscape front, in 1980, 40 areasof ‘outstanding scenic value in a nationalcontext’ in Scotland were designated as National Scenic Areas (NSAs). Alongwith the two National Parks, NSAsprovide the most effective means ofprotecting Scotland’s valued landscapes.However, just as with the nature-baseddesignations, the approach to selectionof the NSAs was to identify a representativesample of the best bits of scenery acrossScotland. In other words, they do notrepresent a comprehensive coverage ofall areas of the highest scenic quality.

One might think therefore that the UK isawash with designations and protectedareas, many of them overlapping, andthe last thing we need is any more. Somecertainly argue this point vigorously – butit is not just a numbers game. The realpoint is whether the current network ofprotected areas is adequate and effectiveat protecting our natural heritage and –of particular relevance to the John MuirTrust – whether our wild land resource is adequately protected by existingseparate designations conceived toprotect our landscape and biodiversity.

O U R VI S I O NIn 2010, the Trust published its newVision entitled ‘Our Essential Wildness’.In that document we made the case forimproving protection for wild land as themeans to protect the special qualities of‘wildness’ that we think are so importantto us and society as a whole. A keypurpose of our Vision is to encouragedecision-makers to recognise the issuesand take action. It is important that weset out in the clearest possible termswhat we think is the priority for protectionand the best way of doing that is to use ourWild Land map (see section opposite)showing where we think the best wildland is in the UK.

This is our starting point, so where do we want to end up? We have covered this before in previous Journal articles,but it is important to restate that our wildlandscapes, particularly in Scotland, arenow under increased pressure at anunprecedented rate and extent.

In its response to the John Muir Trustpetition2 to the Scottish Parliamentseeking ‘better protection for wild land’Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH)

accepted that something needed to bedone. It cited its own research showingthat areas in Scotland without visualinfluence decreased from 31% in January2008 to 28% in December 2009 (from abaseline of 41% in 2002). SNH suggeststhat the most significant contributor tothis decline is the development of windfarms, a consequence of their prominenceand extensive visibility and siting in rural locations with little or no previous development.

A more detailed study3 has beenundertaken of the Affric-Kintail-Knoydartarea, exploring historic trends in theextent of wild land by considering thevisual effect of roads, tracks, plantationforest and hydro-power schemes, andchanges in accessibility. This revealed a reduction in the area unaffected bythese features of around a third over the past 100 years, with the scale ofchange much greater in the second half of the 20th century.

Standing tall: autumn pine, Glen Derry, Cairngorms (above); the Trust’s Wild Land map (opposite)

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Just as the Government-commissionedLawton review 4 of wildlife sites has madethe case for a new approach for wildlifeconservation in England, we must nowraise the profile of landscape protection.Lawton points to the inadequacy of the sites system (i.e. Special Sites ofScientific interest) in England (the same arguments are relevant to the rest of the UK) and, in the context ofclimate change and declining ecologicalindicators, says that a failure to meetinternational obligations requires a ‘step-change in our approach to wildlifeconservation, from trying to hang on to what we have, to one of large-scalehabitat restoration and recreation,under-pinned by the re-establishment of ecological processes and ecosystemservices, for the benefits of both peopleand wildlife’.

Lawton concludes that there is a way forward, that it will take considerable time and resources to implement but that it must be done if England is to remain a ‘green and pleasant land’.

B E I N G B O L DMuch of Lawton’s arguments support the need to address wild land protection in a similarly bold fashion. Our Wild Land map is a starting point as it outlines where we think the most valuable resource is. This can be further refined but, fundamentally,it encompasses the most natural landscapesand wildlife areas – albeit influenced by centuries of human land use. I think this gets to the heart of the issue and teases out what it is exactly we are trying to ‘protect’. In one word, it is ‘wildness’ –where landscape and nature meet with minimal human influence.

Our analysis shows that the NSA systemonly covers a third of the best wild landareas in Scotland (see table above). To be pessimistic, one might conclude thatif nothing is done to bolster our systemsof landscape protection in Scotland andwe are reliant solely on NSAs and existingNational Parks we could, over time, losetwo-thirds of our existing best wild landresource.

It is true that wildlife is protected (mainlyby SSSI and Natura) in around 50% of thesame wild land area but we have foundthat under the current system – wherebya site is designated either for wildlife and associated habitat, or for sceniclandscape quality – places under threatfrom development cannot be defendedtaking into account both landscape and

TOP 10% WILDEST ALL STATUTORY NATIONAL PARK NSA NATURA 2000 SSSILAND IN UK DESIGNATIONS

SCOTLAND 49.6 6.6 33.6 20 23.1ENGLAND 97.1 90.1 7 24.3 2.5WALES 99.5 97.2 1.2 63.6 67.2UK 52 8.7 32 19.2 24.4

SOURCE: WILDLAND RESEARCH INSTITUTE, UNIVERSITY OF LEEDS

W I L D N E S S A N D W I L D L A N D I N T H E U N I T E D K I N G D O M

P E R C E N TAG E S O F B E S T W I L D L A N D A R E A S P R O T E C T E D BY S TAT U T O RY D E S I G NAT I O N S Section of the John Muir Trust

Wild Land Map showing areas ofcross-over with statutory landscapeprotection including National ScenicAreas and National Parks in Scotland.Details of the Wild land Map can befound atwww.jmt.org/assets/pdf/policy/wild%20land%20policy.pdf

THIS MAP IS PRODUCED FROM ORDNANCESURVEY MATERIAL WITH THE PERMISSION OF ORDNANCE SURVEY. JOHN MUIR TRUSTLICENSE NUMBER 100034628 2010. ANALYSISAND CARTOGRAPHY BY WILDLAND RESEARCHINSTITUTE, UNIVERSITY OF LEEDS

KEY

NATIONAL PARK

NATIONAL SCENIC AREA

UK WILDLAND QUALITY INDEX

VALUEHIGH

LOW

TOP 10% WILDEST LAND

> continued

wildness qualities if the development is not deemed to be detrimental to theparticular special feature or purpose of the designation.

So, while we might be in with a chance of defending some of the wildlife, ourlandscapes are highly exposed todevelopment.

We are also now battling against many developments just outside of our designated areas, most notably in the Monadhliath Mountains near theCairngorms National Park. I don’t thinkanyone could have envisaged the scale of these impacts and its effects on theintegrity of our National Parks and NSAs.

J O I N T P R O T E C T I O NWhere we can make a connection withthe Lawton work is to bring the conceptsof wildlife and landscape together. Afterall, wildlife lives in landscapes and someof our most charismatic and importantspecies and habitats such as goldeneagle, wild cat, red deer, blanket bogs,pine woods and mountains exist or are dependent on our wildest and least-developed areas.

Here, the concept of scale is paramount.Nature is more resilient (to climatechange, for instance) where it has roomto adapt and move and where naturalecological processes are allowed to prevailwith minimal human intervention. Assuch, the creation of large ecologicallyconnected areas and networks are nowbeing seen as a solution to conserve andrestore our native biodiversity – promotedby the Wildlife Trusts in their LivingLandscapes and RSPB in theirFuturescapes. Could this also be anopportunity for our wild landscapes?

However, neither the Wildlife Trusts norRSPB are necessarily arguing for newdesignations to enable them to delivertheir ambitions. They may well feel thattheir interests are already well served bythe existing protected areas network andother policy instruments and approachescan be used to good effect.

This may be true and, in many cases, it is as much a matter of will as legislation –more carrot than stick. This perspectiveis driven by an acceptance that our core areas for wildlife are alreadyprotected although focus now needs to be on making sure that these areas are physically or functionally connectedby wildlife corridors, stepping stones and a more permeable and wildlife-

friendly wider countryside. I don’t think it can be said that our landscapes areequally well served by the existingprotected landscape network. We are still at the stage where the core areas, the best areas, require further statutoryprotection in order to conserve theirspecial qualities.

E C O N O M I C A R G U M E N T S These arguments are not just about the aesthetics and the undoubtedcontribution wild land makes to society’swellbeing, there are also compellingeconomic arguments for protecting andpromoting our wild landscapes5. Ourlandscapes are of world renown and theyshould be seen as an accolade and thefoundation for supporting sustainableand economically resilient communities.

The International Union for theConservation of Nature (IUCN) in the UK is currently undertaking a project to map all the protected areas in the country6 and assign them to thevarious IUCN protected areas categories.It is surprising this does not exist alreadybut when the project is complete I think it will demonstrate some of theinadequacies that are already apparentas we struggle to defend some of our best areas of wild land. I also hope that it might provide an opportunity to reconsider how our protected areas in the UK might be simplified andbolstered and where core areas forwildlife might overlap with our bestlandscapes. In this way, we can establishan ecologically connected network thatcould be used to protect and promoteour wild land resource including itslandscape and wildlife components.

This might well be a longer termambition; it will certainly require vision, political will and, perhaps ofmore immediate concern, significantresources. There are perhaps other more modest steps that could beconsidered in the interim: creation ofmore National Parks and establishingbuffer zones around our existing ones,reviewing our National Scenic Areas and production of specific guidance to planners and developers to helpprotect our landscapes and the qualities of wildness (similar to therecent Cairngorms National Parksupplementary planning guidance on wildness7). Other routes to protectand enhance wild land throughguardianship by NGOs and local

communities such as the North HarrisTrust and Knoydart Foundation requireongoing support.

The status quo is not enough. Ourcurrent statutory systems are inadequateand we are losing the quality and extentof our wild land year after year. In theirresponse to our Scottish Parliamentpetition I think SNH managed to sum up this sentiment extremely well andthey therefore have the last word:

‘We would note, however, that given the intensity of current pressures, thetime available for existing approaches to prove their efficacy must be regardedas limited. If they are unable to do so,alternatives such as that advocated by the John Muir Trust would becomeessential. There is a history, in the fieldof environmental protection, of actingdecisively only when the resources inquestion are under extreme threat. Given the distinctiveness and rarity of Scotland’s wild land resource – in a western European, not purely a UK,context – we must surely avoid this trapand act before it is too late.’

References 1 www.bfn.de/fileadmin/MDB/documents/themen/natura2000/conclusions.pdf2 www.scottish.parliament.uk/s3/committees/petitions/petitionsubmissions/sub-11/11-PE1383D.pdf3 Carver, S and Wrightham, M. (2003)Assessment of historic trends in the extent ofwild land in Scotland: a pilot study. SNHCommissioned report no. 012.4 Lawton, J.H., Brotherton, P.N.M., Brown, V.K.,Elphick, C., Fitter, A.H., Forshaw, J., Haddow,R.W., Hilborne, S., Leafe, R.N., Mace, G.M.,Southgate, M.P., Sutherland, W.J., Tew, T.E.,Varley, J., & Wynne, G.R. (2010) Making Space forNature: a review of England’s wildlife sites andecological network. Report to Defrahttp://archive.defra.gov.uk/environment/biodiversity/documents/201009space-for-nature.pdf5 www.snh.gov.uk/docs/B304460.pdf6 IUCN Putting Nature on the Map www.iucn-uk.org/Portals/0//Putting%20nature%20on%20the%20map%20summary.pdf7 www.cairngorms.co.uk/resource/docs/boardpapers/22072011/CNPA.Paper.4440.Planning%20Committee.Paper.8.-..Appe.pdf

About the authorStuart Brooks is Chief Executive of the John Muir Trust. He can be contacted atstuart.brooks@jmt.org

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Land value (clockwise from top):Cairngorm panorama; Birling Gap,South Downs NP; fishing boat offSkye; lone walker enjoying the Lake District hills

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CONSERVING14 Examining the important role played by National Parks

Ruth Chambers from the Campaign for National Parks looksback at the creation of the National Park system in England andWales and highlights some of the threats these special areasface today

What next for ourNational Parks?

JOHN MUIR TRUST JOURNALAUTUMN 2011

The National Parks journey for England and Wales began in earnest in the 1930s. Much of the countryside was out of bounds as it lay within large estates jealously guarded by game-keepers and grouse moor beaters. But so great was people’s need for recreational escape from the pollutednorthern cities of Sheffield and Manchester that they joinedtogether in the now legendary Kinder Scout Mass Trespass in1932. It was a turning point in the campaign to secure greateraccess to the countryside and catapulted access rights onto the political agenda in spectacular fashion.

Later that decade and for much of the 1940s, attention turnedelsewhere as war broke out, but not long after hostilities endedthe campaigns for National Parks and access to our greenspaces were back on the agenda. With legislation in the bag in1949 (the National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act),most National Parks were designated in the 1950s with the twin purposes of conserving their natural environment andpromoting public enjoyment of it. The Broads joined the familyin 1989, the New Forest in 2005 and the South Downs in 2010.

PA R K S B O O S TIn England, the National Parks family was given a huge boost when the South Downs joined in 2010. This followed a long campaign that had its roots in the 1950s, as the SouthDowns had been the only area to have been cited in the 1947Hobhouse Report not to be designated as a National Park. TheSouth Downs Campaign, established in 1990, was instrumentalin winning the fight for National Park status, thanks largely tounstinting public support and national political commitment.The South Downs is an interesting addition to the family due to its long and linear shape, large population and high visitor numbers.

Today, Natural England is considering extending the LakeDistrict and Yorkshire Dales National Parks – a move that would complete unfinished business from the 1950s when Park boundaries were often drawn to reflect administrativeconvenience rather than landscape value. If this project issuccessful stunning landscapes such as the northern Howgillsand Mallerstang and the limestone wonders of the Orton Fellswill be included in the Yorkshire Dales National Park, while theLake District’s eastern borders will be boosted by the quietwonders of Borrowdale (Westmorland) and Bretherdale.

Disappointingly, the expansion of the Parks is opposed by localauthorities, despite the fact that the public (their electorate)overwhelmingly supports the extensions. We welcome the John Muir Trust’s support for this important campaign.

So where will our focus turn once the Lake District andYorkshire Dales expansions have been secured? In England,there is a sense that the National Park journey of designations is nearing completion. In Wales, some of us still hanker after a Cambrian Mountains National Park that would cover theupland beauty and wildness of the Elenydd. But the chances of securing political support for this seem slim at present. InScotland, there are many choices for extending the NationalPark family including an exciting opportunity to create the UK’s first marine and coastal National Park, which is onlypossible under Scottish legislation.

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Stretching the legs: cycling in the North York Moors NP (left);limestone pavement, Yorkshire Dales NP (opposite)

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P E O P L E P O W E ROur National Parks are part of aworldwide network of landscapes that, collectively, we have decidedshould be protected for current andfuture generations. But unlike manyother types of protected area, NationalParks in the UK have one crucialdifference – people.

People have helped to shape theNational Park landscapes that we know and love, and people continue tocare for them today, by farming, visiting,volunteering and campaigning. And it isclear that without people National Parkswould not exist in the way that we knowthem today; they are, after all, a humanconcept dating back to the late 1800swhen Yellowstone became the world’sfirst National Park.

But as well as being instrumental in their establishment and protection,people are, in some ways, the greatestthreat to National Parks. As ourpopulation and demand for naturalresources grow, so too will the pressureon our vital open spaces. As our livesbecome more stressful and we reject far-flung holidays because of carbonbudgeting and purse tightening, we turn increasingly to places like theNational Parks for solace and to satisfyour growing hunger for adventure,escape and tranquillity.

I believe that National Parks havedelivered on their founding aims. They remain large tracts of largelyundeveloped countryside with excellentpublic access – a glance at a map ofnight-time Britain shows the NationalParks as reservoirs of darkness, thankslargely to their protected status. Theyremain free to everyone and recognise the importance of attracting newaudiences. Society has changed greatlysince the 1950s and it is important thatthe National Parks reflect this.

It is our belief that people need NationalParks, but our National Parks also needpeople. In the short term, a major threatlies with their resourcing. National Parks,like many other areas of funding, have lostout in the UK Government’s programmeto reduce the deficit. The full impact of the cuts on Park budgets will not beknown for some time, but it seems thatrights of way, bus services and visitorfacilities could be hit the hardest.

A D D I T I O NA L T H R E AT S Some of the most obvious threats are the ones that we can see, includingdevelopment proposals of all kinds.National Parks enjoy the highest status of protection in relation to theirlandscape and scenic beauty, but that doesn’t prevent them from beingtargeted by developers of housing,energy and quarrying schemes. Forexample, a company called Sirius Mining is currently sinking eightexploratory boreholes into the NorthYork Moors National Park to determinethe extent of potash underground with a view to applying for a major newpotash mine.

And while national and local planningpolicies have succeeded in protecting the Parks, in England the government is consulting on a new national planningpolicy framework. Meanwhile, in Wales,the government is reviewing how planningis delivered in National Parks. There has always been a tension between the protection of nationally importantlandscapes, creation of local jobs and, in some cases, provision of nationallyimportant resources (for exampleminerals or space for military training).This tension is unlikely ever to resolveitself while the overall population andthe demands of society grow. So we must remain vigilant and ensure that the planning frameworks remain robustand that development is undertakensustainably within National Parks.

Of course, loss of vital local services and lack of affordable housing threatento undermine the communities that live and work within the National Parks –schools, buses, shops, garages and pubsare all at risk in this time of austerity.

However, perhaps the most seriousthreats to National Parks are the onesthat we can’t see. The changing climatewill have major implications for ourParks, their wildlife and the communitiesthat live within them. Meanwhile, ourcomplicated and volatile world meansthere are so many demands for people’stime and attention that there is a real risk that people will take National Parksfor granted and assume that theirprotection is guaranteed.

Governments invest in vote winners and National Parks must be seen as an essential part of society and not as a luxury if they are to enjoy continuedpublic and political support. This is why we have been working for the past11 years on Mosaic, a groundbreakingproject that helps individuals, groupsand communities to understand, gainaccess to and benefit from NationalParks. It focuses on those audiences who would not normally visit such places and provides them with theknowledge, tools and confidence toexplore these wonderful landscapes.

N O W M O R E T H A N E VE RWe strongly believe that the role ofNational Parks has never been more vital.They represent our finest landscapes andbring pleasure to the millions of peoplewho visit them every year, as well as amuch-needed escape from the stresses of everyday life. They are havens formany valuable species, harbour much of our cultural heritage and will make a major contribution to tackling climate change.

As such, National Parks are a vital part of many people’s lives, providingopportunities to escape, reflect and keephealthy. The designation has largelyworked but many challenges lie ahead. A healthy and sustainable future forNational Parks will depend on theinvolvement of us all.

About the authorRuth Chambers is Deputy Chief Executive at theCampaign for National Parks – an organisation nowin its 75th year that campaigns to inspire peopleto look after and enjoy our National Parks. For more details, visit www.cnp.org.uk

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Park life (clockwise from top): thenorthern Howgills; the 13 NationalParks across England and Wales;Bretherdale Farm, which could soonbe part of the Lake District NationalPark; walkers exploring the NorthYork Moors

The pioneering restoration of a major hill track on the Mar Lodge Estate in the Cairngorms demonstrates that suchdamage can be reversed over time. Shaila Rao explains

CONSERVING18 Restoring a oncescarred landscape

Coveringtracks

JOHN MUIR TRUST JOURNALAUTUMN 2011

The 4.6km Beinn a Bhuird hill track on the Mar Lodge Estate was bulldozed in 1963 for stalking and potential ski development and was a highly prominent scar in thelandscape of the Southern Cairngorms. Varying in width from three to six metres, the track extended from the foot of the mountain (680 metres) almost to the saddlebetween the north and south summits at 1,080 metres.

In 1997, with a view to enhancing the wild land quality of the estate and promoting theidea of the ‘long walk in’, the National Trust for Scotland embarked on a programme oftrack removal – with the Beinn a Bhuird track the first to be tackled. Restoring the trackwas to prove both pioneering and challenging in terms of the altitude, exposure andfragility of the montane plant communities.

Overall, the aim was to restore the track site to its original conditions, with the firststage being to recreate the original ground profile by relocating the large quantities of spoil from the track sides back into the line of the track. This was followed by thepainstaking transplanting of vegetation that had been lifted from the spoil heap priorto its relocation back into the re-profiled ground. To enable continued access for hillwalkers to the summit of Beinn a Bhuird, a footpath, clear of vegetation, was retainedwithin the line of the track.

Track transformation: there has beena marked change in vegetation coverbetween 2001 (top left) and 2010 (topright); working on the hill track inNovember 2000 (opposite top)

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The success of the track restorationwould ultimately be judged on thegrowth and survival of the transplantedvegetation and how closely this matchedthe surrounding vegetation. For thisreason it was important that sufficienttime, resources and attention to detailwere put into the transplant work. Toachieve the level of precision required,all work above 900 metres was carriedout by hand. Below this, a machine wasused to move material although much of the actual transplant work was stillperformed by hand.

With the Beinn a Bhuird track restoration regarded as very much a demonstration project in terms ofattempting to recreate original groundvegetation, a decision was made not tosow grass seed or introduce plants fromoutwith the local area to facilitate the re-vegetation process. Instead, workersrelied upon the vegetation that hadestablished itself on top of the spoilheap, supplemented by plants collectedfrom densely vegetated areas within 50 metres of the track.

Individual plugs of grasses weretransplanted by hand, as were small,plate-sized turfs of species such asheather and blaeberry. Using thismethod it became apparent that there was a shortage of vegetation

to transplant and that it would only bepossible to cover 20-30 per cent of thetrack. However, this level of cover wasaccepted with the expectation that overtime the vegetation would grow and reachthe level of cover of adjacent areas. Whatwas considered most important at thetime of the initial work was the need to‘blend’ the reconstructed track with theadjacent vegetation and surroundings.

M O N I T O R I N G S U C C E S SKey to gauging the success of the trackrestoration was the establishment of amonitoring programme to measurechanges in the transplanted vegetation.Since 1998, quadrats in the upper part of the track have been carefully studied,with the percentage cover of differentplant species recorded along with fixedpoint photographs of each quadrat andselected areas of the track.

The monitoring measured changes in the transplanted vegetation in threedistinct areas: control (an area of existing original vegetation just off thetrack); infill (vegetation transplanted into the track line that was filled in using the spoil heap); and spoil removed(vegetation transplanted into the areawhere the spoil heap was located).

Results show that the track restorationand re-vegetation have been successful on

two counts: the transplanted vegetationhas survived and maintained itself in termsof percentage cover; and the vegetationhas grown and expanded over the lastten years, although it does not yet matchthe control vegetation.

It is clear that at this altitude and with such high levels of exposure thegrowth of vegetation is very slow and itmay take many more years until the re-vegetated areas match the control areas.In the transplanted areas the amount of moss colonising into bare stonyground outweighs that found in thecontrol quadrats. Colonisation by mosses is usually the precursor tovegetation establishment so this suggests that continued expansion of the transplanted vegetation is likely.

Looking at the different species groupswithin the transplanted vegetation, thegrasses, sedges and rushes are the onlyspecies that have grown to match and infact exceed the coverage of the vegetationin the control quadrats. This is no realsurprise: grasses, sedges and rushes arebetter colonisers at high altitude thansub-shrub species such as heather,blaeberry and cowberry. We anticipatethat it will take more time for the sub-

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shrub species to develop and competewith the grasses, sedges and rushes.

It is also likely that there is more seedsource available locally for some grass,sedge and rush species, such as thelocally dominant three-leaved rush, than there is for the sub-shrub species.Similar results have been found on theother side of the Cairngorms where high-altitude, unseeded bulldozed ground wascolonised first by mosses and grasses,sedges and rushes and, even after 25years, the development of the sub-shrubcommunity remains limited.

The data clearly illustrates the changes in the transplanted vegetation since 1998but the results are seen most strikinglythrough fixed point photographs (as isclear from the photographs on page 18).

Interestingly, the vegetation in the controltreatment has also grown and expandedover the last ten years and it is not clearwhy this may have occurred. This trendsuggests that there may be some externalfactor at play that is influencing both theexisting vegetation and the transplantedvegetation. There are a number ofpossible reasons, including reducedgrazing levels and climate change.

The National Trust for Scotland knewthat the Beinn a Bhuird track restorationwas always going to be a long-term projectin light of the slow growth and extremeconditions when working at altitude.However, more than ten years on, it hasdemonstrated that track restoration

is possible at high altitudes and with use of only local materials. The work to restore the track was neither quick nor cheap but most people would agree that the track removal has improved thelandscape in the southern Cairngormsand enhanced the wild land experienceto be had on Mar lodge Estate. Ongoingmonitoring of the site will reveal whetherthe re-vegetated areas continue to growand ultimately match the control areas of existing vegetation.

Similar work has since been performedelsewhere, with further tracks restored inGlen Dee, Glen Derry and Glen Luibeg.This work has not been as technicallychallenging as the Beinn a Bhuird track,but we hope that visitors have reaped the same benefits in terms of landscapeand wild land experience.

About the authorShaila Rao works as an ecologist for the NationalTrust for Scotland at Mar Lodge Estate. She hasspent many years working in ecology in theHighlands and is also a keen hillwalker,photographer and naturalist.Further info For more on Mar Lodge Estate, visitwww.marlodgeestate.org.uk

Clear as day: the Beinn a Bhuird hilltrack seen from Avalanche Gully in2001

Ben Nevis Distillery –the spirit of a wild place

G O L D C O R P O R AT E M E M B E R SAnatom® Berghaus Dandy Collective Highlander (Scotland Ltd) Mountain Equipment Tiso Wilderness Scotland

S I LVE R C O R P O R AT E M E M B E R SBen Nevis Distillery HF Holidays Macfarlane Pharmacies Radical Travel Group The Ski and Snowboard School

B R O N Z E C O R P O R AT E M E M B E R SAlpine Exploratory Dewar’s World of Whisky Edinburgh Mountain Film Festival Four Seasons Hotel, Loch Earn George Hotel, Edinburgh Kings Manor Hotel, Edinburgh Northshots RSP Consulting Engineers LLPThe Watermill, Aberfeldy Webducate

S U P P O RT E R SAspect Capital Ltd BP Employee Matching Fund Corrour Estate Image Scotland LtdNorthern Light Profitmaster Systems LtdSerco

We value the contribution of the growing number ofcompanies that support the Trust through membership,donations, promotional initiatives and in-kind support. If your business would like to help our business of protectingwild land and wild places, please contact Fiona Mackintosh on 0131 554 0114 or email recruit@jmt.org

The John Muir Trust would like to thank the Ben NevisDistillery and all our Corporate Members and Supporters, as well as those other companies who provide support such as payroll giving schemes

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testimonial 21

The UK’s highest mountain and Ben Nevis Distillery, which stands in its shadow, areintrinsically linked. The mountain not only provides an impressive backdrop to the traditionalScottish craft of distilling whisky but also the key ingredients that give it its provenance

The importance of this relationship is reinforced through the Distillery’s membership of the John Muir Trust. As a silvercorporate member since 2008, Ben Nevis Distillery has helpedto look after this inspiring mountain and is the key sponsor ofthe ‘Spirit of the Wild Places’ lecture at the John Muir Trust’sAGM & Members’ Gathering.

“Ben Nevis Distillery recognises the important work that theTrust performs as one of the guardians of Ben Nevis,” says ColinRoss, Managing Director, Ben Nevis Distillery. “We are thereforedelighted to be able to provide our support through our corporatemembership and sponsorship and hope that we can continueto develop and build on this relationship for the future.”

Incorporated within the Distillery is a visitor centre, which is built into the former bottling hall, and an old warehousedating from 1862. Visitors to the centre will encounter themythical giant Hector McDram who reveals the Legend of the‘Dew of Ben Nevis’ in a specially commissioned audio-visualpresentation. The centre also offers home cooking in its coffee shop and restaurant.

For further information on Ben Nevis Distillery and its range of whisky, visit www.bennevisdistillery.com

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INSPIRING22 An inspiring day on theUK’s highest mountain

Tales fromthe top Ben Nevis and local climber Dave MacLeod were the stars ofthe show during a high-altitude day on the mountain as part ofthe countdown to the London 2012 Olympic and ParalympicGames. Rob Bushby joined the audience of eager participants

JOHN MUIR TRUST JOURNALAUTUMN 2011

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Traditional rock and ice climbing are unlikely to becomeOlympic sports any time soon, but if they were included in the London 2012 Olympics, Ben Nevis would offer a world-classvenue and Scotland’s Dave MacLeod would be a gold medalcontender. One sunny July weekend, these two elements werebrought together by the John Muir Trust as part of a range ofcelebrations marking ‘One Year to Go’ to the London Olympicand Paralympic Games.

Of the 1,200 events held across the UK, this was not only thehighest, but quite possibly the most dramatically located. Some26 members of the public – joining more than a million otherson Open Weekend events – headed up the Allt a’ Mhuillin path,past the Charles Inglis Clark hut to a height of 1,000m. Theimposing corries and buttresses on the northern flanks of theBen provided the ideal setting for the special theme of thiswalk: to explore the Ben’s climbing history, from the earliestVictorian ascents to Dave’s own triumph on Echo Wall in2008 – a route widely considered the hardest traditional rock climb in the world.

The Trust invited Dave MacLeod to lead the event not only due to his intimate knowledge of its crags, but also because ofhis appreciation of the Ben’s cultural heritage, natural aestheticsand place in mountaineering lore. In one week in 2010, Daveand Andy Turner repeated the six first winter ascents made onconsecutive days in 1960 by Jimmy Marshall and Robin Smith,including the mini Alpine-route, Orion Face Direct.

The unique aspect of a guided walk in the company of aclimbing superstar wasn’t lost on those attending. “It was anunmissable opportunity for non-climbers to see the Ben’s northface close up, and to hear from the expert how he goes abouthis extraordinary business,” commented Duncan MacPhee,Director of Lochaber Sports Association.

Dave himself reflected that of all his many talks about his Echo Wall ‘project’, this was the first he’d given directly beneath

the wall itself. Some of the attendees wereclimbers themselves andso the chance to spendtime in Dave’s companyon a mountain where hehas forged much of hisclimbing reputation wasa particularly enjoyableexperience.

“As a climber it was an honour to have a chance to chat to Dave, with the culmination of the day sitting in the shadow of Echo Wall listening to him speaking of the climb itself and other past adventures,” said Robert Wall.

“The day was captivating and inspiring because not only did we hear some great stories about the Ben, but at the same timewe got to gaze at the walls and gullies where the adventuresunfolded,” added Douglas Rankin.

Attendees were also able to learn more about the John MuirTrust and the challenges around managing a high-profile estate like Nevis. The day fitted well with the Trust’s belief that wild places are among the country’s finest assets andshould be celebrated. As part of the Cultural Olympiad, wewere able to promote one of our most dramatic and culturallyrich mountain landscapes to a new audience.

And as a local mountain athlete who exemplifies Olympianvalues of peak performance, pushing boundaries andexhilarating achievements, Dave MacLeod was the idealcandidate to place at the heart of such a celebration.

About the author Rob Bushby is John Muir Award Manager at the John Muir Trust. He can be contacted atrob@johnmuiraward.orgFurther info Open Weekend is supported by BP as part of the London 2012 Cultural Olympiad. Spread over four years, the Olympiad is designed to giveeveryone in the UK a chance to be part of London2012 and inspire creativity and involvement in art,film, literature, music, theatre and the outdoors.This particular event was commissioned byDiscovering Places, a UK-wide campaign to inspire people to discover, explore and be inspired by the buildings, public spaces and natural places where they live and work. For more details, visit www.london2012.com/get-involved/cultural-olympiad

Heading home (clockwise fromleft): participants on the returnwalk; Dave MacLeod in full flow;gazing up at the Ben’s north face

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INSPIRING24 Forging links with National Parksaround the country

Working with National ParksThe John Muir Award’s links with a variety of National Parks give it an important UK-wide presence, writes Rob Bushby

JOHN MUIR TRUST JOURNALAUTUMN 2011

With John Muir considered a ‘founding father’ of the NationalParks movement, it is not surprising that there is much commonground (pun alert) between National Parks and the John MuirTrust. In 1947, Sir Arthur Hobhouse, Chair of the Committee on National Parks, outlined their essential requirements as‘great natural beauty, a high value for open air recreation, andsubstantial continuous extent’, which echoes the Trust’s currentwild land mapping criteria. They should also, he added, ‘besuch that at least one of them is quickly accessible from each of the main centres of population’.

To help promote the public’s understanding and enjoyment ofNational Parks – one of their key statutory purposes – many Parksaround the UK now work closely with the John Muir Award.

Orlando Rutter, Dartmoor National Park’s Senior Learning and Outreach Officer, recently ran a programme for eight family groups that included walking, climbing, sketching,poetry, snorkel-litter picking in the River Dart and repairing fire pits. The programme was established so that the range of activities would meet the four Challenges – Discover a wildplace, Explore it, Conserve it, Share your experiences – that are at the heart of the Award.

“The John Muir Award provides a really easy-to-use frameworkto deepen people’s relationship with National Parks, their specialqualities and their conservation for the future,” says Orlando. “It provides the National Park Authority with a way ofdeveloping appreciation and empathy for Dartmoor.”

Elsewhere, our working partnerships with a variety of NationalParks are now well established. The Award’s presence in Cumbria,for example, has received backing since 2002, with the LakeDistrict National Park now hosting our Regional Manager aspart of its learning service. Meanwhile, one of the first decisionsof the Cairngorms National Park Board in 2003 was to appoint a dedicated John Muir Award Manager – a role now integratedinto a permanent Outdoor Learning Officer post.

In all, 12 of the UK’s 15 National Parks now make regular use of the John Muir Award. Some, such as Loch Lomond & TheTrossachs National Park, have a network of rangers, teachersand youth workers who use the Award locally. Others, such as the Peak District National Park, have a ‘champion’ at seniorlevel who helps to co-ordinate and ‘cascade’ activity across staff teams and beyond. Such activity contributes to a vibrantmix of John Muir-branded engagement across a spectrum of wild places and audiences.

In these financially straitened times, the Award is seen as acost-effective means of meeting Park aims and an effectivecatalyst for linking activity with local initiatives and governmentobjectives. As Pete Crane, Senior Visitor Services Officer at theCairngorms National Park Authority, points out, it is estimatedthat “one full-time member of staff promoting and supportingthe Award within and around the Park produces outcomessimilar to four members of staff on the ground”.

Additionally, the Award helps to recognise achievement andpromote progression in National Citizen Service projects and is also seen as a way of helping involve those who don’t usuallyventure into National Parks. A Scottish Natural Heritage reportinto ‘Barriers to Engagement’ noted that ‘amongst the strongest

feedback from external partners was the value of the Park Authorities in providing well structured and packagedexperiences for those seeking to engage in the Parks. The use of developed packages or existing award schemes such as John Muir Award or Duke of Edinburgh Award provides a more structured basis upon which to build engagement’.

Most importantly, putting all the infrastructure, boundaries andterminology to one side, we are left with thousands of valuableexperiences that reflect Muir’s ethos – a sense captured by ayoung homeless woman who recently spent three days in TheTrossachs as part of Quarriers’ ‘What if …!’ project: “The airactually feels clean. It’s great to get a chance to be away from all the noise and hassle back home. I wish I could stay hereforever, it’s amazing!”

About the author Rob Bushby is John Muir Award Manager at the John Muir Trust. He can be contacted at rob@johnmuiraward.org

Digging deep: Award participantswork with Fix the Fells in the LakeDistrict National Park

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INSPIRING26 A magical walk alongScotland’s watershed

Walk the linePeter Wright talks to Rory Syme about his passion forScotland’s watershed and how he aims to protect itsmeandering line

JOHN MUIR TRUST JOURNALAUTUMN 2011

“I defy anyone to draw any other line on the map of Scotland, certainly anythinglike 1,200km in length, that consistentlyincorporates such wildness.” So saysauthor Peter Wright, describing Scotland’swatershed – the long divide that separatesthe catchments of the Atlantic Ocean and the North Sea.

It would be foolhardy to take up thechallenge. The watershed is a physicalmetaphor for wildness. The meanderingline it describes includes 44 Munros and 24 Corbetts, both of Scotland’sNational Parks and comes within at least 500 metres of 87 other designated features.

When Wright went looking for a majorproject, he fell back on his love ofgeography, one of the few subjects heenjoyed during a school career that endedat 14. Unable to find a detailed referenceof the Scottish watershed within theRoyal Geographic Society, or its Scottishequivalent, he pored over maps in orderto chart his own path, before spending 64 days walking the route in 2005. He’s happy that Ribbon of Wildness, his subsequent book about the walk, has been given a positive review in thejournal of the Royal Scottish GeographicalSociety, which he sees as accreditation of his line.

It was while walking the line that hebecame aware of the wildness that thewatershed embodies. “I suppose thepoint at which it became most evidentwas when I was crossing the CentralBelt,” he explains. “A lot of keen walkerswould scoff at the idea of walking acrossthe Central Belt. However, I found that I was making my way from one piece ofhigher ground to the next, where therehad been little agricultural activity andwhere even in the areas of industrialblight, nature was reclaiming its own.

“I became more and more conscious of this wildness business, and the greatthing for me about the word wildness is that it’s relative. When I did theresearch, I discovered all of thesedesignated areas – every conceivable kind of protection and designation isthere and in disproportionate quantity so that something like 30 per cent of the watershed is protected.”

The watershed takes in a startlingnumber of protected sites, 89 in total.Starting on Kielderhead Moors whichstraddle the border and finishing atDuncansby Head in Caithness the list of important areas for landscape andbiodiversity includes Ben More Assynt,Forsinard, Glen Barrisdale, the Carrifranvalley and Rannoch Moor.

Dipping down: Loch Maree from Glen Docherty

A TASTE OF THE WATERSHED(SOUTH AND CENTRAL)

The Reiver March – EttrickHorseshoeThe Moffat Hills are among the finest of the rolling hills that form theSouthern Uplands, and the watershed’smeanderings amongst them provide notonly good walking, but fine vistas, too.

Route: Travel on B7009 from Selkirk to Ettrickvillage. Turn right and follow C road SWfrom there to park at Shorthope at 222126.Ascend by Lochy Law and Black Knoweto join the watershed at Bloodhope Head(3km). Follow the watershed clockwisearound the headwaters of the EttrickWater valley, crossing the SouthernUpland Way at Ettrick Head and leavingit at Herman Law (19km). Descend byStandtrae Knowe and Cossars Hill to re-join C road, and on to Shorthope(4km)Total distance: 26km (walk time, 9-10hrs). OS Landranger: 79. Option to shortenroute by parking at Nether Phawhope, or descending from Andrewhinney Hill

The Laich March – aroundGargunnock and Fintry HillsAs you take a break at the ancient cairnon the summit of Carleatheran, you willimmediately be impressed by the wideviews across the upper Forth Valley, withthe jagged skyline beyond. The ramblingline of the watershed will have broughtyou to this special place, yet with muchof urban Scotland so close by. You mayjust ponder the issue of wind farms too!

Route: Travel on B818 Fintry to Denny road.Stop at western end of Carron ValleyReservoir and park in car park at thedam at 673858. Follow C road to NE tojoin the watershed north of Cairnoch Hill (3km). Travel north by Hart Hill andwind farm to Carleatheran. Follow thewatershed SW via Spout of Ballochleamto Stronend (14km). Return to car parkby spot heights on Fintry Hills toTodholes (6km)Total distance: 23km (7-8hrs). OS Landranger: 64

W I L D N E S S U N D E R T H R E ATThe watershed illustrates the immensenatural forces that have sculpted Scotland’slandscape; vast glaciers and tectonicforces have carved and shaped the land,creating the network of winding ridgesthat we marvel at today. The powerfulMoine thrust has had a particularlysignificant influence. By tilting the west of Scotland upwards, it forced the watershed to dart westward at theGreat Glen from Laggan to Sgurr naCiche. From there, its line seemsperilously close to the sea as it winds its way north.

“I think that the wildest bit is where ittakes that huge sweep westwards andgoes in to the ‘rough bounds’, almost intoKnoydart,” says Wright. “The map thereis covered with what I have affectionatelyreferred to as rocky doodles, where thecontour lines just disappear into weeblack squiggles. When you are on theground, that really is wild.”

The watershed has remained wild formany thousands of years, even as muchof the country was subdued by civilisation.Historically, much of it has been treatedas the boundary of parishes, estates andfarms, turning it into a kind of no-man’sland. Fundamentally what has protected

the watershed is that it is, by definition,upland.

According to mapping by the MacAuleyInstitute, 87 per cent of the watershed –some 915km – has virtually no value foragriculture other than rough grazing and,aside from Cumbernauld, which straddlesthe watershed as it journeys through theCentral Belt, there has until now beenprecious little trace of habitation.

As Wright points out: “There are onlyabout 20 houses [on the watershed].There have been a couple of new onesbuilt directly on the watershed in the last couple of years but generally unlessyou’ve got pots of money to build all the infrastructure you’re going to need, it is just not the right place to build ahouse. That in turn has determined its emptiness.

“Looking at how Scotland was colonisedover thousands of years, it started at thecoast and on the islands, graduallyworked up the river valleys and the verylast place was on the watershed. Indeedin many places the watershed was justignored, as its consistent elevationrenders it unsuitable for mostagricultural activity.”

> continued

Further info Peter Wright has had a lifetime of involvement in the voluntary sector, working with both theNational Trust for Scotland and the John MuirTrust. He received an MBE for his work developingthe Duke of Edinburgh Award. His book, Ribbon of Wildness, is published by Luath Press.www.ribbonofwildness.co.ukAbout the author Rory Syme is the John Muir Trust’s Press andCommunications Officer. He can be contacted atrory.syme@jmt.org

A TASTE OF THE WATERSHED(NORTH)

The Heartland March – aboveBa in the Black MountA demanding day out by any standards,but one that finds the watershed only ashort distance from the salt water ofLoch Etive on the one hand and well onits circumnavigation of Rannoch Moor on the other. Much rock and mountain,the promise of vast vistas, and wildnessaplenty.

Route: Travel on the A82 to Glencoe MountainCentre (White Corries) and park. Journeyon the West Highland Way (WHW) southto join the watershed at 282512 (3km).Ascend via Meall a Bhuird and follow the watershed anti-clockwise around the headwaters of the upper reaches of the River Ba valley, by Clach Leathad,Stob Ghabhar and Beinn Toaig (16km).Descend to the WHW and return north to Glencoe Mountain (8km)Total distance: 27km (10-11hrs). OS Landranger: 41 & 50

The Northland March – fromCrask into the Flow CountryThe subtler pleasures of the Flow Countrycome to the fore in this venture, with thericher moorland colours, wide skies anddancing light upon the lochans. Theexcitement of the terrain in this boggyand deceptively beautiful landscape is so typical of the watershed.

Route:Travel on the A836 north from Lairg.Park at the Crask Inn at 524247. Journeynorth to spot height 264 and Join thewatershed at The Crask (1km). Ascendeast to Cnoc Sgriodain and Carn Fheidh,and follow the watershed south and eastto spot height 496 (16km). Return northand west via Loch a Bhealaich, BealachEasach (re-crossing the watershed) to Crask Inn (14km)Total distance: 31km (10hrs). OS Landranger: 16

Walking wild: Peter with Loch Nevisbehind; Rannoch Moor from BlackMount

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However, in the modern age, thewatershed is threatened by developmentand changing land use. Commercialforestry, communication masts and wind farms have all left a mark. “When I was rewalking part of EskdalemuirForest where the first generation of treeshad been felled and the forest had beenrestocked, I found to my horror that anarea that six years ago had been forestrides, right on the line of the watershed,had partially been planted over withtrees. In ten years’ time, anyone wanting to walk the watershed is going to find that a problem.”

When writing about wind farms in his book six years ago, Wright concedesthat he didn’t come down that hardagainst wind farms on the watershed, but he would think differently if writingtoday. “I’d say it was a thoroughly madidea. There are two slap-bang on thewatershed, which paradoxically arereasonably sensitively located. However,others that are planned are creepingcloser and closer to the watershed and to my mind it’s too prominent a location,so this notion that we should not havewind farms on the skyline is animportant one.”

D E S I G NAT I N G T H E WAT E R S H E DWright is infectiously passionate aboutthe watershed and he has big plans for itsfuture. He describes Ribbon of Wildnessas the anchor for a much wider projectthat will bring greater awareness andprotection. Aiming to work towardsbuilding a community of interest around the route, he has a plan to recruit volunteers to look after sectionsby gathering information about theirpatch and observing changes to thelandscape.

“I want to work with whoever I can topromote awareness of the watershed, forwhat it is as something truly special andan immense celebration of the best ofScottish landscape,” he explains. “In thelonger term, I’d like to see the watersheddesignated in some way. There’s no wayin its entirety that it would fit the bill fora long, skinny SSSI, but there’s probablysome designation that could be used that would help protect it.”

It seems as if the journey described in Ribbon of Wildness is just the start as Peter Wright begins an even longer quest to bring more attention to thisprecious strip of Scotland.

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STRATEGY30 Reflecting on the Trust’s land acquisition strategy

Over the years, the John Muir Trust has acquired some of thefinest pieces of wild land in the UK. Denis Mollison reflects onthe Trust’s philosophy underpinning land acquisitions andwhat the future might hold

‘The Trust’s distinctive role in theconservation of wild land is to safeguardwhole landscapes within it, areassufficiently large – whole hill ranges or watersheds – that they retain or can be restored to their natural processesand biodiversity, and can provide thespiritual qualities for which humansvalue wild land: freedom, tranquillityand solitude.’

This excerpt from the John Muir Trust’s‘Acquisition Principles’ underplays thechallenge that has faced the Trust fromits beginning; that is, the sheer scale of what we aim to conserve. One of the Trust’s founders, the athlete ChrisBrasher, put it well when he wrote in the Observer in 1977 about a coast tocoast journey on skis across northernScotland, and included the plea: ‘Butplease leave us some part of Britain thatis still a wilderness, a land where you can walk for four days and see no man’.

From the ecological perspective, too, the case for scale is compelling. Asformer Trust Chairman Dick Balharryliked to point out, the wildest land inBritain can be measured in golden eagle

territories, with each pair typicallyrequiring 50 to 100 square kilometres. In 2002, Conservation International(www.conservation.org) identified the30,000 square kilometres of the ScottishHighlands as one of five remaining areasof great wilderness value in the highlydeveloped countries of Europe.

If we are to protect the wild land value of such a huge area, much of our workhas to be indirect: communicating withthe public, influencing governmentpolicy and legislation, and working with other conservation bodies and with communities. Nevertheless, outright ownership remains the securestsafeguard, and also gives our views thecredibility only achieved when seen topractice what you preach.

With limited resources, the Trust hasdeveloped an acquisition strategy withthree arms. The first is purchases designedto safeguard as a whole Britain’s ‘finestwild landscapes’ – areas such as Knoydart,the Cairngorms, Fisherfield, North Harrisand West Lewis, Assynt and Coigach, and the Cuillins in Skye. Our aspiration is that the whole of such areas should

be managed with a prime aim ofconservation of their wild land character.

The second arm is purchases in other fine wild areas that have particular strategic value: deflectingthreats, pursuing ecological restoration,and cooperating with or influencingother land managers. A case of particular interest here is that of England and Wales. The Trust hasseveral times reconsidered andreasserted that it is a UK body, and has made some determined thoughunsuccessful efforts to buy land south of the border.

Thirdly, we value cooperation, which we see as good in itself as well as cost-effective; that is, partnerships in ownership and management, whetherwith communities, private owners orother conservation organisations.

O U R B U Y I N G H I S T O RY Over the years, the Trust has beenactively involved in all the ‘finest areas’mentioned above. We began in 1982 –before the official founding of the Trust –

Buying wildness

JOHN MUIR TRUST JOURNALAUTUMN 2011

with an attempt to buy the whole ofKnoydart, then threatened with becominga military training area. Our first actualpurchase, five years later, was of a smallbut very fine part of Knoydart, and in1999 we gave major help to the KnoydartFoundation’s buyout of the main inhabitedpart of the peninsula.

Through the 1990s, with communitysupport, we bought four properties in the Cuillins of Skye. A little later we were involved in discussions of possibleacquisition, on our own or as part of a community bid, of the remaining large estate which includes the CuillinMain Ridge.

We have made major efforts in theCairngorms, attempting to buy UpperGlen Avon in 1984/5, and larger estateswith various partners: Glenfeshie in 1993(with RSPB) and in 1997, and Mar Lodgein 1994/5 (with RSPB and WWF). TheCairngorms are now part of a NationalPark, with the National Trust for Scotland(Mar Lodge) and RSPB (Abernethy) both having large holdings. All of thisdiminishes the case for any John MuirTrust acquisition in the area, and we do have substantial involvement in thearea through the John Muir Award. InFisherfield, the Trust attempted to buysmall but key properties on the southside in 1989 and 1992, and on the north in 1998 and 2000.

In 2003, we helped the North Harris Trust’scommunity buyout of a large part of thefinest wild area in the Western Isles, andwe continue to be actively involved insupporting its conservation work. Twoyears later, we played an active role inthe Assynt Foundation’s acquisition ofGlencanisp and Inverpolly. That sameyear a generous anonymous donationenabled us to buy the adjacent Quinagestate. Both estates are involved in therecently launched Living LandscapesCALL project that covers much of the

wider Assynt-Coigach area, with partnersincluding the Scottish Wildlife Trust, whichowns a large part of southern Coigach.

In other wild areas, we have lookedmainly to make small purchases of keyareas. Sandwood (1993), Schiehallion(1999) and Ben Nevis (2000) weremotivated largely by access-relatedthreats, including the need for majorpath repairs. In 2004, we accepted our first donated property, Glenlude in the Borders.

The Trust also has a variety ofpartnerships with a diverse range of organisations, including the NevisPartnership, the community at Galson on Lewis, the private owner at Corrour,and with the Borders Forest Trust atCarrifran.

South of the border, our main effortshave been in Wales, where in the 1990s we came close to a purchase in the Rhinogs, and more recently to a conservation partnership in theCambrians. In England, we have at the request of members considered anumber of small properties, including in the Peak District and on Dartmoor (in 2005).

W H E R E N E X T ?In nearly 30 years, we have built up a splendid and diverse portfolio. While concentrating on those ‘finest wild areas’ our nine properties lie in six different Natural Heritage Zones, thus representing many different habitat types, and calling for a widerange of management solutions.

This has been against a shifting politicaland social scene. In our first decade, wehad much support from public funds,especially the National Heritage MemorialFund. Then came community trusts, whichwe have supported and worked with sincetheir beginnings in Assynt, Eigg andKnoydart in the early 1990s.

All our purchases have been at a modestcost level. The largest and most expensive,Strathaird (60 square kilometres for about£700,000) was only possible because wehad built up a Land Fund that coveredhalf the price. Recent generous donationsand legacies are making it possible for us to rebuild the Land Fund.

Taking on new properties increasesrecurrent costs but if we insisted on gold-plating these in advance, we wouldprobably never make another purchase.If we make the right acquisition choiceswe can reasonably hope to increase our resource base, and especially ourmembership, to an extent that will cover our increased costs.

Trustees and staff are now revising ourdetailed acquisition strategy. It will, ofcourse, have to remain flexible to accountfor the many different circumstances thatmay arise. We would like to hear frommembers, whether on consolidation orexpansion, pristine land or restorationopportunity, or on their enthusiasm or lack of it for that elusive small butperfectly formed wild land propertysouth of the border.

And we’d like to hear member views onland acquisition in general. My view isthat land acquisition is not only a primeaim, but that over the long term it alsobrings us the resources and standingessential to our partnership, policy and education work.

About the authorDenis Mollison is one of the founders of the Trust and a current Trustee.Members’ views on land acquisition are verywelcome and should be directed to Mike Daniels,Head of Land & Science, mike.daniels@jmt.org

Essential wildness (clockwise fromopposite): Loch Coruisk, Skye; LochUnapool, north of Quinag; shieling on the Galson Estate, Lewis

CLASSIC TEXTS32 Revisiting two of Fraser Darling’smost compelling texts

Island Years, IslandFarm, Frank FraserDarlingPaul Ramsay rereads two ofthe books – published togetherin one volume – that highlightFrank Fraser Darling’sformidable work ethic andcommitment to his science

The republication of Sir Frank FraserDarling’s Island Years and Island Farmby Little Toller Books is a most welcomeevent. Frank Fraser Darling is a fascinatingand enigmatic figure. Born of a singlemother, who had been cast out by herfamily, in a hayloft on a Derbyshire farm, he felt a powerful romantic affinity with Scotland.

On the strength of a one-year diploma in agriculture he got himself intoEdinburgh University to undertake a PhD in the genetics of the fleeces ofblackface sheep. Having achieved hisdoctorate, Fraser Darling decided toresearch the ecology and behaviour ofred deer. The subsequent publication of A Herd of Red Deer in 1937 put an endto his work on that species for the timebeing, but created a marker for others to follow. Having done so much work on one species, he might have beenexpected to continue in the same vein but opted instead to examine theperiodicity of the breeding behaviour ofsea birds, and the biology of grey seals.

The book’s preface by Alasdair FraserDarling, son of Fraser Darling’s first wife, Bobbie – a charming photograph of whom illustrates the cover of thebook – conveys something of his fatherand there is an informative introductionby Professor Iain Stewart.

Island Years covers the period between1936 and 1938 when Fraser Darling,accompanied by Bobbie and Alasdair,lived on the three islands of EileanA’Chlèirich, Treshnish and Rona. There,Fraser Darling undertook his studies of seabirds and seals, despite the considerabledifficulties of surviving on small remoteislands. In the background, world eventswere deteriorating, culminating inChamberlain’s flights to and fromMunich in 1938.

Fraser Darling describes how he hopesthere will now be peace, but that is not to be. Although aged 36 in 1940, he hadno previous military experience and sowas not liable for immediate enlistment.That did not stop him from questioninghis next move, however. Should he joinup, or should he turn his experience inHighland agriculture to good use andwork on the home front to prepare forthe post-war world? Col. Ian Grant ofRothiemurchus advises him to do thelatter. As an elderly subaltern he mightwell find himself posted as RailwayTransport Officer for Fort William: and what a waste that would be.

His conscience thus eased, FraserDarling heads for the island of TaneraMòr, the largest of the Summer Isles,accompanied by the indomitable Bobbie,and Alasdair during the school holidays.They set about the backbreaking tasks ofliming (best done at ten tons to the acre,but two tons will do for the time being)and slagging the ground (1.25 cwt bags of slag) in which they are to grow crops.They rebuild the abandoned quay andrepair the ruinous house. One dark, wildevening, as they work, Fraser Darlingnotices that Bobbie has gone blue andlifeless. He carries her to the house,where he strips off her wet clothes, putsher in bed, lights the primus stove andboils a kettle with which to fill a hotwater bottle and give her tea to drink, a whole quart of it. As Bobbie recovers,her husband notes that hard as thingsare for them they at least can getthemselves warm and dry: there areprobably men out on the Atlantic inupturned boats and without prospect of rescue, he reflects.

From the pages of Island Farm wewitness the fall of France and thesurrender of the Highland Division atSaint-Valéry en Caux. Fraser Darlingdescribes the devastation that is feltlocally at this terrible blow. In these two books, brought together, we see the coming together of threads thatmade Fraser Darling’s human ecology.

Wilderness and Plenty was the excellenttitle of his famous Reith Lectures of 1969and summed up what he was about.

In the Highlands, as elsewhere round theglobe, we have created our ‘wet deserts’,but with proper care we can restorewilderness and plenty.

Throughout the two books, the reader isaware of the author’s driving commitmentto his science, to his extraordinary staminafor struggle and survival, along with aHerculean capacity to go on building and repairing heavy stonework. He putshis experiences into lyrical prose thatdeclares his strong spiritual intent.

It is right that Bobbie’s photograph is onthe cover of the book because she took ona formidable task as Fraser Darling’s wifeand helpmate – though it was perhapsunsurprising that they were to eventuallysplit. Fraser Darling’s achievements inthose years were extraordinary and couldnever have happened without her support,as he laid the foundations of his humanecology for the Highlands, which are as relevant now as ever.

B o o k d e t a i l sIsland Years, Island Farm is availablethrough Little Toller Books, an imprint of Dovecote Press. £10.00. ISBN 978 1 908213 01 3 www.dovecotepress.com

JOHN MUIR TRUST JOURNALAUTUMN 2011

The reviewerPaul Ramsay is a conservationist and landowner.He lives at Bamff with his wife, Louise. A formertrustee of the John Muir Trust, he is preoccupiedat present with the return of the Eurasian beaverto Scotland.

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BOOKS 33From epic ocean adventures to some of Muir’s finest writing

A D i p i n t h e O c e a n – R o w i n g S o l oa c ro s s t h e In d i a n , S a ra h O u t e nReviewed by Rob Bushby

This book reminded me that greatadventures have three key ingredients:high endeavour, uncertainty of outcomeand shared experience. The last mightseem odd for a solo row across the IndianOcean, but it is perhaps the element thatcomes across most poignantly in SarahOuten’s book. As part of the grievingprocess following the death of her father,23-year-old Sarah spent 124 days rowingacross 4,000 miles of unpredictable ocean.In doing so, she collected three Guinnessworld records, including the first womanand youngest person to row solo acrossthe Indian Ocean.

There’s a strong collaborative spiritbehind a driven approach that Sarahportrays with grace, humour andequanimity. It’s a journey that is sharedin a variety of dimensions: logistically,with a small support team, global blogfollowers and worldwide radio listeners;with aquatic acquaintances en route; andwith her family. Her father’s influencepervades the book as an inspirationalreference point, and in a way thatcelebrates the father-daughter bond.

Much of the writing is conversational,with a vibrant energy, freshness and naivecharm of youth (with just the occasionalbit of clunky prose and hyperbole).

The anticipation builds through acompelling overview of the months ofpreparation, gearing up to the journeyitself. While we know its outcome, there’sa sense of both the drama and drudgeryinherent in any grand adventure. And asSarah leaves us with a tantalising glimpseof her next trip – a circumnavigation ofthe globe by boat and bike – it feels like an invigorating pleasure to have sharedher marine adventure.

Summersdale Press, 2011, £8.99.www.summersdale.com

ISBN: 978 1 84953 127 6

My First Summer in the Sierra, JohnMu i r, 1 0 0 t h A n n i v e r s a r y I l l u s t ra t e dE d i t i o n ( i n c o l l a b o ra t i o n w i t hYo s e m i t e C o n s e r v a n c y ) . Ph o t o g ra p h s by S c o t Mi l l e r Reviewed by Susan Wright

‘No words will ever describe the exquisitebeauty and charm of this mountain park.Nature’s landscape garden at oncetenderly beautiful and sublime,’ wroteJohn Muir about Yosemite on 13 August,1869, but that didn’t stop the pioneeringconservationist from giving it a try.

My First Summer in the Sierra cataloguesdaily the wonders of being in and aroundYosemite. Written over four months, ashe helped drive a herd of sheep from the central valleys of California to themountains, Muir’s journal shows him tobe a natural naturalist – as comfortablemeasuring the wingspan of a mosquitoas poeticising about the mountainlandscape to which he feels so akin.

‘How interesting everything is! Everyrock, mountain, stream, plant, lake,lawn, forest, garden, bird, beast, insectseems to call and invite us to come andlearn something of its history andrelationship,’ he writes.

Along the way, we gain an insight intolate 19th century California life as Muirmeets a small band of Native Americansmanaging to live outside of reservations,muses on the variety of ways that beansmay be dished up at camp, and reflectson the environmental destructionwreaked by the gold rush (and sheep).

In this edition, Scot Miller’s photographscomplement Muir’s musings but aresomewhat overshadowed by the words.However, sales of the book will benefitYosemite Conservancy – a good reason to plump for this edition if you don’t own a copy already.

Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt,2011. $30.00 (around £19.00).www.hmhco.com

ISBN 978 0 618 98851 8 For a full review, see www.jmt.org/books

It ’s a Fi n e D ay f o r t h e Hi l l , Hi l l s ,Fo l k a n d Wi l d l i f e 1 9 3 5 - 6 2 , Ad a mWat s o nReviewed by Richard Rowe

Snow, ice and the wild mountainscapesof the Cairngorms have fascinated AdamWatson since early childhood – and setthe scene for a lifetime of ecologicalstudy, exploration and adventure.

As the author notes in his introduction,this book – its title taken from Watson’soften optimistic proclamation to his wife,Jenny, following a glance outside – istestimony to his belief that exploringalone, preferably without any detailedplanning or formal training, is ‘the bestjoy the hills can give’.

Growing up in lowland Aberdeenshire inthe 1930s, Watson’s sense of wonder andcuriosity about the natural world broughthim into contact with some of the greatScottish naturalists and mountaineers oftheir day. In particular, the friendshipsforged with the likes of Seton Gordon,Derry stalker Bob Scott, Tom Weir andTom Patey shaped his life, and each has a chapter devoted to them.

Such luminaries fired Watson’simagination in different ways, with Weir the man responsible for introducingthe author to the joy of skiing in 1947.Watson hardly looked back and he wenton to spend as much time in the snow as possible. ‘Even when crawling onhands and knees in storms, or sitting out squalls in snow-holes, I found snowso interesting that discomfort becamesecondary,’ he writes.

This delightfully eclectic collection of stories and memories dating back to his early schooldays charts the life of a man, now in his eighties, who himselfbecame an ecologist, conservationist,prolific author and mountaineer ofconsiderable renown – with the wildlifeand landscape of the Cairngorms hisspecialist subject.

Published by Paragon Publishing, 2011. ISBN 978 1 907611 58 2

PROPERTIES34 A glimpse at lifeon Trust land

JOHN MUIR TRUST JOURNALAUTUMN 2011

Glenlude, Scottish BordersJohn Thomas introduces the John Muir Trust’slatest property–a wild place that gives the Trusta valuable presence in southern Scotland

On a calm April morning the cry of a curlew breaks the nightcurfew and we catch the first warbling call of a black cocklekking below us. I’m here with Robin, a local Trust memberand volunteer, counting the remnant black grouse population at the top of Glenlude hill for the Southern Upland Partnership.

The hills of the Scottish Borders are a lot wilder than manythink, and Glenlude – the Trust’s most recent acquisition – is at the very heart of one of its most beautiful parts, just aboveTraquair near Innerleithen.

Generously gifted by the late Sheila Bell, the Trust took activepossession of Glenlude on her death in October 2010. Half theproperty is commercial forestry, half open hill. At 400 acres, it is the smallest of the Trust’s seven properties but provides a valuable foothold in the Southern Uplands.

Seemingly insignificant at first sight, take a walk aroundGlenlude and you will find a host of interesting opportunities:four burns waiting for riparian woodland; a peat bog invitingrestoration; black grouse habitat in need of improvement andprotection; and open hillside that provides a blank canvas on which to explore and develop our conservation ideas.

A preliminary survey by Liz Auty, the Trust’s biodiversity officer, has identified a range of interesting plants, whilecrossbill, owl, woodcock and hen harrier have all beenobserved on site, in addition to black grouse.

We have many ideas to consider in developing the draftmanagement plan for the property, including restoration ofnative woodland along some of the streams and around theponds established by Sheila Bell, and improving black grousehabitat, ideally including restoration of the peat bog.

Glenlude’s small scale and excellent access makes it well suited for exploring different conservation approaches. WithEdinburgh only an hour’s drive away and Newcastle, Carlisleand Glasgow within a two-hour drive, Glenlude is ideal forintroducing people from both sides of the border tovolunteering.

The large spruce and larch plantation, now ready for thinning, presents its own challenges and opportunities. These will revolve around the economic value of the trees, the potential for replacing portions with native broad-leafedtrees and restrictions around commercial forestry.

Glenlude also gives the Trust a stake in the landscapes of thesouth of Scotland, and with it the opportunity to participate in partnerships which are beginning to look at conservation on a landscape scale.

There is much to do. That’s why the Trust is launching an appeal for funds that will provide a foundation for themanagement of Glenlude, once a management plan has been agreed. These are exciting times, for us, for the local black grouse and for the other wildlife that might find a future home in Glenlude.

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TORRIN ESTATES, ISLE OF SKYE4 LI & COIRE DHORRCAIL, KNOYDART5 BEN NEVIS6 SCHIEHALLION7 GLENLUDE

About the author John Thomas is a Trustee of the John Muir Trustand a lifelong hillwalker. He is based in StBoswells in the Scottish Borders.Further info Look out for the Trust’s Glenlude appeal, which is looking to raise £25,000 to begin managementwork on the property. The Trust is also setting upa Land Management Endowment Fund to providesecure finance for ongoing land managementcosts across all John Muir Trust properties. Any additional funds raised for Glenlude will go into this fund.For more information and to make a donation,please go to www.jmt.org/appeals.asp, call 0300 321 4964 or text WILD09 to 70070.

Glenlude glade: a tasteof the Trust’s latestproperty

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PROPERTIESRolling hill ground on the Trust’s new property at Glenlude

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