Scottish National Heritage - The Nature of Scotland Winter 2010 Issue_10

7/25/2019 Scottish National Heritage - The Nature of Scotland Winter 2010 Issue_10

1/35

The Nature of ScotlandScottish Natural Heritage Winter 2010w.snh.gov.uk

Highland vBrighter future for

a special glen

Testing timExploring new wa

to protect the wild

FuturescapCreating more spa

for nature


2/35


3/35

www.snh.gov.uk

Contents

5

8

10

31

47

55

61

Features8 Biking at its best Developing mountain biking

Scotland

10 Keeping the wildcat wild New approaches to conserve

iconic species

25 Eurosite gathering Get together for European si

managers

26 Great expectations in the g Nature restoration on the larg

scale

32 Zeroing in on waste Major Government campaign

launches

34 Green to be lean Tackling climate change in th

public sector

50 Protect and respect Conserving cultural, as well a

natural, heritage

52 Scotlands Futurescapes Shaping a better future for p

and the natural world

60 Forest for all An inspiring community buy-

Regulars2 Where we are SNH contact details

3 Welcome

4 Wild calendar Where to go and what to see this winter

16 News

22 Inspired by nature Show and tell whats inspired

you?

36 Reserve focus Discover Tentsmuir NNR

42 Area news Reports from round the country

45 Print out Our latest publications

46 Events diary Guide to what's on

48 Dualchas coitcheann/Common heritage

Linking language and environment

58 Kids only! Activities for younger readers

64 Mailing list Make sure you always receive

a copy


4/35

www.snh.gov.uk

edits

ature of Scotlandagazine of Scottish Natural HeritageNumber 10 Winter 2010

hed quarterlyH 20101350 309X

: John Walters463 725 222

photo: Ptarmigan in Cairngorms National Park.cover photo: Winter landscape in the Cairngorms.me page: Moonlight over Glenfeshie.grapher: Lorne Gill/SNH

graphy all images by Lorne Gill/SNH other than: Danny Green 5;Campbell 6t; Anne & Steve Toon/NHPA 6b; Niall Benvie 7b2; Laurie

bell/SNH 7b3; David Whitaker 7b4; Paul Tomkins/Scottish ViewpointPaul Dodds/Scottish Viewpoint 9; Laurie Ca mpbell 10; Kerry Kilshaw/RU/Oxford University 15l, 15r; Iain Ferguson The Write Image 16;sh SPCA 17; Peter Cairns 20; Dougie Barnett Photography 25t; John Mr 25b; Mark Hamblin 29 ; Pete Moore 30; Keith Duncan 31b; John Paulgraphy 34; Photo Aerial Photography Solutions 36, 39tl; Jonat han42l; Sue Scott/SNH 42m, Nor th Harris Trust 42 r; Anne Ferguson 43r;awson 44m; Sue Scott 44r; Gr aham Hood 51b; Steve Austin/mages.com 52, Mark Hamblin/rspb-images.com 54; Neil McIntyre 55.

37 Ashworth Maps and Interpretation Ltd 2010. on Ordnance Survey mapping. Crown copyright

atabase right 2010. All rights reserved.nce Survey Licence number SNH 100017908.

are your views about The Nature of Scotlandor suggest articles forissues please contact the editor:

MagazineGlen House, Leachkin Road,ess IV3 [email protected]

ews expressed in this magazine do notsarily reflect those of SNH.

d by: Pindar Printers

210

you've finished with this magazine, please recycle it. Pass it toer reader or dispose of it at your local waste- collection point.

Where we are

You can contact SNH byletter, telephone or email.The following detailsshould enable you to findyour nearest main office,but bear in mind that wealso have a number ofsmaller offices than thoselisted.

A full list of our officesappears on the SNHwebsite: www.snh.gov.uk

Corporateheadquarters

Great Glen House,Leachkin Road,Inverness IV3 8NWTel. 01463 725 000Email: [email protected]

Other main offices

Battleby, Redgorton,Perth PH1 3EWTel. 01738 444 177

Silvan House,3rd Floor East,231 Corstorphine Road,Edinburgh EH12 7ATTel. 0131 316 2600

Caspian House,Mariner Court,Clydebank Business Park,Clydebank G81 2NRTel. 0141 951 4488

Area offices

Argyll and StirlingThe Beta Centre,Innovation Park,University of Stirling,Stirling FK9 4NFTel. 01786 450 362

Dumfries and GallowayCarmont House,The Crichton,Bankend Road,Dumfries DG1 4ZFTel. 01387 247 010

Northern IslesGround Floor,Stewart Building,Alexandra Wharf,Lerwick,Shetland ZE1 0LLTel. 01595 693 345

East HighlandFodderty Way,Dingwall Business Park,Dingwall IV15 9XBTel. 01349 865 333

North HighlandThe Links,

Golspie Business Park,Golspie,Sutherland KW10 6UBTel. 01408 634 063

West HighlandThe Governors House,The Parade, Fort William,Inverness-shire PH33 6BATel. 01397 704 716

Strathclyde and AyrshireCaspian House,Mariner Court,Clydebank Business Park,Clydebank G81 2NRTel. 0141 951 4488

Tayside andClackmannanshireBattleby, Redgorton,Perth PH1 3EWTel. 01738 444 177

Western Isles32 Francis Street,Stornoway,Isle of Lewis HS1 2NDTel. 01851 705 258

Forth and BordersSilvan House,3rd Floor East,231 Corstorphine Road,Edinburgh EH12 7AT

Tel. 0131 316 2600

GrampianInverdee House,Baxter Street,Torry,Aberdeen AB11 9QATel. 01224 266 500

Welcome

Andrew BachellDirector OperationsScottish Natural Heritage

Over recent weeks, TV viewers in Scotland have been able to wseries Making Scotlands Landscape, a personal perspective frothe everyday events and actions that have left peoples mark acthe land. While not all of us may have agreed with everything heclear our landscape is a product of our past. So it f ollows thaof the future will contain the evidence of how we use the land to

Our landscape is a historic document on which the actions obeen written, and on which we continue to write. But we write othats a product of nature, particularly of geology and climate. Wforces, we wouldnt have the landscapes of today for which Sc

These relationships between past and present and betwenature sit at the centre of our work on landscape. We can trea natural or cultural resource, or even better, for both reasons. Bshould, because our surroundings play a vital role in everyday li

Tourism and outdoor adventure are major forces in our econon the backdrop of dramatic and beautiful landscapes where namajor role. Environmental quality is also an incentive to economScotland has a natural advantage here. And for us all, theres evquality of the landscapes where we live affect our optimism, hea

But looking after our changing landscape is not just about pscenery. Its also about strengthening the processes that sustairecreational opportunities and allow the productive use of land f

and other benefits. The damage of past actions is clear in habitadereliction. Yet our capacity to damage or improve the landscapgreater than it is today.

We now have greater knowledge about how to repair or mathat they meet all our needs for resources and enjoyment, as wenature and the future. Scotlands Landscape Charter has receby 15 organisations and it sets out a commitment to developingour towns, cities and the countryside, which all of Scotland canedition of The Nature of Scotlandyou can read about projects trestore landscapes in Cairngorms National Park through the effEstate and the RSPB. SNH strongly support initiatives of this kpeople in the future to see from the landscape they inherit that wopportunity today to take action that sust ained the things most Scotlands landscape.

The Nature of Scotland


5/35

The Nature of Scotland www.snh.gov.uk

Wildcalendar

Kenny Taylor givessome seasonaltips for savouringScottish wildlife andlandscapes

When a starling flock, ten-thousand strong, swirlsabove a roost, its part of the power of winter. Hearit in the crunch of frozen leaves underfoot and inthe bark of a fox as Orions stars rise. See it inwaves against a long, grey shore and the sweep ofa mountain snowfield. Go out to meet it, and thisseason can warm you.

Hot and halcyon

Theres something almost improbably vibrant about akingfisher. Its one of our smallest waterbirds, yet it packs acolour punch far above its weight with the electric blue andwarm orange of its plumage.

The combination is a winner at any season. But seenagainst a winter background, this tiny splendour of thelowlands is little short of superb. You might be lucky to havea one-off encounter with a kingfisher beside a burn, canal orriver. To boost your chances in the west of the Central Belt,a visit to Lochwinnoch, just a few miles west of Paisley, is agood bet. The RSPB reserve there, at the Barr Loch, is also

a winter retreat for a good range of wildfowl, including flocksof wigeon and family parties of whooper swans.

Theres free access to the visitor centre and a smallcharge for non-RSPB members to use the reserves trails.But if you arrive by bike, the fee is waived and you can claima complimentary hot drink.

Web tip:www.rspb.org.uk/reserves/guide/l/lochwinnoch/about.aspx


6/35


Wrack your brains

Twice a month, at the new and the full moon, the tides riseextra high and fall especially low. These so-called springtides, produced when sun, Earth and moon line up, arenamed for the vigour of their rising, not for the season. So awinter beach walk during springs (so to sp eak) can be greatfun.

You can check tide times in local newspapers to chooselow water for a trip down to p arts of the shore that arenormally covered. Go carefully, and you can appreciate thevaried browns, greens and reds of different seaweeds andsee where each type thrives.

The brown seaweeds, known as wracks, often havestrong preferences for where they grow in relation to hightide. Their classic sequence goes from channelled wrack at

the upper shore, past spiral wrack and bladder wrack, thenknotted wrack (in places such as inner sea lochs) to serratedwrack. Beyond that, youre into the realm of the big k elpseaweeds and liable to get your boots s wamped!

Web tip: www.nhm.ac.uk/nature-online/british-natural-history/seaweeds-survey/identify-seaweeds/index.html

ints to remember

n the sun sets early on a cloudless winters evening, can be a remarkable clarity in things seen against the

Bare trees seem to reveal every twig, while a red deershows each point on its antlered head.uch times in the afterglow are few. But opportunities tohe largest land mammal in Britain and Ireland lookingn from a ridge can be greater if you choose a goodion.he area between Braemar and the Mar Lodge Est ate isof the best for deer watching in the eastern Highlands., the floodplain of the River Dee gives g ood winterng. When scanning riverwards from the road that runsnn of Dee, you can often see groups of deer.o look up in search of those classic silhouettes, useetwork of trails within the estate to access the glens.f snow makes the g oing too tricky, there are landscape

pensations aplenty in the Caledonian pinewoods thatk the lower ground.

tip: www.marlodgeestate.org.ukSlip, slide and rock

If you think that the Quiraing is a misspelled heavy metal magazine, it could betime to take a trip over the sea to Skye. Head for the Trotternish Peninsula to beamazed by the real thing. Its a landslide, northernmost of several huge ones alongthe Trotternish Ridge. Here, pressure of lava flows on sediments from the time ofthe dinosaurs caused those weaker Jurassic rocks to shear and slip seawards.

At the Quiraing, near the small road from Staffin Bay to Uig, the slip is morethan two kilometres wide, making it the largest in Britain. But dont worry, thepaths around it are firm. And the rock features that have been isolated by themajor Earth movements are spectacular.

The finest of all are where an isolated pillar, called The Needle, stands proudof the surrounding cliffs. Close by is a flat, grassy area called The Table, fromwhere you can get big views on a clear day, including east to mountains on themainland.

Web tip: www.walkhighlands.co.uk/skye/quiraing.shtml

2

Flocks of grey geeseon fields and estuaries; pawprintsof squirrels, mice and ralichens and mossesgiving colour to rock and bark; migrant fieldfares and redw

berry-bearing trees; and, if youre very, very lucky, the Northern Lights.

Some other things to look for in winter:

3


7/35


Biking at its best

Scotland has a great network of funand challenging mountain bike trails,making it one of the top places onthe planet to go biking. Now thereare plans to develop the activity evenfurther

Over the past 20 years, mountain biking hasbecome a major sport and leisure pursuit in

Scotland, and the country has proven itself as aworld-class venue.

Purpose-built trail facilities, such as the 7stanes centres inthe south of Scotland, attract some 400,000 visits a year.But there are also plenty of other opportunities to mountainbike throughout Scotland on a superb network of naturalpaths and tracks.

With around 11.8 million people in the UK owning amountain bike, its already a popular way of getting out andexploring the outdoors. And our stunning scenery, easy toreach countryside and world-class routes also attract a highnumber of visitors from all over the globe.

Against this background of progress and success, anumber of national agencies have developed a framework totake mountain biking to the next level. The funding partners(sportscotland, Scottish Cycling, Scottish Enterprise,Forestry Commission Scotland, CTC and SNH), alongwith other interest groups, have set up a project calledDeveloping Mountain Biking in Scotland to put theframework into action. This aims to grow mountain biking inScotland in a way that shows increased numbers of peopletaking part, local business growth and progress in the sport.

The fact that were recognised as one of the b est places

in the world for mountain biking means we already have agreat story to tell, commented Graeme McLean, projectmanager for Developing Mountain Biking in Scotland, andwe have a terrific opportunity to expand the b enefits ofthis popular activity in a way that g uarantees it a long-termfuture.

One of the key aims of t he project is to set up regionaldevelopment clusters for mountain biking across Scotland.These clusters will bring together public, private andvoluntary interests so that different parts of Scotland can

1Everyone has accessrights over most landin Scotland, so theresa vast resource ofroutes for mountainbikers to enjoy theoutdoors.

2Mountain biking is agreat way for childrento start an active,exciting, healthylifestyle that can last alifetime.

take full advantage of their mountain bikingThe cluster model is being piloted in T

explained Graeme. Although its still in themembers of the cluster have already identiroutes and path networks to promote. Thesome of the excellent paths and trails that enjoy, whether its families or experienced

The cluster will also aim to get businestogether to increase profits, ensure that nehave a long-term future and are set up to astandards.

Another major goal for the project is to involved in mountain biking, ensuring that the opportunities are open to all. A new is being developed which will help encourabiking and progress to the level they want

Its a great activity for all ages and abespecially for young people, commented policy and advice officer with SNH, and tplaces close to home where families can hthe outdoors.

Im confident that by going out and poencouraging more people to take up mounplay an important role in contributing to thebeing of Scotland.

The influence that biking can have on phighlighted at the first ever national mounta

conference in Perth in October. Scottish cBeaumont who held the record until recearound the globe was among the speakeoverstate the importance of the awesome in my home country, Mark commented. I experiences played a major part in insp irinaround the world and the Americas.

You can find out more about mountain development in Scotland atwww.developingmountainbikinginscotla


8/35

www.snh.gov.ukThe Nature of Scotland

Fears for the future of the Scottish wildcat haveprompted new approaches to conserving thespecies in one of its last strongholds

Keeping the wildcat wil


9/35


Coat markings

Research has shown that inter-breeding has resulted in a range of body sizes, coat mgenetic make-up in the cats currently living wild in Scotland. However, clear groupinbe recognised. So coat markings are b eing used to help identify the set of cats livingregarded as true Scottish wildcats and which therefore have legal protection.

An identification key and illustration of coat markings f or the wildcat came out in 2recently in Scottish Gamekeepermagazine (see below). The project is now promotinversion of this key, focusing on the thick, ringed, blunt t ail as a practical tool to help gidentify and protect wildcats in the field.

The Scottish Gamekeepers Association have been very positive in supporting thwildcats to members as they go about their everyday management activities. In particestates actively involved in the project pass on d ata and sightings that are vital in proon the usefulness of the methods being trialled.

Wildcat features:

1. A stripe on the ridge of its back that stops at the base of the ta

2. The tip of the tail is blunt and black.

3. The tail has distinct rings.

4. Stripes around the rib cage (or flanks) and hindquarters that arunbroken.

5. No spots on the rump (the stripes may be broken but still reserather than spots).

6. Four broad, wavy and unfused stripes on the back of the neck.

7. Two thick stripes at the shoulders.

ovel project is under way in Cairngorms National Park to helpserve one of our rarest and most elusive mammals.

Cairngorms Wildcat Project is working with gamekeepers, cat welfareps, vets and cat owners to trial conservation measures for t his iconic species.

mates vary for how many wildcats might be left in Scotland, but in 2004 theife Conservation Research Unit at the University of Oxford published a reportesting there could be fewer than 400.he Cairngorms is one of the Scottish wildcats stronghold areas and thect has given rise to the Highland Tiger awareness-raising campaign. Thisights the endangered status of the animal and the steps everyone can takenserve our only remaining native cat.he project is managed by David Hetherington and it has two main areas of promoting wildcat-friendly predator control and encouraging responsiblewnership. The biggest threat to the species is that they can mate withestic cats. This creates hybrid animals that can b e difficult to tell apart fromwildcats, David explained.Were in danger of losing our Scottish wildcat through inter-breeding andntially from diseases spread by d omestic cats. Were therefore encouragingwners in towns, villages and farms throughout the national park to neuter andnate their cats. Were running awareness-raising events, working with localand cat welfare organisations, such as Cats Protection, to encourage people

cats to take part.heres a particular focus on unneutered farm cats in areas where wildcatsive. In the national park this tends to be in areas on the edges of farmland,

rland and in woodland. Cats Protection volunteers have been offering a freece to trap, neuter and return farm cats. This means that farmers who valuefor controlling rodents on their farms can keep their cats without the risk ofopulation growing out of control and having an impact on wildcats and otherfe.

1

3

2

5

4

7

6

2Working with farmersand rural cat owners isessential to promotingwildcat-friendly catownership.

3Researchers led byAndrew Kitchener ofthe National Museumof Scotland producedthis identification keyto help withrecognising truewildcats.

Were in danger oflosing our Scottishwildcat throughinter-breeding andpotentially fromdiseases spread bydomestic cats.

Scottish wildcat Free-ranging tabby c


10/35


What you can doto help the ScottwildcatIf you own a cat and live in an arewildcats, make sure your cat is nvaccinated.

Other good practice includes ensyour cat is micro-chipped and haeasy identification as a pet).

You can report sightings of wildcwith a photograph, to the CairngoProject (either via the form on

www.highlandtiger.com or by pho873 535) or your local SNH office

If you find a cat killed on the roadthink is either a wildcat or a hybrbut not all of the wildcat charactebe grateful for specimens to be hyour local SNH office or the HighPark, near Aviemore.

5mera traps

of the new approaches beingd involves using camera traps asy of finding out more about thelation of cats living wild in thesereas. The cameras are attached

ees and provide close-up imagesdcats and other animals. Motion

ctors and infrared technologyw the cameras to capture images of

ng animals over a period of severalks.Wildcats are very shy, secretiveals and are mainly active at night,d added. These camera traps arexcellent way of us getting a muchr insight into where wildcats live,

n theyre active and what habitatre using. We can also get an ideahere they dont live and, of course,s really important information too.

survey was carried out forbetween 2006 and 2008 andesults were published earlierear. Wildcat hot spots were

d with a large number of recordse Cairngorms, Tayside anddeenshire, as well as outlyings such as Ardnamurchan. However,survey didnt produce any recordsrge areas of the northwestlands, Wester Ross and partsrth Stirlingshire, where theyveously been recorded.he Cairngorms Wildcat Project isof a number of initiatives workingprove our knowledge of thisve species and to set in p laceagement to conserve them. Its aership between the Cairngorms

onal Park Authority, Forestrymission Scotland, the Royalogical Society of Scotland, thetish Gamekeepers' AssociationSNH.he Scottish wildcat is our only

ining native cat species and is one species targeted for conservationn through the Species Actionework.ou can learn more about thetish wildcat and the project at

w.highlandtiger.com and www.snh.uk/protecting-scotlands-nature/cies-action-framework/species-on-list/wildcat/

3

4

3David Hetherington,Cairngorms WildcatProject manager, helpsto set up a cameratrap.

4

Researcher RooCampbell has beeninvestigating the useof scents and bait toattract cats to thecameras.

5This male cat wassnapped at a cameratrap and shows thedistinctive thick,dark-ringed, blunt tailof the wildcat.

6A camera trap at theHighland Wildlife Park,near Aviemore,captured thisfree-ranging nightvisitor.


11/35


NEWS

Quick move for slow worms

Pupils of Lochaline Primary School in Lochaber recently came to the rescue ofslow worms in a field where their new school is d ue to be built.

Slow worms are legless lizards and are a protected species, so SNH werecontacted by the ecologist who found them while surveying the site for the newschool.

SNH advice was to collect the slow worms and relocate them away from thedevelopment site. This has to be done ideally by t he end of September beforethey start going into hibernation.

The children therefore laid out mats, carpet tiles and strips of corrugated ironin their nature garden to attract the cold-blooded animals, which bask under anymaterial warmed up by the sun.

Slow worms have far fewer places in Scotland to find food and shelter thanthey did in the past, explained Cathy Mordaunt, local SNH officer, so its crucialthat we make every effort to protect them when we can.

The school headmaster, Keith Adams (pictured below with pupils and one ofthe slow worms), is going to keep the creatures in his compost heap during thewinter. The children plan to bring some of them back to the s chool grounds oncethe new school is complete.

In my early childhood I remember seeing slow worms everywhere, Mr Adamscommented, but my own children had to wait till they were 12 before they saw a

slow worm. This coincided with a move to the West Highlands, which highlightswhat a special place the children here are privileged to live in.

Slow worms are now a protected species and the school pupils have thechance to carry out valuable conservation work, which will ensure that children ofthe future will be able to see slow worms. Im always telling them that theyre thefuture rangers, botanists, biologists and protectors of our valuable wildlife. Thiswork underlines that point for them.

Stoats on the move

Three stoats have recently been captured at two locations on Orkney andreleased unharmed on the Scottish mainland in a bid to protect the islandswildlife.

Stoats are widespread and common throughout mainland Brit ain and Ireland,but are not native to Orkney. Several confirmed sightings of the skilful predatorover the summer at locations on the main island of Orkney, as well as on SouthRonaldsay, sparked fears for the local rich and varied birdlife, which includesground-nesting waders.

The Orkney vole is also potential food for the stoats. The vole is unique toOrkney and a vital source of f ood for important populations of hen harrier andshort-eared owl. In Orkney, stoats would lack natural predators, such as foxes,which help to keep their numbers in balance in the Scottish mainland.

Its not known how the stoats may have reached the islands, but its thoughtthey could have arrived with farm produce such as hay or possibly through adeliberate release.

The live stoat trapping and relocation project is being co-ordinated throughSNH and carried out by dedicated volunteers from the Orkney Field Club andRSPB Scotland. SNH have bought a small number of live traps, but the rest ofthe project is reliant on volunteer and Scottish S PCA effort.

A professional trapper has trained a sm all number of volunteers to carry outthe trapping in line with strict guidelines on animal welfare, and the ScottishSPCA are caring for and relocating all the stoats caught (the first of them isshown above). The stoats are transported to the charitys wildlife rescue centrenear Dunfermline in Fife for temporary care before being released at carefullyselected locations.

If the stoats have only just arrived in Orkney this year, it gives us theopportunity to try and stop them spreading by trapping and moving them backsafely to appropriate areas in m ainland Scotland, commented Gail Churchill fromSNHs Orkney office.

Orkney's natural heritage, especially our native birds and wildlife, areimportant assets and attract m any visitors each year who contribute to theislands economy. This is reason enough for everyone to be concerned about thisthreat and to help remove it quickly.

Further stoat sightings on Orkney can be reported t o SNHs Orkney office on01856 875 302.


12/35


NEWS

Red kites bring business boost

A wildlife project launched in 2003 has brought major economic benefits toDumfries and Galloway, a new report has found.

Visitors to the Galloway Kite Trail have spent a minimum of 21 million in theregion since 2004, with over 2.6 million spent by people who came specificallyto see the kites. The project has also supported some 13 full-time jobs each yearsince it started.

The findings come from a survey carried out among hundreds of visitors to the

trail, which provides a self-guided tour around Loch Ken near Castle Douglas.It promotes a carefully laid out set of destinations for visitors, including red kiteviewing sites, activities and local businesses.

One of those businesses is the CatS trand Arts and Visitor Centre in NewGalloway, where manager Rachel Thompson is enthusiastic ab out the project.Weve been open for three years, she commented, and weve had links withthe Galloway Kite Trail that whole time. I think its quite a unique thing, and wedefinitely get visitors coming in to use our facilities from the trail, which helps usand the village.

Its certainly had an impact, and I think its brought the businesses on the trailtogether. Everyone involved knows that the link is a positive one.

The Galloway Kite Trail was set up following the successful reintroduction ofred kites into Galloway after an absence of 130 years. These graceful birds werepersecuted to extinction in Scotland in the 19th century but have now made acomeback, with the estimated local population now standing at over 270.

Environment minister Roseanna Cunningham said she was delighted to hearabout the success of the project. Im sure t hat everyone who takes the tour isimpressed by the beautiful birds and landscape. This is another example of thevaluable contribution that wildlife-based tourism makes to the S cottish economyand it underlines the importance of looking af ter and enhancing our naturalenvironment.

The RSPB Scotland area manager for Dumfries and Galloway, Chris Rollie,said the community had really embraced the red kites since the reintroductionstarted in 2001. Many local volunteers have been heavily involved along theway, he explained. Now, as well as being able to enjoy seeing the kites in their

day-to-day lives, people here know that the wildlife tourism being generated isbringing a tangible benefit to local businesses.

Its a success story, both for the birds and for the people of Galloway, and itsvery satisfying to see the hard work of so many people really paying off.

The Galloway Kite Trail was developed as a partnership project betweenRSPB Scotland, Forestry Commission Scotland, local farmers and touristbusinesses. It received initial funding support from S NH, VisitScotland andLeader+. Its further development has been funded through Sulwath Connections,a partnership part-funded by Heritage Lottery Fund, Dumfries and GallowayCouncil and SNH.

Dolphin pulling power

Dolphin spotters contribute an estimated 4 million t o Scotlands economy,according to a new survey report.

Aberdeen University researchers examined what impact the east coastbottlenose dolphins had on the tourism sector. They found that dolphin watchingwas a significant reason behind 52,200 overnight trips to the area.

A total of 17,100 people s aid that seeing the creatures was the main reasonfor their visit. The study also found that m ore than 200 jobs in the tourism industrywere generated by overnight trips to see the dolphins.

Dolphins are much-loved inhabitants of Scotlands eastern waters,commented Richard Lochhead, the Governments rural affairs and environmentsecretary, and its little wonder that many thousands of people plan especially tosee them.

But beyond their charm, theyre also a very visible symbol of a healthy andsustainable marine environment. The Marine Scotland Act has been created toprotect our wild species, such as dolphins, while we also ensure that Scotlandcontinues to benefit from the riches contained within our waters.

While dolphins directly add to our tourist income, he added, theyre alsoa delightful symbol of this unique and special environment which we protect,develop and enjoy.

The research was based on a survey of 529 visitors during 2009. In the

summer, most dolphin spotters are from outside Scotland, b ut Scots travel morefrequently for shorter trips at other times of the year.

Rare sea fish find

Europes smallest marine fish has been found in Scottish waters for the first time.Two Shetland divers spotted the tiny fish while surveying marine life around the

islands.Guillets goby (Lebetus guilleti) grows up to only 24 mm in length and the

couple came across it while shore diving off the Lunna Ness peninsula.Its an extremely rare fish and was only described as a species in 1971, with

just three sightings in England and other sparse records from the Mediterranean,northern Spain and one from the Kattegat (between Sweden and Denmark),which was previously the most northerly record.

The species has never been recorded in Scotland before, and this findingextends the known range 225 km farther north. Finding this species in Shetlandmeans that its known range must now take in the whole of the UK.


13/35


NEWS

Caper numbers on the rise

Numbers of a rare woodland grouse have increased in Scotlands national forestsin each of the past four years, despite the species being in decline across thecountry.

The number of male birds displaying at leks the annual competitive matingrituals on Forestry Commission Scotland (FCS) properties reached 61 this year,which compares with only 31 a decade ago.

Capercaillie are found in pinewoods in Grampian, Tayside and the Highlands,where they currently breed in 16 FCS forests. However, the population hasdeclined so rapidly that its now considered to be at real risk of extinction.

FCS species ecologist Kenny Kortland said the increase was the result ofover 10 years of managing forests in ways aimed at improving the conditions forcapercaillie.

Over the last six years weve recorded higher numbers than we did 10 yearsago, he explained, but the last f our years have given us an unbroken year-on-year increase in numbers. If you think that back in 2000 we only counted 31lekking cocks, and this year we counted 27 active leks and a total of 61 lekkingcocks, it looks like all the hard work is paying off.

It just goes to show that it is possible to bring together conservationmanagement of a species with other objectives. In fact, were noticing t hatcapercaillie appear to breed well in pine forests managed for timber production

and we plan to investigate the reasons for this.FCS teams around the country have been striving to support the capercaillie

in the forests where they occur. Their habitat is constantly being improved andthe disturbance from recreational and forestry activity is managed as much aspossible. In addition, staff have removed all fences that are no longer needed andmarked the remaining fences in a bid to stop the birds flying into them.

Biodiversity goes viral

January will see SNH releasing a short animated film about biodiversity onYouTube.

Biodiversity begins with a B is designed to create a social buzz aboutbiodiversity among the Scottish and UK public who have internet access. Itshoped they will view the film and s hare it online via social networks and blogs.

Featuring an upbeat voiceover by comedian Phil Kay and some creativeanimation, the film highlights the importance of bees to biodiversity. It alsodraws attention to a few simple actions growing wild flowers, using fewerpesticides, mowing the lawn less often that we can all take to support bees andbiodiversity in general.

The star of the film is a cartoon bee that we see in a variety of comicsituations, from riding a scooter to a sword fighting duel to the death. Theanimation also features a variety of native wild flowers f avoured by bees, suchas foxglove, harebell and oxeye daisy. Other wildlife appears as well, includinga seven-spot ladybird and large white b utterfly, with the aim of providing anauthentic biodiversity backdrop to the storyline.

YouTube and other video-sharing sites will be carrying the film, and it willbe promoted extensively via Facebook and other social networking sites.Microblogging sites such as Twitter will feature it as well, along with other popularblogs and websites.

Biodiversity begins with a B is part of the Scottish celebration of theInternational Year of Biodiversity. If youd like to find out more about how you canget involved in helping biodiversity, go to www.snh.gov.uk

Borders boost

The top tourist attraction in the Scottish Borders is about to become an evenbigger crowd puller thanks to a multi-million pound investment in visitor facilities.

A major expansion of the services at Glentress in the Tweed Valley Forest Parkis due to open in spring 2011. Forestry Commission Scotland (FCS) are creatingthe new facilities to cope with ever increasing demand at Glentress. It alreadyattracts over 300,000 visitors a year who come to enjoy excellent mountainbiking, forest walks and wildlife watching.

The new facilities will be known as the Glentress Peel Visitor Centre and willconsist of four buildings an orientation building with osprey viewing centre andexhibition space; a caf with outdoor decking that overlooks ponds; a bike shopwith hire service; and offices with business and training facilities.

Partly funded by FCS, Scottish Enterprise and sportscotland, the buildings willsit in 12 acres of landscaped woodland and open space. Locally sourced timberis being used to create the structures and a woodfuel boiler is being inst alled toprovide hot water and heat for all the buildings.


14/35


Give us your best!

If youd like to send in yostories of wild encountethem to [email protected]

Remember to includyou live and s ome backon any pictures submittyourself to only three enper issue. If youre sendhave children in them, tpermission from a pareneach child in the picture

In contributing to ThScotlandyou agree to gnon-exclusive use of yoway we want and in any

However, youll still to everything you contrito publish your name alopublished. SNH cannotpictures will be used anright to edit any materia

nks for another great response to our requestmages and stories of wild encounters. Yout in some wonderful submissions again andow are some of the entries that weve selectedPlease keep them coming. Email your imagesstories to [email protected]

nspired by nature

Rolling harewinter I spent a day photographingup of mountain hares on the hills ideCarn Aosda and the Glen Shee skiIt can take hours to get close, but theyually became used to me being there.a while, they more or less ig nored mearried on as normal. This hare decidedve a good roll in the snow after wakingteve Gardner, KirriemuirHungry deerwas taken outside the Kings House

at Glen Coe in early January. Thesery deer were down feeding in the carat 8.00am. Elaine Findlay, GlasgowHawfinchwaiting for a goosander to return to

her nesting hole when I observed a malehawfinch attempting to drink from a dried-uppuddle. I got a bucket of water, filled up thepuddle and was rewarded with capturing thehawfinch having a drink and eventually thegoosander returning to her nest. It's true thatyou can't script nature, but you can give it ahelping hand! Eric Patrick, Inverness

4 Holly blue

I was photographing bumblebees in mygarden when I noticed this holly bluebutterfly. I believe its a first for the Falkirkarea. As I had only seen this species oncebefore and that was in s outhern England I emailed the photo to the ButterflyConservation Trust. They confirmed that itwas indeed a holly blue and theyve had only

one other record of this butterfly in Scotlandand that was in Edinburgh.Angus Smith, Boness

5 Spying on the hutThis image was taken at Loch Ard on afrosty spring morning. The location is verypopular with photographers and the water isoften very still, allowing great reflections.Derek Wells, Glasgow

6 SilhouettesI was sitting for ages on a moor inPerthshire when I took this, having startedexperimenting with different ways ofcapturing the evening light and grasssilhouettes. I love the effect of the lostperspective, as if the grass could be talltrees! Amelia Calvert, Edinburgh

21

3

6

5


15/35


EurositegatheringOver 110 delegates from 16 countries cametogether for an international conference atDunblane in September. They gathered to look atthe challenges of managing protected areas in thecontext of an increasingly dynamic and changingenvironment.

Those taking part highlighted the importance and value ofprotected areas as safe refuges f or species that are underincreasing stress from a range of factors, in particular climatechange.

Among the speakers were experts in uplands, forest,marine, coastal and wetland sites from Spain, France, theNetherlands, Slovenia, Wales and Scotland.

Among the key points raised by delegates were: Managing in a changing environment is extremely

complex. Climate change, in particular, needs flexible andsensible management strategies.

The Natura 2000 network of protected sites acrossEurope is central to halting biodiversity loss. Each site isimportant individually and as part of the largest networkof natural areas in the world. There are opportunities toimprove how the Natura 2000 network is managed.

Better public communication is essential to ensuregreater understanding of why sites provide vital spacefor nature. This is key to selling natures needs to thewider public, to communicate the case for resources fornature conservation, better explain how resources areused and say why sites matter.

The needs of biodiversity and nature should be keyfactors in decision making and not considered anoptional extra in sectors traditionally less concerned withthe environment and nature conservation.

With 70 member organisations from 23Europe, Eurosite is one of the leading netwmanaging Europes nature. The Eurosite nein the exchange of practical information, exexpertise to build site based know-how.

SNH chief executive, Ian Jardine, recenthree-year term as president of Eurosite anHenkjan Kievit, said the excellent interactioconference had been thought-provoking a

Its been a privilege to see and enjoy Sassets, he commented, and to meet so mdedicated to protecting Scotlands wonde

Eurosite provides a great opportunity fand helps to inform and influence internatioinvolved in managing nature.

nspired by nature

e wave

wave known as Thurso East is an enigma. It shouldn'tere. Given its qualities, it belongs to the north shore

ahu in Hawaii or maybe Indonesia at the very leastralia. But no, there it is at the northern tip of our island.locks of ice drift out of the nearby river to bump againstboard as you sit in the line-up on a February morning,ng with water temperatures of five degrees and a balmyuary wind of perhaps force three. But it's all worth it; it's

bout the ride. Thurso East is just one of those waves,ubtedly world class, possibly in the top 20 waves in the

d.he ultimate thing to do as a surfer is get inside theder of water called the tube, and then make it out of without having a devastating encounter with the seaor the wave attempting to drown you. Waves that tubeto do so too rapidly for a surfer to ride. Usually, all the of the wave lifts the lip at the same time; it curls over

a great line of lip breaks all at once. Surfers call thesees close-outs. If you're a really good surfer, close-outsbe fun for a short spell in the tube, but there's no chanceaking it out of there, and it's nothing to write homet. Youll invariably end up with a faceful of sand, or atery least a beating, best understood if you imaginegetting stuck in a washing machine and think how itd feel during the spin cycle.very so often, theres a place where the countlessrs that may affect how a wave breaks come together toe a wave about which surfers dream. There are a wholee of different variables, and if any of them were missingit would turn your spot into no m ore than a reasonablek. These variables include having just the right terraine sea bed; swells created by regular storms more thankms away (any closer and the swell just doesn't lineorrectly); occasional offshore winds; a reasonable tidale; water temperatures that modern wetsuit technologyllow you to survive; a lack of pollution; a sea bedsn't made of something which would maim you on aible punishing contact; and not so many resident surferscompetition has made catching a wave a pursuit fors only.

t Thurso East, all of these variables have come togethere surfers favour and what you get is an unforgettab leThe images of its dual coloured barrels (caused by theow of a peaty river mixing with the blue North Sea) have

many a surfer's juices flowing to the extent that they'llon a 14-hour drive to get there from Cornwall, if there'sourable forecast. They do it all because of what theyine might await them.peed is the big s urprise. You take the drop down theof the wave which considering the tube that follows

isn't all that challenging or hollow, but it gives you a wholelot of speed. That's the thing I remember about first surfingthere. Other waves were fun or exciting or even beautiful, butI had never experienced speed like that. I mean hair-flapping-against-your-ears fast, bulging your eyes out in alarm, aheightened feeling in your chest, the raw speed buzz thathooks swathes of petrol heads, skiers and lugists, and is thebasis of so many addictions and sports. Back when I firstrode it, my inexperience meant that I wasn't mak ing the mostof the tube: the thrill of t he pure speed caused me to outrunit.

With experience, I learnt to do a big cut back or stalland set myself up for the flight through that multi-colouredbarrel of joy. Its an experience that, no matter how manytimes you repeat it, seems unique and special. It makesyou smile to think about it. You get the feeling that youvetested your mettle and gained insight into great energy and

unfathomable, unworldly beauty by doing so. Like manysurfers, I know I find myself d ay-dreaming about surfingwaves that I imagine, or re-living those that Ive ridden. Yet,even now when I'm in the water, I have to steel myself togo for the tube. Theres an inbuilt defence mechanism thatbegs you to pull off the back, to go straight, anything but putyourself in there. But when I do, and especially when I makeit through, it really is something to write home about.

Duncan Pepper

1

Delegates at the conferenreception in The Great Ha

2

There were field trips to a nature reserves, includingdelegates could speak to management issues.


16/35


Great expectationsn the glen

Glenfeshie Estate in the Cairngorms has long had a highpublic profile. Now, thanks to hard graft and a bold vision,one of the most exciting nature restoration projects inScotland is taking shape. Kenny Nelson of SNH reports


17/35


Nestling along the western edge ofCairngorms, Glenfeshie Estate emb173 sq km of mountain plateau, heapine woodland and fast flowing rive

This richness of landscape has led to the gthe jewel in the crown of the Cairngorms.now attracts a long list of conservation deestate forms a key part of the Cairngorms

Glenfeshie has been run as a sporting early 1800s, first finding fame when Queevisit, and then being muse and backdrop fSir Edwin Landseer. Traditional sporting mestate has recently taken a new direction, aim of letting nature achieve its full p otentito summit.

Standing tall among the natural riches woodland scattered along the bottom of ththese trees are granny pines, comprising individuals that have survived the last 200 These trees are all that remain of what wobeen a much larger network of woodlandsForest would have grown in the deeper sothe low ground, but it would have been panature, with lots of clearings and open sp a

On the higher ground, the forest wouldchanged into a low-growing cover of gnarundersized trees, made up of pine, birch, wThese would have been more able to copeand thinning soils.

Higher still, on the mountain tops, dwarclung to the land. These wee trees survivamong the carpet of mountain mosses andincluded the now extremely rare mountain

Critical point

The Scots pine woodlands were one of theGlenfeshie came to public attention recenshelter and food in the woods and, especispring, can browse heavily on young saplinnew generations of trees to replace the agwas becoming critical and, if it had continuto the total loss of the woodland.

Glenfeshie was declared a priority sitedamage to the natural vegetation, and the 10-year agreement with the former Deer CScotland (DCS) to control deer numbers. of controversy when the DCS stepped in wcull at the end of January 20 04, all the othled and paid for b y the estate. The agreemhailed a success.

1

A solitary grannypine on low ground inthe glen. These ancienttrees can provide theseed for futuregenerations ofScots pine.

2Glenfeshie has the

largest and bestknown braided riverin the country, wherethe water flows inseveral shallow,interconnectedchannels.

3

Deer numbers havebeen reduced in theGlenfeshie woodsto a level where theanimals no longercause damage.

Gleann Feisidh nan siantan!

Leam bu mhiann bhith nad fhasgadh,

Far am faighinn a bhroighleag,

An oighreag, s an dearcag,

Cnothan cruinn air a challtainn,

S iasg dearg air na h-easan.

Glen Feshie of the storm-blasts!

Within thy shelter would I wish to be;

Where I would find the whortleberry,

The cloudberry and the blackberry,

Round nuts on the hazels,

And red fish in the linns.

From The Poetry of Badenoch(1906) by Rev. Thomas Sinton

3


18/35


Woodland doubling

Over the next five years, the estate hopes to more thandouble the area of native woodland from the existing1,900 hectares to over 4,000 hectares. The underlyingrocks mean Glenfeshies soils are richer than other parts ofthe Cairngorms and these in turn support a wider variety ofplants. The estate predicts that, under the right conditions,up to 16,000 hectares of woodland and scrub coulddevelop on Glenfeshie. Their maps paint a picture of thisfuture landscape a mosaic of pine and birch merging intomountain woodlands and hill summits.

This restoration project is ambitious in scale, but it alsoreflects the whole philosophy of the estate. Culls to reducenumbers are a nasty job, Thomas admitted, b ut Im verycomfortable with our vision and really proud to be given thisopportunity of cathedral thinking1.

Primarily, Id like to congratulate my team. Weve notalways seen eye to eye on this reduction, but its been avery considerable team effort and change is difficultfor some.

Our aim is to maximise the potential of this estate in

every way. We want all the different climate zones to showgood examples of their natural habitats. We want the wildlifeto thrive and deer to be the true sculptors of the forest onceagain. Its our belief that this is going to help us deliver atop-quality experience for our clients and visitors.

Whatever we do, whether its removing andrestructuring old, ugly plantation woodlands or repairingpaths, tracks and buildings, we want to do it in a way thatwill improve the quality of this very wonderful and specialplace, while maintaining local employment.

Achieving this vision costs money and will require a biginvestment from the landowner. The benefits, however, willgo far beyond the boundaries of Glenfeshie.

The regenerating woodlands along the riverbankswill help freshwater life, including the Atlantic salmon, afish which helps sustain the local economy. The return ofwoodland and a more natural tree line will encourage morewildlife and add beauty to the landscape. And the newlandscape of the glen will also improve the condition of thedeer.

Were just the custodians of this beautiful glen, addedThomas. Woodlands develop over several human lifetimes,and its a real challenge to set in motion a long-term vision.After all, the fruits of todays labour will only become a realitydecades, perhaps even centuries, into the future.

Slowly, but surely, the Glenfeshie plan is taking shape.

he new approach to deer management has seen estate staff targeting thecull and focusing their efforts around the woodlands. Theyve reduced theity of deer in these areas, allowing them to graze there but not in numberswould cause damage. In essence, the estate staff are acting like a topator such as the wolf controlling deer numbers throughout the year andust during the traditional hunting period.his is paying dividends in terms of the woodland condition. You can nowa healthy pulse of new pine and birch trees coming through to replace their

parents. From the estates viewpoint, theyre still able to take an incometraditional stalking, but theyre also improving the quality of the ground.nder the current owner, this recovery is set to take a major step forward.

ers Holch Povlsen is a Dane who has owned Glenfeshie since 2006.ther with estate manager Thomas MacDonell, he has a vision to improveariety of nature across the whole estate.hey have a major plan to further expand and improve the woodlands on theground and also restore the mountain woodlands growing higher up theWherever possible, natural regeneration from existing trees and shrubs wille favoured method, but planting will be used to kick-start the process in

es where a seed source is missing.Woodland along the burns and rivers will be restored, and pockets of rarer

ies such as aspen, holly and oak will be created where the right soils occur. All of this is dependent on the estate staff continuing to control the

numbers, as the aim is to restore the habitats by getting deer numbers toal not agricultural densities rather than fencing them out.

4Estate managerThomas MacDonelladmires some of thenaturally regeneratingpines now appearingamong the Glenfeshieheather.

5

Woolly willow is a rareupland plant. Only 13populations remain inScotland, one of whichis Glenfeshie. It'sfound only oninaccessible ledges,away from grazing.

Nursery grownseedlings have beenplanted to boost thecolony in the hope itwill expand naturally.

6

Glenfeshie is involvedwith the project to fitsatellite transmitterson young eagles in theCairngorms NationalPark and then tracktheir movements andbehaviour.

1 Cathedral thinking is a term that describes thetask that will be completed long after the li fetime of tIt was originally applied to the grand and enduring was Notre Dame in Paris, which took over 200 years to

You can now see ahealthy pulse of newpine and birch treescoming through toreplace their agedparents.

Glenfeshie


19/35


new campaign aims to openoples eyes to the benefits ofcycling more

Zeroing inon waste

r wondered just how much waste costs us?give you some idea, across the UK, we throwy an estimated 13 billion plastic bottles each

r. When you consider how much waste canecycled, thats an incredible amount beingnerated or sent to landfill.

s why, in 2011, the Scottish Government have settious targets in their Zero Waste Plan for Scotland.aim is to have 40% of household waste recycled orposted this year, increasing to 50% by 2013, and 70%025.he plan declares we need to recognise that everythingse and throw away is a resource with a value, and weld try to preserve, capture and use that value againever possible. This is what a zero waste Scotland

ns not a country where we never throw anything away,new approach to making the most effective use of all

urces.s you might imagine, this means all of us need tocle more and throw away less. And thats where a newtish Government campaign comes in.ecember sees the launch of a two-month campaignaring on television, radio, outdoor posters and online.e will also be road shows in shopping centres andrmarkets throughout Scotland.he campaign aims to encourage the Scottish public

eady naturally resourceful to recycle more kinds ofs, more often. It reminds us that its not rubbish if youcle and demonstrates that recycled items can comeagain and again.y showing just how many materials can be recycled,ampaign makes it easier to identify what we should alloing. It also shows the reincarnation of materials asrent, useful everyday items.

Another life

Lively, memorable characters have been created from boxes,

cartons, bottles and cans, all representing items that can berecycled. Each has animated eyes and a personality that willencourage us all to think twice about throwing things awaythat could have another life.

The television ad uses state-of-the-art CGI animation tocreate funny and likeable characters including a talkingcardboard box who tells us about all of his past lives thanksto the efforts of resourceful people in Scotland.

The campaign also features cans and shows whatthey can be recycled into. Although only around 50%of aluminium cans are currently recycled, they can betransformed into building materials or even car parts.

We also see how glass can be given another life asall-new glass bottles and jars. Glass can be recycled againand again, and containers made from recycled glass areof exactly the same quality as those made from new rawmaterials.

And did you know glass can be recycled into concretepaving, construction aggregate and even golf course sand?

In your area

As well as an advertising campaign, there will also be roadshows in your local area. Its your opportunity to find outmore about the campaign. You can also find out how you

can get involved, and do your bit to help Scotland reach itszero waste target. At the road show, a waste adviser andtrained staff will be available to discuss your local recyclinginitiatives and collection facilities.

Interested? Visit www.sort-it.org.ukto find out the datesfor road shows in your area as well as the location of yournearest recycling facilities. Remember, its not rubbish whenyou recycle!

More reasons to recycle mo

Its 20 times more efficient to mcans from recycled aluminium materials.

Recycling one glass bottle savenergy to power your computeminutes.

Plastic bottles can become bicompost bins, or even fleece j


20/35

www.snh.gov.uk

1

Green to be leanlic sector bodies have to make tackling climate change a priority.

s the message from the Government, who have issued new guidelines topublic bodies meet their responsibilities.

One of the organisations that will be expected to take a lead on this is SNH.

ve repeatedly made it clear that we view climate change as the b iggest singlet facing Scotlands natural heritage.

Scotlands nature is particularly vulnerable to the effects of climate change,ained Ian Jardine, SNH chief executive. That gives our organisation aial responsibility to lead efforts to reduce carbon emissions and our overallonmental footprint.At the moment, were only in the foothills of the challenges ahead. Wereng to plan for a future based on the need to adapt to climate change. Our

ent target is to reduce emissions by four per cent annually, which is ambitious.were determined to achieve it.

In the last five years, our carbon managgreening efforts have deeply cut our carboemissions. Weve nearly halved our paper introduction of video conferencing has helnumber of work miles that our staff drive b

Some of the other measures put in placorganisation greener include replacing thein Golspie with a new office heated b y a cheating system using local wood pellets. Woffice with four other public bodies, so wecut their carbon footprint too. Three SNH vhave also been refurbished with better insuefficiency, and two of them now have grousystems.

The SNH Battleby office and conferenPerth was also refurbished to make it morewith ground-source and solar water heatinintroduced. And this year we fitted a new wheating system, replacing oil and supportinrenewable fuels. All in all, our current renewsystems save us about 270 tonnes of CO12% of our total.

In addition, weve cut the number of S Nany new cars bought being much more fuewith much lower CO

2emissions. This has

policy that encourages public transport usUK mainland air travel.

The result of all these measures is that carbon footprint has been radically reducetrack to save 500,000 by 2013 through measures.

The Scottish Parliament voted last yeaambitious climate change targets anywheradded. As an organisation, weve developvision for 2020 and beyond, and were coby example in public s ector carbon and enmanagement.

I have to say that our staff have been fsupport of our carbon management plan. Fat our Lerwick office in Shetland applied gpractices over several years to the extent tachieve a 40% reduction in electricity use

Were therefore confident that we cancarbon organisation, leading the way by cua minimum and locking up large amounts obenefit of nature and the people of Scotla

You can find out more about our green

work on the SNH website www.snh.gov.u

e Government are asking the public sector toow leadership in tackling climate change. So hown public bodies cut carbon as well as costs?

1Five public bodiesshare a new office inGolspie, which has alighting and ventilation

system that constantlyadapts to suit theoutdoor and indoorconditions.

2A new wood pelletheating system hasbeen introduced at ourBattleby office outsidePerth.

3Video conferencingbrings substantial costand carbon savings.

2

3



21/35

www.snh.gov.uk

Fetterdale

Morton

Garpit

Shanwell

GreatSlack

Great Slackentrance

Daves Gateentrance

Soen

Northern Beachentrance

Kissinggate

Ice House

WindPump

Visitor

shelter

F i r t h o f

TenPo

MortonLochs

Taypor

tHeath

Dunes

Woodland

Forest plantation

Defence relics

Suggested route

Forest track

Reserve boundary

Information point

Viewpoint

Picnic area

Parking

Bird hide

B945

To Tayport

To Tayport

To St Michaels

0 1kilometres

0 1miles

1

2

34

5

67

8


Head for the Firth of Tay this winter to discover huge

gatherings of sea duck, waders and wildfowl, as well asgangs of grey and common seals. The offshore sand andmud flats of Tentsmuir National Nature Reserve, along withthe dunes and heath, provide ideal conditions for a vastrange of wildlife at this time of year

Some 10 km north of St Andrews in Fife lies TentsmNature Reserve. This reserve offers the visitor a chanmiles of shifting sand dunes and windswept beach, wcan check out the wetland wonders of Morton Lochs

The reserves name dates back to the mid 1780s when open monto this dramatic coastline. A Danish fleet, shipwrecked off thethe beach and set up their tents on the land behind, giving rise Moor. Today, the moorland has been replaced by a working foretrees, with a choice of waymarked routes that you can enjoy on

There are various ways into the reserve. The main access is Commission Scotland car park at Kinshaldy, off the A919 Leucroad. From here you can walk through the forest or along the shPoint. Theres another car park near to Lundin Bridg e in the easwhere you can take the shore route to Tayport Heath and Tentshead through the forest to Morton Lochs.

You can also reach the Morton Lochs part of the reserve froTayport to St Michaels road, and this is the entrance that we suextended walk. The route is about 14 k m (8.75 miles) long and the lochs, through the forest and along the beach to Tentsmuir Tayport Heath. If you dont want to do the whole walk, then you first few stopping points and then head back the way you came

waymarked paths and tracks through the f orest, but there are nthe beach. Use the numbered map and directions in the text to

1Tentsmuir Point isone of Scotlandsmost dynamiclandscapes. Swirlingcurrents and turningtides constantlymove the sand andcreate newshorelines andsandbars.

Sea, sandand shifting shores

1

www.snh.gov.uk


22/35

The Nature of Scotland www.snh.gov.uk The Nature of Scotland

2Morton Lochs arefringed with reeds,which provide shelterand protection forhuge numbers ofbreeding and winteringwildfowl.

3Both grey and commonseals gather in theirhundreds on thesandbanks alongTentsmuir Point.

4The goosander is thelargest duck inScottish waters. Itsmainly a freshwaterbird, but in winter somemove into shelteredestuaries like the Tay.

5The most seriousthreat to the native redsquirrel is theAmerican grey squirrel.The grey outcompetesthe red for food andcan carry squirrel poxvirus, which is deadlyto red squirrels.

4

walk starts at the car park next to the wildlife hides that overlook Mortons. Local landowners created these three small lochs from existing wetlands

e early 1900s to provide f reshwater fishing. However, the open water quicklycted large numbers of breeding and wintering wildfowl. Today, you may beenough to see scarce birds such as k ingfisher, little grebe and even white-

d sea eagle. The big winter attraction, though, is the tiny teal ducks, whicher in their hundreds on the food-rich sheltered water. Look out too for theent otters, which have managed to rear triplets here in three of the last six

s.

ng Morton Lochs, head for the coast along the forest track s ignposted Icese. As you wander along, be sure to check out the branches above. Theres ae population of red squirrels in Tentsmuir Forest, with many sightings aroundon Lochs and in the wooded areas behind Tentsmuir Point. The forest is a redrel protection zone, which means its a focus for conservation management.aim is to prevent grey squirrels becoming established here and threateningeds, so theres a programme to trap any g rey squirrels and remove them fromorest.

n you reach the edge of the forest, head over to the right and youll seeemains of an old stone b uilding down by the beach. This is the Ice House,h was built in 1888 to keep locally caught salmon fresh. Ice houses were sethe ground to protect the walls f rom the heat of the sun, with the ice beingcted and stored during the winter. Local fishermen used to catch the salmon

ake nets fixed in the waters nearby. The salmon were then wrapped in the iceshipped quickly from Tayport to London to attract the highest prices.

Head northwards and look out to sea you may well find that youre beingeyeballed by some inquisitive seals! Tentsmuir is one of the few places on theeast coast of Scotland where both grey and common seals are found together.Estimates over the last six years suggest that the grey seal population here p eaksat around 1,000 and the common seals at about 200. As you approach TentsmuirPoint, youre likely to see large groups of seals hauled out and resting on theAbertay Sands and on the foreshore.

Around Tentsmuir Point youll be able to look over at one of the most importantsites in Scotland for migratory waders and wildfowl. The extensive offshoresand and mud flats provide ideal roosting and feeding conditions for migratoryand wintering bird species. The site is esp ecially important during the winter forgoosander, red-breasted merganser, common scoter and long-tailed duck, whileover 4,000 eider gather offshore and feed on the nearby mussel beds. In addition,some 4,000 pink-footed geese regularly roost on the northern foreshore and barsin the reserve.

5

3


23/35


Tentsmuir is one ofover 50 nationalnature reserves inScotland. Find outmore at www.nnr-scotland.org.uk.

6The tidal mudflats atTentsmuir providefertile feeding groundsfor huge numbers ofwading birds andwildfowl during thewinter.

7Youngsters creatingsand art on Tentsmuirbeach.


Tentsmuir Point, head back towards the forest and proceed along itsern edge. Continue alongside the forest for a while and then head over onto

oreshore. This takes you down to Tayport Heath and the River Tay, with greats over to Monifieth, Broughty Ferry and Dundee. Out beyond the mudflats see a number of islands or scalps in the river. These were artificiallyed when trading ships dumped ballast overboard in the 18th century. Thest usually consisted of pantiles, which explains why prudent Fifers still haveles on their roofs!

inue towards Tayport and youll pass the highest dune in this area. Then itswards the old meteorological station, with good views over the waders andowl on the mudflats. Finally, turn left at the forest edge and head down, withorest on your left and a farm on your right. Eventually, youll meet the trackwill take you back to Morton Lochs.

Essential information

The Tentsmuir NNR boundary lies some 4 km east of Tayportor 2.5 km north of the Forestry Commission Scotland carpark (which is signposted Tentsmuir Forest and beach), offthe A919 Tayport to Leuchars road. Several forest walksbegin at the Kinshaldy car park, which also has a picnic siteand toilets. Parking charge for cars is 1.00. The MortonLochs car park is off the B9 45 St Michaels to Tayport road.Visit www.travelinescotland.com for information aboutusing public transport to reach the reserve.

OS maps

Landranger 59 (St Andrews)Explorer 371 (St Andrews & East Fife)

Trail length

14 km (8.75 miles)

TerrainThere are all ability paths around Morton Lochs. The start ofthe walk is on a wide but rough forestry track. The route alsotakes in bare sand dunes and the beach itself. Gradients aremostly low, but there are some short slopes over the dunesand on the forest track.

Dogs

Please follow the Scottish Outdoor Access Code and localguidance at the reserve. Take extra care to avoid disturbing

more sensitive birds and animals, particulabreeding season, when you need to keep yclose control or on a short lead around forloch shores and the seashore. A short leadtwo metres, and under close control meaable to respond to your commands and is

Further information

The various parts of the reserve are open aSNH offer a programme of guided walks aevents, while FCS provide parking and picKinshaldy, along with information panels. YSNH on 01382 553 704 or FCS on 0135can pick up a copy of the SNH or FCS leacar park. Alternatively, download them at wpubs/detail.asp?id=281 or www.forestrtentsmuirleafletmap.pdf/$FILE/tentsm

Nearby natural attractionsEden Estuary Local Nature Reserve lies nemecca of St Andrews. It features a rich lanmudflats, sandbanks and saltmarshes, whimillions of tiny plants and animals. These ifood for thousands of birds. The Eden EstGuardbridge provides a comfortable viewpof seeing large numbers of g rey plover, oydunlin and pink-footed goose in winter. Thholds the countrys largest numbers of blac

northern shore of Tentsmuir is one of the fastest growing parts of Scotland.d is still being deposited at Tentsmuir Point and the land is moving out intoea at a rate of five metres a year. The growth rate was particularly rapid in980s when some parts g rew seawards by some 15 metres each year. Thisy dynamic system will continue to change naturally, making it a really usefule to study the processes that mould beaches and coasts. By way of contrast,mid section of the reserve reached its widest point in the mid 1980s; now thes making inroads, plucking sand back to the deeps.


24/35

The Nature of Scotland www.snh.gov.ukThe Nature of Scotland www.snh.gov.uk

pping out

st 100 people attended a seriese walks on Barra this summer,

h were organised to celebratenational Year of Biodiversity 2010.weekly walks were organised andy Jonathan Grant, the Nationalfor Scotland warden for Mingulay

Berneray.onathan arranged a variedramme and each walk exploredhistory, archaeology and naturalry at different locations, includingarry, Vatersay, Tangasdale anddale. The walks were attended bylocals and visitors and turnout was

essive, especially on the last walkngasdale when 36 people came

g.his is the first summer programmecally organised walks to takee on Barra since ranger servicesd in 2003. The popularity of

e walks demonstrates their appealsitors and local residents alike.result, Jonathan has been ableganise walks into October, wellnd the traditional island summer

st season. These walks continueract local people who want to getoors and enjoy the heritage on theirstep. Its hoped there will be furtherrtunities to develop similar locally

nised events on Barra in the f uture.

Its criminal

There was both good and bad newsfor the freshwater pearl mussels of

Lewis and Harris recently. The goodnews is that a previously undiscoveredpopulation was found in a burn onthe east of the island. The bad news:it wasnt actually an undiscoveredpopulation.

A follow-up visit by a mussel expertfound large numbers of empty shellsscattered at various points alongthe bank, showing that the site wasclearly already known to pearl fishers.Thankfully, there are still some musselspresent, including, most importantly,juveniles, suggesting the presence ofa viable population. The site will becarefully watched from now on to try toprotect the mussels from being furtherexploited.

This recent pearl mussel kill followsother similar reports from Harris andother west coast sites in recent years.It puts further pressure on an animalwhich, though long-lived, is extremelyvulnerable to persecution.

Pearl fishing continues, despite it

being a criminal offence to disturb, t ake,injure or kill pearl mussels. Anyone withinformation or who sees any suspiciousactivity, such as those searching inrivers with glass-bottom buckets, orpiles of shells in or near rivers, shouldcontact their local police station.

Gunnerabashing

Harris is well known for its unspoiltbeaches, turquoise waters, rugged

landscape and beautiful scenery. Its notso famous for the jungle habitat thatssprung up in patches here over the last20 years or so.

Gunnera tinctorais an invasive giantrhubarb plant native to South America,which was introduced as an ornamentalplant to some gardens in the 1980s.Unfortunately, its proved very adaptableand has started to spread across theisland, thriving in our peaty soils andwet climate. The Gunneracan out-compete the native plants of the islandand could have a harmful effect in thelong term on the wildlife of Harris.

The North Harris ranger servicehave therefore been trialling varioustechniques to try to control this alienspecies. Once theyve identifiedthe most effective methods for saferemoval, the Gunnerainvasion canbe tackled before it becomes toowidespread.

Well have our work cut out forseveral years before we can make

a significant improvement to thisproblem, observed North Harris Trustranger Robin Reid. If anyone would liketo volunteer their help with our project,wed be very interested to hear fromthem. Email Robin [email protected]

NH Area Newsestern Islesspondents: Tracey Begg, Mark MacDonald, Roddy MacMinn

BULB planting

A small community group, based inLochwinnoch, are taking action to

conserve Scotlands only native poplartree. The aspen is disappearing fromScottish woods, and in Strathclydeand Ayrshire it now grows in only afew places.

BULB have been growing andplanting new aspen trees for the lastfour years. Theyve collected cuttingsfrom Argyll to Dumfries and Galloway,and they now have one of the largestcollections in Scotland.

But this beautiful tree is good notjust for wildlife. BULB have receivedfunding for a two-year research projectto look at how the species can b e usedto clean up the soil at an old steelworkssite in Ayrshire.

We hope to show that not onlycan aspen trees be used to clean uppolluted land, but also they can beused by local communities as wood forfuel or even furniture, explained PeterLivingstone from BULB. If successful,we could use aspen right across theCentral Belt to help create the Central

Scotland Green Network.

Special places

The Clyde and Avon Valley LandscapePartnership (CAVLP) is a Heritage

Lottery funded project. It aims toconserve, improve and celebrate theunique landscape and cultural heritageof the Clyde and Avon valleys.

Over the coming year, local peoplewill be encouraged to share memoriesof the rich history and culture of thearea. They can learn about what makestheir local landscape unique, as well asdevelop traditional rural skills, throughvolunteering and training opportunities.Theyll also be asked to suggestideas for projects that will improveand protect the landscape for futuregenerations.

The landscape of the Clydeand Avon Valleys is very special,commented Maggie Botham, CAVLPmanager. We hope this project willprovide a focus for communities tohelp shape its future. Well be writing aLandscape Action Plan that will capturewhat local people value in the Clydeand Avon river valleys.

If youd like to find out more about

the project, contact the CAVLP team on01555 663 430.

SNH Area NewsStrathclyde and AyrshireCorrespondent: Sarah Watts

Swan river

Every year up to 200 travel to Renfrewshire

Now their annual visitcelebrated in stainedthe Renfrew Health aCentre. Children fromand Inchinnan Primarwith artist Anne Fergartwork.

The area around River near Renfrew isfor the whooper swanDave Lang of SNH. the lakes and rivers infrozen solid, so they hwarmer here and the never freezes over.

There are also plplants for the swans tleftover grain and grafields. Thats why moanywhere else in Sco

The artwork is onebeen created at the nsocial work centre. Econnection between the place where they

Lindsay Blair, art projits very appropriate there too.


25/35


Our latest publications

2011 Calendar

Beneath our seas exists a wealth of marine life, rich in colour andwith many fascinating ways to survive. Yet, apart from those fewwho venture under water as divers or scientists, most people willbe unfamiliar with the hidden treasures of Scotlands seas.

Our 2011 calendar aims to shine a light on some of these eye-catching creatures and explain why theyre special. It also pointsto how we can ensure theyll be around for future generations todiscover and enjoy.

2011 is an important year for Scotlands seas, as many of theprovisions of the new Scottish and UK Marine Acts are introduced.This will mean a brand-new marine planning system, together witha suite of marine protected areas and streamlined marine licensingand seals protection.

As ever, our calendar sets out to explore vital issues whilefeaturing magnificent photography. Its the perfect place to keeptrack of all your 2011 dates, while enjoying a series of thought-provoking and striking images all year long.

The publication is available in two formats as a large wall

calendar at 6 or a small d esktop calendar at 3.

Wildcats

The latest title in the Naturally Scottish series is Wildcats . Thislavishly illustrated booklet focuses on the only native memberof the cat family still l iving in the UK today. Its believed to be adescendant of continental European wildcat ancestors, colonisingBritain following the last ice age (7,0009,000 years ago).

The earliest fossil remains of the wildcat were found in Berkshire.After the last ice age, the wildcat could be found across mainlandBritain. However, when Britains forests started to recede, thewildcat began to disappear f rom much of its range. By 1800 it wasalready restricted to northern England, Wales and Scotland. By1880 the wildcat survived only in Scotland, and by 1915 its rangewas restricted to the north of Scotland.

The book uses a rich mix of photography and illustration to tellthe story of one of our rarest mammals. This substantial publicationis priced at 7.95 and can be ordered online.

You can order copies of SNH publications via the SN H website. You can also buy our publications in person from thereception area of our SNH Battleby office outside Perth or tel: 01738 444 177.

en to all

g Meagaidh is one of Scotlandsremote national nature reserves,

were keen to open up the reservewide an audience as possible.uring the summer, we put in aork of all-abilities paths, along withmation boards describing some ofg Meagaidhs animals and plants.

ve also expanded the car park, and are resting places and picnics to promote the simple pleasuresopping for a while and enjoying the

programme of events has beend out too, with a celebration of theves natural and human heritagering in October. The red deer rutn progress so the roaring, chasingousting of the stags providedatural backdrop. Highlight of theral heritage was a visit to the-century dry stone wall, whichs the boundary between LochaberBadenoch and the parishes ofan and Kilmonivaig. Rising toabove 610 metres, it divides theve in two.

Stranger danger

A stranger has appeared in theshallows of Loch Flemington, near

Nairn. The New Zealand pygmy weedis a minutely flowered, mat-formingplant that was first imported to theUK for sale in the late 1920s. By theearly 1950s, it had escaped from theconfines of ornamental collections andturned up in sheltered freshwaters andponds.

The loch features a great range ofnative wildlife, including rare Slavoniangrebes and colourful great-crestednewts. The pygmy weed grows ina thick surface layer and stops thesunlight breaking through to theshallow waters. This cuts off oneof the essential natural conditionsneeded for the healthy survival of thelocal residents.

Efforts to control the weed werehampered by the fact that minutefragments of leaves and stems canproduce viable plants that can alsooverwinter. However, field trials by theInstitute of Ecology and Hydrologyand SNH have discovered at least

one method of control that is provingsuccessful. By covering the plantswith plastic sheeting, rafts of plantsare starved of sunlight, eventuallysending them to a watery grave.

NH Area Newsst Highlandspondents: David Carstairs, Kenny Nelson

Showcasing nature

A new nature yearbook called Go Wildin Wester Rossprovides a colourful

insight into Highland wildlife. Theyearbook showcases the plants andanimals that you can discover in a rangeof places from coastal rockpools,woods and mountains to moorlands,boglands and freshwater. You can alsofind out more about crofting and thelinks it has with the landscape andwildlife.

Charting the wildlife from month tomonth, it shows that even in the depthsof winter theres lots of nature out thereto enjoy. Theres also a variety of mapsto point you in the direction of the bestplaces to visit to see wildlife.

Wester Ross Environment Network(WREN) produced the guide, aided bya whole range of people, including localprimary school children, who addedartwork and poetry. Local biologists andrangers also helped to compile factsabout the local wildlife, including boththe familiar and the more obscure.

The book is on sale at variousoutlets throughout Wester Ross and

proceeds from the sale will help payfor community-led local environmentalprojects. If youd like to find out m oreabout WREN and the yearbook, youcan visit the website www.wr-en.co.uk


26/35


vents diary 2011

January Monday 3

Sunday 16

Sunday 30

Sunday 6

Sunday 6

Sunday 20

Wednesday 9Thursday 24

Sunday 6

Sunday 13

Saturday 5

Sunday 20

Thursday 17Thursday 24

Wednesday 30

Sunday 27

Sunday 27

Meet the WardensLoch Leven NNRTayside

A Winter WonderlandPart TwoCorrie Fee NNRAngus

Wild Goose ChaseLoch Lomond NNRWest Highlands

Walk for WetlandsLoch Leven NNRTayside

Morning FlightCaerlaverock NNRDumfries & Galloway

Tracks, Trails and SignsCorrie Fee NNRAngus

Area EveningReceptionsPerthHuntly

Woodland Tidy UpFlanders Moss NNRStirling

Meet the WardensLoch Leven NNRTayside

Environment FairDG OneLeisure ComplexDumfries

Pond MaintenanceLoch Lomond NNRWest Highlands

Area Evening

ReceptionsIsle of LewisTobermory, MullWick

Walk and TalkCorrie Fee NNRAngus

Spring CleanLoch Lomond NNRWest Highlands

Drop in to the Kingfisher Hide at Burleigh Sandsbetween 2pm and 4pm to chat with the wardensabout the wildlife of Loch Leven. Telescopes andbinoculars will be available. All welcome.

Walk with the ranger from 11am to 2pm todiscover and discuss the formation of Corrie Feeand its physical features since the last ice age.Meet at Glen Doll ranger base. Booking essential.

Explore part of the reserve and surrounding area(by mini bus) in an attempt to spot and count thefour species of geese that visit here in the winter.

Session one will be goose finding from 1.30pm to3pm, and session two will be viewing the gooseroosts from 4pm to 5pm. Return to MillenniumHall, Gartocharn, at 5.30pm. Refreshments will beavailable for those staying for the two sessions.Booking essential.

Join reserve staff from 10am to 12 noon on awalk to celebrate World Wetland Day and find outwhy wetlands like Loch Leven are so important.Meeting point to be confirmed. Booking essential.

Caerlaverock is home to thousands of wildfowland waders during the winter months. Wrap upwarm and venture out at dawn with reserve stafffrom 7am to 9am. Experience the thrilling sightsand sounds as skeins of wild geese leave thesanctuary of the mudflats at sunrise to fly inlandto feed. Meeting place to be confirmed. Bookingessential (closing date 18 January).

Learn animal tracking and identification skills from11am to 2pm. This will be an indoor and outdoorevent. Meet at Glen Doll ranger base. Bookingessential.

All welcome (please check SNH website or localArea office to confirm venues and ti mings).

Dismantle and recycle disused pheasant pensfrom 10.30am to 4pm at Ballangrew Wood andcut invasive scrub from Flanders Moss. Bookingessential.

Drop in to the Boathouse Hide near Kirkgatebetween 2pm and 4pm to chat with the wardensabout the wil

Documents

Scottish National Heritage - The Nature of Scotland Winter 2010 Issue_10