Scottish National Heritage - The Nature of Scotland Winter 2009

www.snh.org.
uk
Scottish Natural Heritage
Winter 2009
The Nature of Scotland
All at sea
Wave and
tidal power
Unique vision
Artist with a
different view
Beinn on TV
Highland haven
for wildlife
Contents
Features
8
Roots of PoeTree
Planting trees with words
10 A slightly different view

Painting out of the ordinary
32
16 Sea change on the horizon

Hopes for wave and tidal energy
12
22 Seal of approval
Removing risks to wildlife
38
30 Water of life goes green

Whisky takes new approach
18
46 Discover Winter White

New campaign for winter months
61
Regulars
26
Where we are
SNH contact details
Welcome
Wild calendar
Where to go and what to see
this winter
48 Wildwood plan for Carrifran

Trees take to the hills
56 When Fergus met Beinn
Beinn Eighe stars in nature lm
14 Common heritage
Linking language and environment
24 News
Natural heritage updates
34 Events diary
Guide to whats on
36 Reserve focus
Discover Forvie NNR
42 Area news
Reports from round the country
47 Print out
Our latest publications
54 Kids only!
Activities for younger readers
64 Mailing list
Join our mailing list
www.snh.org.uk
Credits
Where we are
Area ofces

The Magazine of Scottish Natural Heritage
Issue Number 6 Winter 2009
You can contact SNH by

letter, telephone or email.
The following details
should enable you to nd
your nearest main ofce,
but bear in mind that there
are also smaller ofces
than those listed.
Argyll and Stirling

The Beta Centre,
Innovation Park,
University of Stirling,
Stirling FK9 4NF
Tel. 01786 450 362
Published quarterly
SNH 2009
ISSN 1350 309X
Editor: John Walters
Tel. 01463 725 222
Cover photo: View north over Beinn Eighe NNR
towards Loch Maree from the summit ridge.
Inside cover: Quartzite rock on Beinn Eighe.
Welcome page: View of Arran from Ardrishaig
Photographer: Lorne Gill/SNH
Photography all images by Lorne Gill/SNH other
than:
Laurie Campbell 7t, 7b, 9, 40t; Laurie Campbell/
SNH 26, 58, 59b; George Logan/SNH 8, 21t, 21m,
44m; Peter Cairns/RSPB images.com 15;
Beatrice Wind Farm Demonstrator Project,
Talisman Energy (UK) Ltd 16; John Baxter/SNH
18; 16; Pelamis Wave Power Ltd 19; Charlie
Phillips 20; SMRU Ltd 22, 23; Jim Greeneld www.
oceaneyephoto.com 24; Mark Hamblin 25; Mark
Hamblin/RSPB images.com 28; Scotch Whisky
Association 31; Glyn Satterley 32b; www.
scottishviewpoint.com 32t, 33b; Richard Learoyd/
SNH 34; David Whitaker 38, 43r, 45m; Raymond
Besant 39; Robyn Glendinning 42l; Caroline
Crawford/SNH 42m; Jessica Langford 42r; Anthea
Davidson 43l; Allan Devlin 43m; Neil Mitchell/SNH
44r; John Phillips 45l; Scott Tibbles 45r; David
Geddes 48; Philip Ashmole 50, 51, 52, 53; John
MacPherson/SNH 56,60, 63; Annie Tuite 61.
To share your views about The Nature of
Scotland or suggest articles for future issues
please contact the editor:
SNH Magazine
Great Glen House, Leachkin Road,
Inverness IV3 8NW
Email: enquiries@snh.gov.uk
The views expressed in this magazine do not
necessarily reect those of SNH.
A full list of our ofces

appears on the SNH
website: www.snh.org.uk
Corporate
headquarters
Great Glen House,
Leachkin Road,
Inverness IV3 8NW
Tel. 01463 725 000
Email: enquiries@snh.gov.uk
Other main ofces

Battleby, Redgorton,
Perth PH1 3EW
Tel. 01738 444 177
Dumfries and Galloway

Carmont House,
The Crichton,
Bankend Road,
Dumfries DG1 4ZF
Tel. 01387 247 010
Northern Isles
Ground Floor,
Stewart Building,
Alexandra Wharf,
Lerwick,
Shetland ZE1 0LL
Tel. 01595 693 345
East Highland
Fodderty Way,
Dingwall Business Park,
Dingwall IV15 9XB
Tel. 01349 865 333
Silvan House,
3rd Floor East,
231 Corstorphine Road,
Edinburgh EH12 7AT
Tel. 0131 316 2600
North Highland
The Links,
Golspie Business Park,
Golspie,
Sutherland KW10 6UB
Tel. 01408 634 063
Caspian House,
Mariner Court,
Clydebank Business Park,
Clydebank G81 2NR
Tel. 0141 951 4488
West Highland
The Governors House,
The Parade, Fort William,
Inverness-shire PH33 6BA
Tel. 01397 704 716
Strathclyde and Ayrshire
Caspian House,
Mariner Court,
Clydebank Business Park,
Clydebank G81 2NR
Tel. 0141 951 4488
Tayside and
Clackmannanshire
Battleby, Redgorton,
Perth PH1 3EW
Tel. 01738 444 177
Printed by: Woods of Perth, Scotland

WP37K1209
Western Isles
32 Francis Street,
Stornoway,
Isle of Lewis HS1 2ND
Tel. 01851 705 258
When you have nished with this magazine,

please recycle it. Pass it to another reader or
dispose of it at your local waste-collection point.
Forth and Borders

Laundry House,
Dalkeith Country Park,
Dalkeith,
Midlothian EH22 2NA
Tel. 0131 654 2466
Grampian
16/17 Rubislaw Terrace,
Aberdeen AB10 1XE
Tel. 01224 642 863
Welcome
Kenneth Fowler
Head of Information
and Communication
A big part of SNHs work involves encouraging people from all walks of life to get
outdoors and enjoy what nature has to offer. Getting outdoors isnt just good for
us physically; its also good for our mental well-being... for the soul, if you like.
It helps us experience different aspects of the world we live in and, hopefully, be
inspired by them.
Our mountains, rivers, forests and coastline are all things that spring to mind
when we think about being outdoors in Scotland. But its not just in the wilder
places that we can nd inspiration. Nature thats closer to home such as
farmland, local parks, community woodlands, paths and canals can also provide
an invaluable outdoor experience in our often hectic, mainly indoor, daily lives.
Wherever you live in Scotland, the natural world has the power to stir emotions
and inspire a creative response.
Scotlands rich and varied nature and landscapes have, for hundreds of years,
inspired artists of all kinds to put pen to paper, brush to canvas or more recently
to point the camera or click the mouse.
In this issue of The Nature of Scotland we explore how nature, both remote
and close to home, can encourage creativity. The artist Keith Salmon talks about
how he has combined his twin passions of painting and hill walking to create
stunning abstract landscape works. The fact that Keith has lost much of his sight
has not prevented him from being inspired by Scotlands natural environment,
from agricultural Ayrshire to the wilds of Sutherland.
We also feature the PoeTree project, where poet Kenneth Steven describes
his work helping children to explore and understand their local environment. He
encourages them to record their responses in poetry and prose after they visit a
woodland and experience trees with all their senses. It's a great example of how
nature on our doorstep can help us look at the world in different ways.
Two national nature reserves (NNRs) also feature in this issue. Forvie NNR,
north of Aberdeen, is host to spectacular sand dunes and bird life, and is proled
as part of our ongoing series on NNR walks around Scotland. We also provide
some background to a recent BBC documentary, part of the Natural World
series, on the spectacular wildlife and landscapes of Beinn Eighe NNR in Wester
Ross. The music for the lm was composed by world-renowned Scots musician
Phil Cunningham, providing another example of art inspired by nature.
I hope you enjoy this winter edition of The Nature of Scotland and that it
motivates you to get outdoors. Who knows, you might also be inspired to create
your own artwork while youre out there!
Wild calendar
Kenny Taylor
gives some
seasonal tips
for savouring
Scottish wildlife
and landscapes
Short days can be a bonus if you want to watch

goose ocks birling down to winter roosts. Many
places look brilliant with a sprinkle of ice or snow,
including Scotlands magnicent mountains.
Closer to home for many, woods in and near
towns often reward visitors with glimpses of
wildlife that can be harder to see at other seasons.
Will ye go tae Flanders?

Bogs might not be the rst places that spring to mind when
you think of exploring winter wilds. But space, colour, pattern
and peace can all be part of a visit to a good, moss-powered
wetland.
If you choose the venue with care, you might not even
need to get your feet wet! The Flanders Moss National
Nature Reserve, 13 km (8 miles) west of Stirling, is now
the largest surviving raised bog in Britain. You can see its
huge sweep from viewpoints along the A873 road to Port of
Menteith. But to really savour its delights, use the boardwalk
at the Poldar Moss section, near Thornhill.
Many kinds of Sphagnum bog mosses grow here. Their
red, tawny, green and yellow tones stay strong all year, and
bog pools can fairly sparkle in low sunlight. Look up, and in
the dusk of a winters afternoon, the chill air here will often
resound with the calls of pink-footed and greylag geese
going to roost on the Lake of Menteith.
Web tips:
www.nnr-scotland.org.uk/reserve.asp?NNRId=39
4
www.snh.org.uk
Move on up
When meadow pipits have own to warmer ground, the deer grass is orange-gold
and the uplands seem silent, Scotlands mountains hold a special magic. Theres
a simplicity in their shapes and shadows at this time of year, uncluttered by the
multi-colours of other seasons.
Go to the northwest Highlands, within the Geopark area that stretches from
Loch Broom in the south to Cape Wrath in the north, and you can see some of
the most distinctive mountains in Europe. Suilven, Stac Pollaidh, Cul Mr and a
bevy of others are each utterly unique in outline.
Rising above lochan-studded low ground, each hill here can also help to
reveal the story of how the areas rocks have formed and changed over the last
three billion years. Go to Knockan Crag National Nature Reserve, at the side of
the A835 21km (13 miles) north of Ullapool, to nd out more about the gneiss,
sandstones, faultlines and thrusts that have played a part in the making of this
magnicent landscape.
Web tips:
www.northwest-highlands-geopark.org.uk
www.knockan-crag.co.uk
1
Peatland colours, such
as here at Flanders
Moss, can be a great
contrast to the grey of
a winters sky.
2
Theres an elemental
power to the landscape
of the northwest
mainland, where
eroded sandstone
mountains rise steeply
above curves and
hollows of the low
ground.
3
Choughs are among
the most characterful
of crows, with their red
bills and legs, glossy
plumage and lively
ocks.
4
You may come across
a roe buck and hinds in
the wooded parts of
several Scottish cities,
including Dundee.
2
Get choughed
All crows can be intriguing, thanks to a blend of quick wits
and complex calls. Raven croaks and rook caws are part of
that vocabulary. But its hard to nd words that can catch
the essence of how Scotlands rarest crow, the chough, can
sound.
Best to go to one of its few remaining strongholds, such
as Colonsay or Islay, to hear its shrill cries for yourself. Islay
in winter has the added bonus of being the seasonal home
to huge numbers of migrant geese. Over 30,000 barnacle
geese and 15,000 Greenland white-fronted geese (the
latter very scarce elsewhere) can come here from October
onwards.
Go to the RSPBs Loch Gruinart Reserve, in the
northwest of Islay, to get information at a visitor centre and
then use the hides to overlook elds where geese graze in
the reserves farm. For a chance of choughs, try the dunes
near Ardnave Loch and Point, or go south from Gruinart to
the dunes beside Machir Bay.
Web tips:
www.the-soc.org.uk/islay-sites.htm
www.rspb.org.uk/lochgruinart
Jammy, those Dundonians

When it comes to watching wildlife, residents of Dundee are
well placed. For starters, theres the foreshore of the Firth of
Tay along the citys waterfront always worth checking for
wildfowl, waders and seabirds.
Two woods that host interesting mammals and birds
sit just northeast of town, beside the A923 Coupar Angus
road. Templeton Woods is the nearest of these, and can
be reached on bike or foot using the citys people-friendly
Green Circular Route. You can download maps of the route
(see below).
Just up the road, beside the village of Muirhead, the
Woodland Trust Scotlands Backmuir Wood Reserve also
has a good network of trails, plus viewpoints with great
outlooks across the Tay to Fife. Like Templeton Woods,
Backmuir is home to red squirrels, roe deer and tawny owls.
So look up for signs of squirrel dreys in bare branches,
check for hoof slots in mud, and stay alert for the sounds of
hooting if you stay until winter dark sets in.
Web tips:
www.dundeetravelinfo.com/gcwest.pdf
www.camperdownpark.com/woods.htm
www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/en/our-woods
www.snh.org.uk
Roots of
PoeTree
8
Poet Kenneth Steven describes

a project in which woods and
words can create a magical mix
for children
1
Woodland can
generate a creative
spark in many children.
The PoeTree project came about almost by accident some half

a dozen years ago. It had shaken me to realise that many of the
children in the Royal School of Dunkeld, our local primary, had never
seen the Parent Larch behind the cathedral, and far fewer had
experienced these magnicent woods, here where the Rivers Tay
and Braan become one.
But as I took part in more and more school events, I realised that children were
not outdoors as I had been. In many ways, they werent living rural lives at all. They
were, in fact, living suburban ones more aware of virtual trees and elds than
their real-life counterparts. I found that sad beyond words; those woods were less
than half a mile from their homes and school. There had to be some way to bring
them together again.
And where better to pilot a scheme linking conservation and creativity than
in Dunkeld? After all, its ringed by woods, the result of the wise thinking of the
Planting Dukes of Atholl.
So we went pupils, staff and me to listen to trees, touch trees, watch trees
and imagine trees. We all had little notebooks to scribble down rst impressions,
and back in the classroom we wrote more detailed accounts, employing what
Wordsworth wisely called recollection in tranquillity.
Over the next days I worked with each child to grow their poem. For some
the task was easy; for many, perhaps the majority, it was a real struggle. I showed
them poems by greats like Robert Frost; we got rhythm and rhyme into our heads,
but learned that poems can work just as well without these formal structures.
In the end, everyone had a poem, something that expressed their response to
that visit to the woods. We all went out to the school grounds and gathered round
a new tree that had been brought to celebrate the peak of the project. Each child
read a copy of his or her poem. These were then buried in the ground and a tree
was planted the idea being that the words would become part of the tree.
Since that time, the project has been run by a number of schools. Most
recently, I was in Cumbria to work with it over a whole week. The project material
has been rened, as I think its important to listen to the responses of teachers
and pupils alike for that process. But the basic programme remains the same. We
visit a local wood and experience trees with all of our senses, we catch something
of the visit right away, and we work on a poem that encapsulates our feelings
about the visit and about our relationship with trees. And we celebrate poems
and trees with the planting of their own new oaks PoeTrees.
I now grow all the trees that are planted at the schools I visit. Every autumn
I collect hundreds of acorns from one of the ancient oaks in the grounds of
Dunkeld Cathedral. At present, I have some 30 trees waiting to go out to schools.
I dont feel in any sense that I have ownership over the PoeTree project. Id be
thrilled to learn it had been taken by teachers, parents or arts ofcers and used
in a slightly new way. After all, its about making children think of what they have
around them, about helping them to respond to the wonder of the natural world
as they may never have done before.
Its about little acorns becoming mighty oaks.
www.snh.org.uk
Award-winning artist Keith Salmon is able to

combine his twin passions of hill walking and
landscape painting in his work. What makes
him truly remarkable, though, is that he lost
much of his sight almost 20 years ago
10
A slightly
different view
Its difcult for me to describe

my paintings. Theyre based on
the landscape, and in particular
the Scottish landscape, but
theyre not traditional landscape
paintings.
The work I do now has developed out
of necessity, out of almost 20 years
of experimentation and adaptation
following the diabetic retinopathy that
caused the loss of much of my sight in
the early 1990s.
Despite these difculties, my work
won the Jolomo Award for Scottish
Landscape Painting earlier this year.
And a little while earlier, I had been
invited by SNH to exhibit some of
my work at Great Glen House, their
headquarters in Inverness.
The exhibition contained a selection
of 25 paintings and drawings inspired
by places as far apart as Shalloch on
Minnoch in Ayrshire, and the stunning
peaks of Cul Mr, Suilven and Quinag
in the far northwest. The paintings are
based on my experiences while out
walking and climbing in these places.
In the years following the decline
in my sight, I tried all sorts of ways of
working but gradually turned to painting
with big, broad brush strokes. I created
fairly abstract images based on the
urban and rural landscapes around
Irvine, where I now live.
The trouble was that Id always
loved drawing and I was really missing
it. Then it occurred to me that I could
still see enough to scribble after all,
you dont have to have much sight for
this. And so, I started working on what
I describe to people as my organised
scribbles. The drawings are built up
from numerous layers of scribbled
pastel line, starting with light colours
and tones and gradually moving to
darker ones. From these beginnings, I
pull out vague images as the drawings
develop.
I was pleased with these drawings,
but at this stage I still didnt really have
a focus or direction for my work. Then,
while out walking with a friend one day,
I realised that this was where the focus
of my work should be.
www.snh.org.uk
11
I have always walked and scrambled

in the hills. My father was a keen hill
walker and he introduced me to the hills
when we moved to Wales in 1969. And
from that point I have never looked back.
Over the years, Ive explored most,
if not quite all, the main hills in Wales.
But it was Scotland that really drew my
attention; so much so that, after many
years of Scottish holidays, I eventually
moved north.
My sight was very poor by this time
and I was nding it very difcult to walk
on rough paths and open ground. Id
bought myself a walking stick and Anita,
my partner, learnt to guide me, but I still
lacked condence.
Inspiring course
I see the landscape

more in terms of
pattern, of light, shade
and colour.
12
In 2001, however, I heard of a

remarkable course being run at
Glenmore Lodge, near Aviemore, by the
Mountaineering Council of Scotland.
I signed up for the Mountain skills
course for the visually impaired and
it turned out to be one of the most
important decisions Ive ever made.
The course was not only very
instructive, but it also gave me a chance
to meet other visually impaired people
who, like me, still wanted to access
and enjoy the wonderful wild places
in Scotland and the UK. I gained so
much condence that, following the
course, we started getting out far
more regularly, joining forces with
experienced walkers and tackling hills I
never thought Id be able to climb again.
When I rst started to create
paintings based on my trips into the
Scottish hills I attempted to work in a
fairly traditional way. But the paintings
werent successful. I was using
magniers to help me see what I was
doing and, above all, the paintings I
produced werent anything to do with
how I experienced the mountains.
I see very little detail when Im out. I
see the landscape much more in terms
of pattern, of light, shade and colour. I
suddenly realised that my drawings, my
organised scribbles, offered a far better
way of representing my experience of
the hill. I developed this further and
started mixing paint and pastel, building
up the pictures in layers.
Abstract style
1
On the Luss Hills,
early March.
2
The Auch Gleann and
Beinn Mhanach,
November.
3
Approaching snow
shower, Scottish
Highlands.
www.snh.org.uk
This rather strange technique has

taken a good few years to develop
and its still in the process of change.
In my most recent paintings, based on
walks we did a couple of years ago
in the Drumochter Hills, Ive sought
to increase and improve the range
of painted marks. Ive started using
a big range of paints, using both the
thicker, heavy-bodied acrylics as well as
mixing much thinner, more uid acrylic.
These paintings are becoming bolder
and perhaps erring more towards the
abstract. The best are those that work
on both levels they can be enjoyed
as Scottish landscapes and on a purely
aesthetic, almost abstract level as well.
Since the Glenmore course in 2001,

Anita and I have walked many Scottish
hills of all sizes and stature. Weve
visited some wild and remote glens and
summits, experiencing them under all
conditions throughout all four seasons.
Even with my fuzzy vision this is a truly
wonderful and stunning landscape. In
my paintings I try to capture something
of these incredible places, something
of their sheer scale, complexity and
beauty. If I ever fully achieve this, itll be
a ne painting indeed. Until then, theres
much walking and much more painting
to be done.
To see more of my work and to learn
about future exhibitions, please visit my
website at www.keithsalmon.org
13
Dualchas coitcheann
Common heritage
The English names for several
of our common seabirds have
Scandinavian, French and Gaelic
origins, as Ruairidh MacIlleathain
explains
1
Guga eisimpleir de
dhainm ein a ghluais
bhon Ghidhlig don
Bheurla gun
atharrachadh. Ach tha
grunn eun a fhuair an
ainmean Gidhlig bho
chnan nan seann
Lochlannach.
A guga oryoung
gannet.Seabird names
in both Gaelic and
English have been
heavily inuenced by
other languages. In
this case, Gaelic
provided the original.
Ainmean ein-mhara
Seabird names
Tha ainmean cuid de dhein-mhara na h-Alba a sealltainn mar a tha faclan airson
ainmhidhean air a dhol gu tric eadar diofar chnanan. Dhirich slaire bhon
t-Seann Lochlannais sla, slan, agus s ann bhon dearbh ths a thinig an seann
ainm Beurla air an eun sin solan goose. Agus tha e furasta fhaicinn gur e ainm
Lochlannach (Slasker) a bh air Sla Sgeir eilean beag ainmeil anns a chuan
gu tuath air Ledhas an toiseach. Bidh cmhlan de Nisich a falbh a Shla Sgeir
gach samhradh airson gugaichean a thoirt dhachaigh leotha ann an cleachdadh
seann-nsach a tha ceudan bhliadhnaichean a dhaois. Agus tha am facal
Gidhlig guga (airson slaire g nach do dhfhg an nead) air a dhol a-steach
don Bheurla Shasannaich ged nach ann tric a chluinnear moladh air blas feil
an ein ann am Beurla, no cainnt sam bith taobh a-muigh Gidhlig Nis! Dhirich
am facal guga bhon fhuaim a tha na h-ein a danamh nuair a tha iad san nead
gugail no gogail.
Tha am facal Sealtainneach air an fhasgadair mhr bonxie gu math
cumanta ann am Beurla ann an Alba, agus thathar a smaoineachadh gun tinig an
t-ainm coitcheann air son an ein seo (great) skua bho chnan Lochlannach
nan Eilean Frach. S ann bho fhreumhaichean Frangach a dhirich na h-ainmean
Beurla guillemot (gearradh breac ann an Gidhlig) agus cormorant. Ach tha
na faclan airson cormorant ann an Gidhlig agus cuid de dhualchainntean na
Beurla ann an Alba gu math coltach sgarbh agus scarf (uaireannan scart). S
e as coireach gun tinig iad uile bhon t-Seann Lochlannais skarfr. S e fulmair
facal eile a thathar a danamh dheth a thinig bho na Lochlannaich bho ths (a
ciallachadh faoileag air a bheil samh sgriosail!) ach s iongantach mura deach e
a-steach don Bheurla an toiseach (mar fulmar) mus do rinig e a Ghidhlig.
Chan eil anns na h-ainmean Gidhlig shuas ach an fheadhainn as cumanta
no oigeil oir s iomadh ainm a th ann airson gach ein. Mar eisimpleir, cluinnear
eun bn an sgadain agus mac-fraoir airson an t-slaire; thathar a danamh
dheth gu bheil an drna ainm a ciallachadh fear aig a bheil fradharc geur. Agus
chithear caraid nan Gidheal mar ainm air a shon cuideachd. S iongantach
mura robh sin na chomharra air cho cudromach s a bha an t-eun seo do na
coimhearsnachdan Gidhealach anns an iar-thuath a bha gu re an urra ri einmhara airson am bith-be.
Some of Scotlands seabirds have

names that show the movement of
words between our various languages.
The Shetlandic bonxie has virtually
become a standard name in English
for the great skua in Scotland, and a
number of species names in English
and Gaelic have a Scandinavian origin
(skua is thought to come from a
Faeroese original).
The explanation for the Gaelic and
Scots dialect words for the cormorant
sgarbh (SKAR-av) and scarf being
so similar is that they both originate in
Old Norse (cormorant comes from
French). The Gaelic for gannet, slaire,
and an old English term for the same
species solan goose also both
have Norse origins.
And Gaelic has given to English a
word for a young gannet that has not
yet ed the nest guga. This word
came from gugail, the Gaelic word that
describes the cackling noise the bird
makes as it hungrily awaits the delivery
of another meal from the seas.
14
15
The offshore wind,

wave and tidal
resources around
Scotland are vast.
Our task now is to
nd a way to exploit
these resources in
harmony with the
remarkable wildlife
and landscapes
around our coasts
16
Sea change on
the horizon
www.snh.org.uk
17
Energy is vital to modern life in Scotland. It

provides us with the power of machines and
computers in the workplace, the convenience of
transport, the safety of lighting and the comfort of
home central heating.
But all forms of energy production can have impacts on the
natural heritage. These may be direct, such as opencast
mining or the extraction of oil and gas, or indirect through
the greenhouse gases released when we burn fossil fuels.
And as weve all seen, Scotland is already feeling the effects
as increasing global temperatures bring changes in weather
patterns, rising sea levels and more frequent and severe
storms.
Scotlands future energy policy has therefore shifted
towards developing renewable energy sources, in a bid to
reduce the amount of greenhouse gases we release and to
help limit the effects of climate change.
The Scottish Government have set a target of producing
50% of electricity in Scotland from renewable energy
sources by 2020 (equal to over 8 gigawatts of installed
power). This will require a mix of renewables, including the
development of marine resources.
Scotland is considered to have the best wind resource
in Europe, explained Brendan Turvey, policy and advice
manager for renewable energy with SNH, and we have
excellent wave and tidal power capacity. The potential for
harvesting wind, wave and tidal energy from around our
coasts is therefore huge.
SNH view climate change as the most serious threat
over coming decades to Scotlands natural heritage. So we
have a strong interest in developing energy policy in a way
that will limit the effects of climate change. Renewables have
a central role to play.
The Scottish Government estimate that there are 21.5
gigawatts of marine energy that could be harnessed from
the waters around Scotland. This is twice the total electricity
capacity that we currently generate.
Indeed, the Government point to the wealth of natural
resources that Scotland enjoys with renewables potential,
including:
25% of Europes offshore wind power;
25% of Europes tidal power; and
10% of Europes wave power.
Although the industry is at a fairly early stage of
development, the technologies are evolving quickly. Wind
farms are the most advanced form of offshore renewable
technology, with major wind farms built off the coast of
Denmark and around the coasts of England and Wales. In
Scotland, the Robin Rigg wind farm in the Solway Firth has
recently been commissioned, and two demonstrator turbines
are installed at the Beatrice Field in the Moray Firth.
18
1
The UKs largest
offshore wind turbines
lie 25 km (15 miles) off
the Caithness coast in
the Moray Firth. The
two turbines are
installed next to the
Beatrice oil eld.
2
The OpenHydro marine
turbine is designed to
work under water. Its
shown here during
maintenance at the
European Marine
Energy Centre test site
in Orkney.
3
A Pelamis wave energy
converter on tow in the
Firth of Forth.
www.snh.org.uk
19
Until now, development has been limited because of the

deeper waters and harsher conditions around Scotlands
coast. But advances in technology and engineering
experience have led to companies expressing interest in
developing over 8 gigawatts of offshore wind capacity in
Scottish waters.
Wave and tidal power devices are still at the
demonstration stage, but some are close to being developed
commercially. A pilot shoreline wave device has been tested
on Islay, several offshore wave and tidal stream devices
are being tested at the European Marine Energy Centre in
Orkney, and one tidal stream device has been tested in Yell
Sound in Shetland.
And the Government have given developers an added
incentive to unleash the potential of our offshore resources
by announcing a 10 million Saltire Prize. The money will be
awarded to the team that can demonstrate a commercially
viable wave or tidal energy technology in Scottish waters
which achieves an agreed electrical output using only the
power of the sea.
Theres already been a big response to recent invitations
from the Crown Estate to install devices in the Pentland Firth
and Orkney waters. And SNH staff are working with the
Crown Estate and individual developers to look at what it
could mean for the natural heritage.
The drive to develop these new technologies has to be
balanced, however, with caution about the possible effects
on wildlife and other activities at sea. For instance, theres a
range of potentially harmful effects for wildlife, including:
disturbance when the devices are installed and in
operation (potentially affecting breeding seals, whales,
dolphins, sh and seabirds);
smothering from the devices and when cables are installed
(habitats and species on the seabed);
the risk of collisions with working devices (marine
mammals, sh and diving birds); and
noise from the devices when theyre operating, which
could scare away species during feeding and migration
(marine mammals and sh).
And there are also potentially harmful effects for people,
including:
disturbance to boat trafc;
visual impact on seascapes; and
disruption to recreational activities.
20
However, George Lees, a policy and advice manager with

SNH, who leads on marine renewables, is positive about
the future. Theres obviously still a lot of uncertainty about
potential impacts on the natural heritage, he remarked. But
if we can keep early developments away from areas that are
really important for scenery or marine wildlife, then offshore
renewables could make a big contribution to meeting our
climate change targets.
Its inevitable that developing renewable energy will have
some impact on the natural heritage, so SNH are looking
to provide advice to minimise these impacts. Were working
with the industry and Government to try and develop this
sector for the long term. Its critically important that in the
early phases of development we take care with where
devices are located. The industry needs to learn lessons
from other renewable technologies, such as onshore wind
farms, and get the devices in the right locations from the
start.
Part of SNHs advice comes in the form of events, where
everyone can share good practice, pass on information and
experience, and discuss the areas that should have least
impact on the natural heritage. Indeed, the SNH Sharing
Good Practice event at the start of November attracted
some 90 delegates, which shows the importance of natural
heritage issues for this sector.
And SNH have shown their commitment to the industry
by recently recruiting more specialist advisors. They will
provide advice on the best ways to take account of wildlife
where new developments are planned for marine renewable
energy.
4
Bottlenose dolphins
live in the Moray Firth
and are known to be
sensitive to
disturbance.
5
Guillemots and
razorbills are diving
birds that could
potentially be affected
by offshore
renewables.
6
Speaker and delegates
at a recent Sharing
Good Practice event
for the industry.
www.snh.org.uk
21
Journalist and broadcaster Lesley Riddoch has a keen

interest in marine renewables and is involved with a
European marine research project called Equimar.
Here she describes the worlds biggest project to
monitor the impact of tidal turbines on seals
Seal of approval
Can active sonar help
safeguard seals, porpoises,
dolphins and seabirds near
the tidal turbines that will soon
provide clean, renewable energy
around the Scottish coastline?
Scottish marine biologists from St

Andrews and Orkney are working on
a pioneering use of sonar that can
distinguish between approaching seal
pups and clumps of seaweed, and will
shut down tidal devices if necessary.
However, the company at the centre
of the worlds biggest marine energy
environmental monitoring project in
Northern Ireland say that so far theyve
found no measurable impacts from
tidal turbines on seals, porpoises and
seabirds.
Bristol-based tidal energy developer
Marine Current Turbines (MCT) have
spent 3 million on detailed monitoring
work around their twin-turbine
SeaGen device, installed in 2008 in
Strangford Lough, near Belfast. The
lough is a national nature reserve with a
long-established seal colony.
Biologists and engineers are
recording changes in sea mammal and
bird activity over a ve-year period.
Theyre using transmitters glued to
the fur on seals heads to establish
movement patterns. Additionally, a
spotter on SeaGens control tower
must press a stop button if an animal is
spotted within 46 metres (150 ft).
Divers have examined the impact
of turbines on kelp and sponge growth
22
1
A seal in Strangford
Lough with an
electronic device
attached so that its
movements can be
tracked.
2
SeaGen is a tidal
energy converter that
is operating in
Strangford Lough in
Northern Ireland.
growth (part of the seals food chain)

and theres been aerial monitoring. In
addition, the developer has to collect
any dead seals, but none of those
found last year appears to have been
injured by turbine blades.
Theres also been work to measure
the effect of noise under water too
much when the turbrines are being
installed and mammals could be
deafened and disoriented; too little
when theyre operational and animals
wont even know the turbines are there.
According to Queens University
biologist Graham Savidge, whose
team has recorded half a million animal
movements in three years, the results
to date are encouraging. Few seals
are found in the fastest currents, he
commented, as the majority prefer
the lower water speeds of the loughs
margins.
And, according to Martin Wright,
managing director of MCT, the work has
been vital because technologies like
SeaGen must be genuinely sustainable
and environmentally friendly. The cost
has been a big burden though, he
remarked, and could prove too much
for future projects. Im hopeful the
data will increase condence among
regulators, and that the UK Marine &
Coastal Access Act and the Marine
(Scotland) Bill will make it easier and
less expensive for marine devices to be
installed.
However, even one seal death at
a turbine would be very serious for
developers. A 30% drop in common
seal numbers thought to be mainly a
www.snh.org.uk
result of killer whales preying on them

has almost put the species on the
endangered list.
So the University of St Andrews Sea
Mammal Research Unit (SMRU) Ltd.
and Orkney-based EMEC (European
Marine Energy Centre) are training
sonar technology to detect seal
pups, using sightings to conrm and
improve recognition. Seal sonar will
eventually be able to shut down devices
automatically if a seal comes near.
The marine industry will have to
get used to wildlife monitoring because
it isnt going away, commented
Professor Ian Boyd of SMRU. Any
impacts of turbines on sea mammals
will only become apparent over the long
term in test sites and at sea. Marine
energy developers will therefore need
to maintain a high level of alertness
when the turbines are being developed
and also when theyre operating.
A Scottish-based European marine
research project, Equimar (www.
equimar.org), could help decide the
issue. Equimar is a project involving 61
scientists, developers and biologists
from 11 countries, charged by the
European Union to come up with
marine industry guidelines by 2011.
According to Equimar co-ordinator
Dr David Ingram, of Edinburgh
University, if seal sonar works Equimar
may recommend its use at test sites.
But if no measurable impact on wildlife
is found there, we could recommend
that developers dont need to use sonar
again when their device is nally out at
sea, he concluded.
23
NEWS
Transfer of marine powers
New powers to protect Scotlands marine life have been given to Scottish
Ministers with the passing of the UK Marine and Coastal Access Act.
The Act means the Scottish Government can designate Marine Protected
Areas (MPAs) in Scottish offshore waters (beyond 12 nautical miles from the
coast).
Scotlands seas are unique to the UK and Europe as they hold a range of
nationally important marine features, including:
the most northerly resident population of bottlenose dolphins;
36% of the worlds population of grey seals;
habitats such as coldwater coral reefs and seamounts;
many commercially important sh; and
minke whales and most of the UKs reported sightings for basking sharks.
There are already protection measures for many of these features through Special
Areas of Conservation. However, new legislation is needed to designate Marine
Protected Areas for other features that are of nature conservation importance,
such as the ameshell, northern sea fan (shown above), common skate and
burrowing anemone.
The Scottish Government are also taking measures to ensure that inshore
waters around Scotland (within 12 nautical miles from the coast) are given
targeted protection. The Marine (Scotland) Bill is going through the Scottish
Parliament at the moment and it includes new powers to designate MPAs in
Scottish inshore waters.
Our waters are home to some of the most spectacular wildlife and marine
habitats across the world, commented Richard Lochhead, cabinet secretary
for rural affairs and the environment. They also make a huge contribution to the
economy through industries such as shing.
The powers that the UK Act delivered to Scotland are an important part
of our new system for managing our seas for current and future generations.
Together with the powers in our own Scottish Marine Bill, they will mean Scotland
can develop a network of MPAs and contribute to international efforts to protect
marine biodiversity.
24
Protection could soon be increased for the golden eagle, a species thats
identied with many of Scotland's wildest and most beautiful places.
Six new special protection areas (SPAs) for the golden eagle are being
proposed in northern and western Scotland, and SNH will begin a three-month
consultation on them in January.
The six areas are: Glen Affric (in the central Highlands) to Strathconon
(in Ross-shire); the Cairngorms massif; Foinaven (at Durness); Moidart and
Ardgour (near Fort William); Glen Etive (near Bridge of Orchy) to Glen Fyne (near
Arrochar); and Jura, Scarba and the Garvellachs (off the west coast).
There are currently eight SPAs for golden eagles in Scotland. These are:
Caenlochan in the Grampians; Cairngorms; Caithness and Sutherland peatlands;
Cnuic agus Cladach Mhuile (Mull coast and hills); Cuillins on Skye; Lewis
peatlands; North Harris mountains; and the Isle of Rum.
You can nd supporting information about the proposals on the SNH website
(www.snh.org.uk), including boundary maps, the rationale for site selection,
information on the golden eagle, and a question and answer document that
addresses some of the queries about the proposed designations.
The Scottish Government have asked SNH to carry out a full and open
consultation on their behalf, explained Susan Davies, SNHs north areas director.
Well shortly be sending out a copy of the consultation pack to land managers
and other interested parties.
Comments will be gathered into a report and full copies of all the submissions
we receive will also be passed to the Scottish Government. The Government will
then be fully briefed on the issues and will decide whether to classify any of the
suggested areas as SPAs.
Announcing the proposals, environment minister Roseanna Cunningham said
that Scotland is an internationally important stronghold for golden eagles. But
their future is nely balanced due to their need for large, undisturbed spaces in
which to live and they remain highly vulnerable to change.
While we have a duty to protect our biodiversity for future generations, this
should not automatically mean that leisure and economic activity cannot take
place in our countryside.
Scotland's wildlife attracts tourists from both home and abroad, eager to
enjoy the scenery and catch a glimpse of species such as the eagle. We must
nd a balance between access, conservation and development to ensure that all
sectors can benet from and enjoy the countryside.
www.snh.org.uk
NEWS
Greater protection for golden eagles
25
NEWS
Stand by for IYB
2010 is International Year of Biodiversity (IYB2010) and hundreds of
organisations and groups across Scotland are joining together to play their part in
this global awareness campaign.
Talks, public dialogues, art work, public science experiments and exhibitions
covering both science and the arts are being planned across the UK between
January and December 2010 under the International Year of Biodiversity banner.
Biodiversity is the term used to describe the variety of life on Earth, and
IYB2010 aims to help people discover the connections between themselves and
the world around them. It will also highlight the huge benets that are shared if we
conserve and use life on Earth in a sustainable way.
People will have a special opportunity during IYB2010 to understand why
biodiversity is important for our health and wealth, to enjoy it and to learn how to
preserve it.
Opportunities will include the chance to take part in surveys of farmland birds,
butteries, hedgehogs and water. There will be bat walks, bird watching, pond
dipping, insect trawling, bird box building and rambling. Towns and cities will be
going head-to-head, competing to map their local biodiversity. And hundreds of
thousands of new plants and trees will be planted.
In Scotland, a launch event will take place in January at the Royal Botanic
Gardens in Edinburgh. And SNH will be organising a week of biodiversity
celebrations in May, with events taking place at rural and urban locations
throughout the country.
Its hoped the partnership of key organisations in the UK and across the
world will encourage people to understand the issues and learn about some of
the success stories that indicate a way forward that can make a difference. If
youd like to get involved, or to nd out about events across the country during
IYB2010, log on to www.biodiversityislife.net
26
Efforts to protect sharks in Scottish waters are to be stepped up with the

appointment of a sharks project ofcer. The post involves raising awareness about
shark, skate and ray species and tagging the sh.
The ofcer will be employed by SNH and will work closely with the Scottish
Sea Angling Conservation Network (SSACN), who have been urging government
to give greater protection to sharks.
Funding for the appointment has come from SNH and the Argyll and the
Islands LEADER programme. The Oban-based project ofcer will assist SSACN
in setting up a new scheme for tting tags on the sh, which can be used to help
monitor the health of stocks.
Tagging is the only non-destructive way of gathering the necessary data.
Volunteer sea anglers shing from the shore, kayaks or boats will catch, tag and
release various shark, skate and ray species. Theyll do this either as part of their
normal shing trips or during major tagging events coordinated by the project
ofcer and SSACN.
The duties of the project ofcer will also include arranging training workshops
for anglers and raising awareness of Scottish sharks, skates and rays by liaising
with shermen, as well as visiting schools in Argyll.
NEWS
Fancy tagging sharks?
Forest as big as Glasgow

One of the biggest projects aimed at bringing back native woodland in the UK is
now ofcially under way.
The Great Trossachs Forest covers approximately 166.5 sq km (64 sq miles)
roughly the size of the city of Glasgow. It stretches from Loch Lomond in the west
to Callander in the east and lies in the heart of the Loch Lomond & The Trossachs
National Park.
The project will potentially create the biggest broadleaf woodland in Scotland,
providing visitors and local people with a range of opportunities to experience this
iconic landscape.
Designed to span a remarkable two centuries, The Great Trossachs Forest
aims to become a demonstration for land owners and managers across the
country. The project will improve over 10,000 hectares (24,710 acres) of
moorland, wetland and grassland habitats, create 4,400 ha (10,872 acres) of
new woodland and remove non-native pine from 1,250 ha (3,088 acres). The
project will bring big benets to biodiversity and provide new places to live for
species having to adapt to climate change.
The project is headed up by the Scottish Forest Alliance, a partnership
involving BP, Forestry Commission Scotland, the Woodland Trust Scotland and
RSPB Scotland.
www.snh.org.uk
27
NEWS
Helping the economy

Funding from SNH helped generate nearly 62 million worth of economic activity
in rural areas over the last nancial year. In the same period, the organisations
staff spent 15,000 days of their time on work that beneted the rural economy.
The most direct way that nature can generate economic activities on a large
scale is by underpinning tourism. In addition, protected areas make a signicant
economic contribution through food, timber and fuel production. Theyre also of
value to tourism, recreation and branding, and play an important role in attracting
people to live and work in Scotland.
Many aspects of our work in SNH generate economic benets, commented
John Thomson, SNHs strategy and communication director. The tools we
employ include grants, research, partnership and policy working.
Much of our focus is on the contribution of nature to tourism, food and drink,
as well as renewable energy. We also know that the presence of protected areas
can create opportunities for local businesses and were commissioning case
studies to illustrate this.
Common scoter is a rarity

It may be called the common scoter, but it is in fact one of our rarest breeding
birds, with the entire UK breeding population restricted to a few Scottish lochs.
Now a three-year project has been set up to look at the reasons behind a
worrying decline in numbers revealed in a recent national survey.
The project involves comparing occupied scoter lochs with recently
abandoned ones across Scotland. Measurements of water quality, insect
populations and predatory mammals are made at both types of loch.
One important nding thats already come to light is that mink are present in
the scoter breeding range. These are an introduced species and well-known as a
threat to waterfowl elsewhere in Scotland.
The glossy all-black plumage of the male scoter is unique among ducks, and
makes a ne sight on the breeding lochs, where males vie for the attention of the
females. They have an elaborate series of posturing and rushing displays, along
with peculiar whistling and grunting calls.
The project is being run by RSPB Scotland with support from SNH. Several of
the key study lochs are on the RSPBs Forsinard Flows National Nature Reserve
in Caithness.
28
NEWS
Energy targets on track

Scotland can easily meet its renewable energy targets, according to SNH.
A recent paper to the organisations board highlighted that the Scottish
Governments current target for renewable electricity is 50% by 2020 (around
8,000 megawatts [MW]).
Installed capacity is currently around 2,834 MW, but around 3,739 MW
has been approved and not yet constructed. Proposals for a further 9,000 MW
of capacity are in the planning system. And projects that would add another
8,500 MW of offshore wind, and between 500 and 2000 MW of other marine
renewables, are being prepared.
In recent years SNH have published more than 30 pieces of guidance
for developers and planners on renewable energy. These included Strategic
locational guidance for onshore windfarms, which steers development away
from areas of high wildlife and landscape sensitivity and so improves chances of
consent.
Over the last 10 years, the organisation has responded to more than 230
formal renewable energy planning applications and engaged in more than 1,300
applications during the development process. Ultimately, more than 75% of
proposals had no objection from SNH.
More recently, a 12-strong team of SNH ofcers has been set up to provide
advice and information on all forms of renewable energy development. And
around 250,000 has been invested in renewable energy related research.
While the paper reports that theres tremendous progress towards the targets,
it also refers to some of the challenges that lie ahead. These include the issue of
impacts resulting from multiple developments, construction of wind farms on deep
peat and landscape capacity for wind farms.
Theres also renewed interest in hydro, with many proposals on watercourses
that are important for salmon, pearl mussels and other vulnerable species.
Renewable energy development is becoming a huge area of work for us,
remarked Jane Clark, head of sustainable land use at SNH. Scotland has
exceptional renewable energy resources and the industry is expanding rapidly
across the country.
Our role is to help developers and planners to exploit this huge potential
at an acceptable cost to the equally outstanding, and economically valuable,
landscapes and wildlife. This means providing them with guidance on location,
design and the potential impacts of their proposals. Thats why weve invested so
much time and effort in the sector.
www.snh.org.uk
29
Scotch whisky is one of

this countrys most famous
products and clearly
benets from Scotlands
high-quality environment.
Now the industry is leading
the way in efforts to combat
climate change
30
Water of life goes green

Scotch whisky is an iconic product. Its sold in 200
countries worldwide, with more than 90 million
cases exported in 2008 and shipments worth over
3 billion.
It was therefore an important signal to the wider business
community when Scotlands whisky companies pledged
earlier this year to cut their use of fossil fuels by 80% by
2050, under the rst industry-wide environmental strategy.
The fossil fuel reduction amounts to an annual saving by
2050 of over 750,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide the same
as taking 235,000 cars off Scotlands roads.
The announcement was welcomed by Richard Lochhead,
cabinet secretary for rural affairs and the environment,
who praised whisky producers for being the rst industry
in Scotland to sign up to the demanding climate change
targets set by the Scottish Government for 2050.
The future of Scotlands iconic whisky industry relies on
our equally iconic environment, he commented, and the
industry is ahead of the game with this pioneering strategy.
If delivered fully, these commitments will be of real benet
to our environment. Scotlands record export sales gures
of over 3 billion for last year demonstrate the important
contribution this industry makes to our economy.
And David Rae of the North British Distillery Company,
who chaired the group that came up with the strategy, said
it made good environmental and business sense. Distillers
have always understood the long-term view and our targets
up to 2050 are challenging. This strategy is a clear signal of
our commitment to take a lead on sustainability issues.
In order to achieve the required reductions, the industry
will have to alter substantially the way it operates. However,
its also adopting a host of other measures aimed at
greening its operations. In the next couple of pages we
look at some of the changes planned or already
under way.
1
The word 'whisky'
comes from the Gaelic
uisge beatha meaning
'water of life'. The
industry depends on a
consistent supply of
good quality water to
make whisky.
2
The familiar steep
roofs and pagoda
heads found on many
Scottish distilleries.
www.snh.org.uk
31
Energy
The act of distilling whisky uses a lot of energy, but it also
produces other items that can be used as fuel. The industry
is investing in new ways to recover energy from these byproducts as an alternative fuel to produce heat and power.
This will signicantly reduce reliance on fossil fuels.
For instance, one of Scotlands best-known whisky
distilleries is introducing a ground-breaking system that
uses oil-producing algae to cut the amount of greenhouse
gases released.
Glenturret Distillery, home of The Famous Grouse, aims
to take the fumes generated from whisky production and
turn them into biodiesel. The algae strip carbon dioxide from
the fumes and convert the gas into oil and protein.
And the Combination of Rothes Distillers which
includes Chivas Brothers, Glen Grant and Ben Riach are
building a new combined heat and power plant that will
use by-products as an energy source. Excess energy will
be sold to the National Grid, with enough to power 9,000
homes.
Meanwhile, the North British Distillery in Edinburgh has
installed a heat exchange system that will use heat currently
released into the atmosphere to heat the nearby Tynecastle
High School. A similar example is Bowmore Distillery on
Islay, which supplies waste heat to the islands leisure
centre.
Water
The whisky industry needs clean water
supplies and aims to achieve similarly
high standards in the water that it
releases back into the environment.
Copper stills are essential to whisky
as they uniquely inuence the spirits
character. However, the copper thats
released in the waste water from
distilleries can be harmful to animals
and plants if the copper is above
certain levels.
The Glenddich distillery in
Dufftown has installed a natural
treatment system to protect the River
Fiddich. The system is planted with
16 native species of wetland plants
and willow trees, which bind copper
onto their roots and prevent its release
into the environment. Deer, ducks,
foxes and red-legged partridges have
all been spotted in the area. Similar
wetlands have been developed at
Benrinnes and Glenallachie distilleries.
32
Casks
Scotch whisky must, by law, be made
in Scotland and matured in oak casks
for at least three years. Casks play a
key role in the maturing process, giving
avour and a golden colour to the
whisky.
The industry has committed to try
to ensure that in future all the casks it
uses will be made of oak sourced from
forests that can be harvested with no
long-term damage to the environment.
Many whiskies obtain their unique
avour from the use of sherry casks,
sourced from the European oak forests
of northern Spain. Whisky producers
are often the rst buyers of these
casks and allow sherry producers to
use them for a period of time before
theyre sent to Scotland.
The Edrington Group, distillers
of brands such as The Macallan and
Highland Park, wanted to ensure the
long-term future of oak sources in
Spain. So they commissioned a study
of the oak forests of Galicia, Asturias
and Cantabria.
Over the ten-year period studied,
the European oak stocks increased by
67%. The trees provide many other
benets, of course, including the rich
range of wildlife they support and their
ability to store away carbon.
Grain
Seventy per cent of all wheat grown in Scotland is used to
produce grain spirit, which is a key ingredient in blended
whiskies.
The industry wants to reduce the nitrogen content of
wheat, as this will increase the amount of alcohol that the
grain produces whilst also being good for the environment.
However, producers need to achieve this without a drop in
the tonnage of wheat that comes off the land.
Plant scientists have therefore bred a type of grain that
will take in 30% less nitrogen. This will mean that the farmer
is able to apply 50% less fertiliser, resulting in less pollution
of the environment.
www.snh.org.uk
33
31
Events diary 2010

January
Monday 11 Area Evening

Thursday 28 Receptions
Roy Bridge, West
Highland
Ellon, Grampian
Wednesday 27
February
Sharing Good
Practice (SGP):
Social marketing
Scotlands outdoors
beyond the usual
suspects
Battleby, Perth
Our natural heritage is an important resource for

improving the health and well-being of people
in Scotland. But how do we get more people to
enjoy the outdoors more regularly and to realise
the signicant benets from physical activity
and contact with nature? This is an opportunity
to explore social marketing and how it can be
applied in this context.
Tel: 01738 458 557

sgp@snh.gov.uk
Guided walk in search of wetland birds on World

Wetlands Day. Booking essential.
Tel: 01577 864 439
Dismantle and recycle (from 10.30 to 16.00)

disused pheasant pens from Ballangrew Wood
on the edge of Flanders Moss. Booking essential.
Tel: 01786 450 362

FLANDERS@snh.
gov.uk
Wednesday 10 SGP: The Participant

communities unLtd
Battleby, Perth
People getting together to take action for

the environment, whether to improve local
greenspace or reduce greenhouse gas
emissions, is vital for creating more sustainable
communities. This event will highlight examples of
community-led action and examine how support
organisations can work with communities in ways
that enable independent action.
Tel: 01738 458 556

sgp@snh.gov.uk
Saturday 13 Meet the Wardens

Loch Leven NNR
Tayside
Drop in to the Kingsher Hide at Burleigh Sands

to chat with the wardens about the wildlife of
Loch Leven.
Tel: 01577 864 439
Sunday 14 Wild Goose Trail

Loch Lomond NNR
West Highlands
Explore part of Loch Lomond NNR and

surrounding area (in a minibus) with SNH and a
national park ranger, looking for and counting the
four species of geese that winter there.
Meet at Kilmarnock Millennium Hall, Gartocharn,
at 2pm. Booking essential.
Tel: 01389 722 015

www.lochlomondtrossachs.org
Thursday 18 Area Evening

Thursday 25 Receptions
Oban, Argyll, Dundee
All welcome (please check SNH website or local

Area ofce to conrm venues and timings).
Thursday 25 SGP: Seminar for

planning students:
Making sustainable
places planning
and the natural
heritage
Battleby, Perth
Using a blend of presentations, themed

sessions and access to a panel of experienced
professionals, student planners are encouraged
to explore the key issues and opportunities for
safeguarding the environment. (Priority will be
given to those following RTPI and Landscape
Institute accredited courses.)
Tuesday 2 Wetland Bird Walk

Loch Leven NNR
Tayside
Sunday 7 Woodland Tidy Up

Flanders Moss NNR
Stirling
34

Tel: 01738 458 556

sgp@snh.gov.uk
March
Wednesday 3
Thursday 25
Thursday 4
Area Evening
Receptions
Lairg, Sutherland
Harris, Western Isles

SGP: Leading Edge

Battleby
Perth
This popular annual event brings together rangers

and other environmental educators to share ideas
and inspiration for practical activities that promote
outdoor learning and rst-hand experience of the
natural world.
Tel: 01738 458 556

sgp@snh.gov.uk
Scottish seas and coasts support a wealth of

wildlife, and marine wildlife tourism is becoming
an important part of Scotlands economy. This
event will bring together those most closely
involved with marine wildlife and related industries
to exchange information and share experiences.
Tel: 01738 458 556

sgp@snh.gov.uk
Guided walk to Levenmouth in search of early

birds in song, and on the move. Booking
essential.
Tel: 01577 864 439
Wednesday 17 SGP: Marine wildlife

working together
towards a better
understanding
Battleby, Perth
Sunday 21 Early Bird Walk

Loch Leven NNR
Tayside
www.snh.org.uk
35
Among shifting sands

The haunting dunes of Forvie National Nature Reserve stretch along part
of the North Sea coast, towering over you with the awesome grandeur
of a desert. This is one of the largest sand dune systems in the UK. New
shapes and colours appear in the shifting expanse of dunes, depending
on which way the wind blows. Perfect for a low-level winter walk, the
reserves past is hidden under the blanket of golden grains that smothers
the landscape
36
Forvie Trail
Forvie lies 23 km (15 miles) north of Aberdeen on the A975 Aberdeen to Peterhead
road. You can walk to the reserve from Newburgh, where there are toilets and where
buses stop generally every hour. This walk begins at the large car park signposted for
the reserve at Waterside on the north side of the River Ythan (sounds like eye-than)
road bridge.
The 5 km/3 mile route is marked by blue arrows and follows a rough track along the
side of the estuary and then into spectacular, towering dunes. Emerging onto the
beach, the route continues to the site of the cursed village of Forvie, said to have
been covered by a sandstorm in the 15th century. Returning by track over heather
moorland, the walk is not too steep but involves walking on rough ground and sand.
Reserve boundary
Dunes
Moorland
Collieston
Estuary trail
Information centre
Stevenson
Forvie
Centre
Information board
South Broad Haven
Parking
North
Sea
Sand
Loch
Toilets
Bird hide
0
Cotehill
Loch
Old
kir
k
Forvie Moor
Rockend
75
A9
n
ur
Bu
rn o
f Sandend
8
5
9
3
Riv
er
Forvie Bur
n
n
ha
Yt
Greenhill
Waterside
Bridge of
Forvie
Sleek of Tarty
a
Yth
Est
uary
Fov
Udny Links
Golf Course
A97
era
n L
ink
s
Newburgh
er
Fov
To
Aberdeen
Bu
rty
Ta
an Bur
Meikle
Tarty
Logie Buchan
Bridge
Waterside
Bridge
Inch Geck
To
Ellon
1
kilometres
Forvie
Kirk
(remains)
To
Cruden
Bay
B9000
003
B9
Hackley
Bay
rn
Ashworth Maps and Interpretation Ltd 2009.

Based on Ordnance Survey mapping. Crown Copyright and
database right 2009. All rights reserved. Ordnance Survey
Licence number SNH 100017908.
www.snh.org.uk
37
1
Forvie features one of
the largest areas of
blown sand in
Scotland. The dunes
have been built from
sand carried onshore
by the sea and wind.
2
Its easy to identify
curlews with their long
down-curved bills,
which are used to
probe for worms and
shellsh.
1
Begin at Waterside car park and follow
the track through the gate towards the
trees. Just below the car park is an area
of saltmarsh where lapwing and small
wading birds often take shelter from
the winter weather. Emerging from the
trees, look for redshank, oystercatcher
and curlew down on the mudats at low
tide. Carry on straight ahead, with the
estuary on your right.
38
2
Looking across to Newburgh, you can
see the quayside that once made this
a busier port than Aberdeen. However,
the shifting sands had to be frequently
dredged to allow safe passage for the
ships bringing in coal and exporting
grain. The University of Aberdeen have
their ocean research facility located just
behind the quay, where the waters of
the Ythan are now being used to study
the role of the sea in climate change.
3
Follow the foreshore at this point for
another 500 m/0.3 mile and look out
for long-tailed duck on the water, as
well as Forvies signature bird, the eider
duck. Males are black and white, and
the females are brown, camouaged
for nesting in the heather at the side
of the estuary. In spring, there can be
up to 5,000 birds here, but the winter
population drops to a few hundred. The
eiders dive in the river channel to nd
mussels, their favourite food, which they
swallow whole.
4
Stopping at the start of the large dunes
on your left, a deep pile of mussel shells
has been exposed in the slope. This is
a midden Bronze Age at its earliest
and shows how important the estuary
has been to people over the reserves
history. Through medieval times,
people harvested mussels intensively
to provide bait for haddock line shing.
When mussel harvesting ended in the
1960s, the numbers of eider duck on
the Ythan soared and it became the
UKs largest breeding population.
5
Clamber back up to the path and turn
right to follow the grass-covered route
up a slope to some stone steps at the
top. Enjoy the view over the estuary
and then carry on into the heart of the
dunes. From the late 18th century,
smugglers hid their illegal goods here
by digging pits, which they lined with
sail cloth. You never know what the
shifting sands might reveal next! Look
out for snow buntings searching for
marram grass seeds. These striking
small birds migrate to Forvie from their
arctic summer breeding grounds.
6
Wander through the dunes, which
were once visited by T. E. Lawrence
(of Arabia fame) and imagine yourself
in warmer climes! Once on the beach,
turn left to follow the coast to the
rocky shore at the north end. A salmon
weather vane and a small burn mark the
track off the beach. The weather vane
was made by the salmon shers who
used to net the beach at Forvie until the
tradition ended in 2000.
3
The Ythan Estuary
attracts tens of
thousands of birds
every winter to roost
and feed, like these
lapwings and swans.
www.snh.org.uk
39
A little farther on you nd a salmon

sher himself one of the characters
in the Forvie village story trail. Lift the
panel to read about him, then turn up
the grassy slope to your right to nd
more characters and Forvie Kirk. The
ruined walls date to the 12th century
and mark the site of a medieval village,
now lost beneath the sand. A local story
tells of the curse laid on Forvie by three
daughters who were due to inherit the
land, but were cast adrift at sea instead.
In fact, the village was slowly lost to the
advancing sands over many years, so
its unlikely that much evidence remains
under the dunes.
8
5
Return to the track via some stone

steps and a small wooden bridge to
nd another two story trail characters.
Turn right on the track to head
towards an open moorland landscape.
Unusually, the marram grass of the
beach grows here with heathers and
also bright lichens. This mix of plants is
one of the protected habitats at Forvie
as its rare or threatened elsewhere
in Europe. Forvie was once a grouse
moor, but nowadays you might see
short-eared owls hunting by day, or roe
deer bounding away into the distance.
9
Eventually, the track passes a stand of
willow trees, which is one of the few
tree species that can survive the strong
winds and shifting sand at Forvie. As
the track starts to slope back downhill,
you get a magnicent view over the
estuary and Newburgh. The low hill
between the eld and the estuary is an
esker, left behind where a crack formed
at the base of retreating ice sheets
10,000 years ago. Finally, look out for
buzzards soaring on the thermals above
the slopes.
4
You may see a
short-eared owl
hunting over the moor
for small mammals,
especially voles.
5
A winter walk on a frost
covered beach.
Forvie is one of over 50 National Nature Reserves in

Scotland. Find out more at www.nnr-scotland.org.uk
40
6
Marram grass inwinter
light with frost still on
the ground.
Essential information
Forvie NNR lies 25 km/15 miles north of Aberdeen.
Stagecoach bus service 263, Aberdeen to Peterhead via
Cruden Bay, stops at Newburgh.
OS maps
Landranger 38 (Aberdeen)
Explorer 421 (Ellon & Inverurie)
toilets and information about the area. Open daily 10am

to 5pm April to October, and then Monday to Friday (staff
permitting) between November and March. Entry is free.
Alternative trails, including an easy-access route with
wheelchair-accessible picnic tables, start and end at the
Forvie Centre.
The Forvie leaet is available in alternative formats,
including large print and audio format at
www.snh.org.uk/pubs
Trail length
5 km/3 miles from Waterside car park.
Nearby natural attractions
Situated between Fraserburgh and Peterhead, the Loch of

Strathbeg is Britains largest dune loch and a joy to visit at
any time of year. In winter, thousands of wild geese, swans
The start and end of the walk are on a rough farm track with and ducks y in, including 20% of the worlds population of
potholes and sand-lled hollows. The route along the estuary pink-footed geese. The visitor centre is open every day from
is on a wide path, surfaced with short grass, or on pebbled
8am 6pm (or dusk if earlier). The Tower Pool, Fen and Bay
foreshore. The route also takes in bare sand dunes and the
hides are open from dawn to dusk daily, except Christmas
beach itself. Gradients are mostly low, but there are some
and New Years Day. See www.rspb.org.uk/reserves/
short slopes over the dunes and on the return track.
guide/l/lochofstrathbeg
A couple of miles north of Cruden Bay lie the Bullers
Dogs
o' Buchan, some stunning natural arches eroded into rock
faces. Over time, the sea has carved caves and inlets into
The beach by the sea is a good place to let your dog run
the cliffs, making them spectacular to walk round. At the
free. The estuary and moorland are sensitive parts of the
extreme point of this circular chasm is an area known as The
reserve because of the birds that shelter there. Please make
Pot, where the sea rushes in through a natural archway. The
sure you keep your dog on a short lead or under close
drops here are sudden and long, so do take care. Children
control there, and always pick up waste, disposing of it in the
and dogs should be carefully supervised. Theres a car
bins at the car park. Dog bags are available from the car park.
park for the site on the A975 road 2.5 km/1 mile northeast
of Cruden Bay. Park here and follow the signs. You can
Further information
also stop off here using the regular bus service between
The Forvie Centre at the north end of the reserve has
Peterhead and Aberdeen.
Terrain
www.snh.org.uk
41
SNH Area News

Argyll and Stirling
Correspondents: Angus Laing, Caroline Crawford, Nick Haycock
Natures business
Bluebell wood boost
History made real
Senior pupils and teachers from

Lochgilphead High School visited
Taynish NNR in September to launch
an intriguing photographic arts project.
They set out to raise awareness of the
reserves fascinating oakwood and
develop a business enterprise group to
market unique photographic products
from the day.
Led by local staff and SNHs inhouse photographer, Lorne Gill, the
pupils explored various approaches to
capture a range of artistic images, like
the one above. Under Lornes expert
eye, the best work of each pupil was
selected for a special exhibition held at
the Dochas Gallery in Lochgilphead in
November.
Proceeds from the sale of the
images have been used by the group to
fund the manufacture of products under
the imaginatively titled Snapberry
brand. Under the guidance of its own
management team, the pupils group
has produced a marketing plan and
Flickr page to promote the work. It
has also sourced local retail outlets for
a further range of products, including
greetings cards, calendars and seed
packets.
A wildlife-rich, ancient woodland right

in the heart of Stirling has had a bit
of a facelift. Balquhidderock Wood is
known locally as the bluebell wood
and is truly a wood for all seasons. It
has glorious colours in autumn and a
woodland oor carpeted with bluebells
in spring. Oak, ash, alder and bird
cherry are the main trees you nd there,
and it has wonderful woodland owers,
such as wood anemone and stitchwort.
Its a popular and well-used local nature
reserve managed by Stirling Council, as
well as being a site of special scientic
interest.
The council recently received
funding to improve access and
recreation opportunities for people
living in towns and cities. So the wood
has now benefited from some helpful
woodland management and paths have
been upgraded. Support came from
local communities in Broomridge, who
will now be able to enjoy the wood even
more.
Were delighted to have been
involved in this management work,
commented woodland and greenspace
officer Jane Begg, as it will help revive
this woodland and its paths, which are
very well used by local people. The
project was jointly funded by Forestry
Commission Scotland, SNH and
Stirling Council.
A project to uncover and preserve

peoples early memories of Flanders
Moss NNR has provided a fascinating
glimpse into the fast-vanishing past
of Stirlings countryside. More than
a dozen local families from around
the bog agreed to be interviewed
by a historian as part of our Peat,
People and Poetry project, aimed at
highlighting the areas past.
A host of bygone activities and
recollections, many stretching back to
childhoods around the Second World
War, have been recorded on CD
and captured in writing. Some of the
memories of the 2,000-acre bog from
the surrounding farms and villages go
back even further, having been passed
down from parents and, in some cases,
grandparents.
We passed on some of the
childhood memories to todays children
as part of an event at McLaren High
School in Callander last September.
Children from several schools
performed poems, songs, rap and a
shadow puppets show, all inspired by
visits (pictured above) over the summer
to the bogs boardwalk with specially
commissioned artists and poets.
The exciting nal stage of the
project, a new 9 m (30 ft) high
viewing tower, opened to the public in
November.
42
SNH Area News

Dumfries and Galloway
Correspondents: Barry Dunne, Trevor Godden,Jonathan Warren
Ae triumph
Speaking the Land
Geese gathering
The villagers of Ae in Dumfriesshire

have won the Biodiversity Award in
the Beautiful Scotland competition,
run by Keep Scotland Beautiful. They
scooped the prize for their work on
improving an area of rough grassland
and willow scrub beside the village,
which had become muddy and
overgrown.
The SNH award is presented
every year to the entrant that
shows the greatest commitment to
boosting biodiversity in their area.
At a ceremony held in Ae Primary
School, local area ofcer Barry Dunne
pictured above with some of the
schoolchildren handed over the
500 prize money to the community
along with a framed certicate.
A mix of villagers, schoolchildren
and local organisations all worked
together to transform the area for
biodiversity. They created an outdoor
classroom of trees and shrubs, as
well as a new wildower meadow;
restored a pond; replanted hedges to
provide seeds and berries for wildlife;
built nest boxes in the trees for song
birds, owls, bats and red squirrels;
and put in new paths and two new
bridges across the Goukstane Burn.
The project formed part of the
wider Sulwath Connections scheme,
which supports local projects aimed
at improving landscapes and wildlife
along the Solway coast.
A unique day of storytelling, art

workshops, musical performances
and guided walks recently took place
at Cairnsmore of Fleet NNR, near
Gatehouse of Fleet. Led by artist Matt
Baker, poet Mary Smith and SNH
geologist John Gordon, the event was
called Speaking the Land.
Storyteller Tony Bonning enchanted
children with wild tales drawing on
local legend and folklore. And artist Jo
Warner inspired youngsters to create
collage and drawings. Meanwhile,
visitors dripping with rain forgot their
wet feet as they listened to the magical
harp of Wendy Stewart.
The event was inspired in part by
a series of sculptures by Matt Baker
one is shown above and poetry by
Mary Smith created last year. Speaking
the Land was part of a Homecoming
in Your Landscape project put
together by Dumfries & Galloway Arts
Association, along with SNH and the
Educational Institute of Scotland.
Speaking the Land is also the name
of a new work created by Dundeebased visual artists Dalziel + Scullion.
Theyve captured elements from the
Galloway landscape in three short
lms and worked with writers to create
stories based on the images. These
explore universal themes about peoples
relationships with landscape.
The BBCs Autumnwatch lm crew

recently lmed at Caerlaverock
NNR and the neighbouring East
Park Reserve run by the Wildfowl &
Wetlands Trust (WWT), near Dumfries.
They brought a live wildlife spectacle
straight to our homes with images of
barnacle geese arriving to spend the
winter on the Solway Firth.
The entire barnacle population y
all the way from Svalbard (a group of
Norwegian islands midway between
Norway and the North Pole) to the
milder climate and rich feeding on
the saltmarshes and grassland of the
Solway coast. Pink-footed and greylag
geese come with them from Iceland,
making the area home to over 30,000
geese from late September to mid April
each year.
You can enjoy the spectacle of
thousands of geese ying to and from
their mudat roosts and feeding areas
by taking a short walk out from car
parks alongside the Nith estuary, south
of Dumfries. Although dawn and dusk
ights are particularly atmospheric,
the geese can be seen feeding on and
around the reserves at any time of day.
A support scheme for local farmers run
by SNH provides safe, undisturbed
feeding for them on farmland close to
the estuary.
For further information contact SNH
on 01387 770 275 or WWT on 01387
770 000.
www.snh.org.uk
43
SNH Area News

Tayside and Clackmannanshire
Correspondents: Suki Fleming, John Burrow, Neil Mitchell
Helping hands
Gravel matters
Ducks bounce back
Rare woolly willows should thrive in

Corrie Fee NNR, in the Angus Glens, in
years to come thanks to Royal Botanic
Garden Edinburgh (RBGE) and SNH
staff, along with volunteers. Together
they planted over 800 young mountain
willow shrubs there in August.
Mountain willows (woolly, downy
and dark-leaved willows) are highly
endangered in the UK, with the woolly
willow especially rare. Its scarcity
means its high on the list of various
action plans aimed at saving rare
species.
Corrie Fee lies at the head of Glen
Clova in Cairngorms National Park and
hosts the largest remaining population
of mountain willow scrub in the UK.
Even here, the pockets of willow
growing on rock ledges and steep
slopes have become small and isolated,
with little sign of new young willows
appearing. Willows grow as either male
or female plants and need to grow
within 50 metres (165 ft) of each other
to pollinate.
RBGE staff were responsible
for collecting seeds and cuttings
and growing them into seedlings for
planting out. Our hope now is that
theyll grow into a population thats able
to survive on its own into the future.
Moving gravel around in a river or

removing it altogether is quite a
common management activity, but it
can be hugely harmful to salmon. The
river gravels are actually vital for salmon
spawning and they also provide shelter
for newly hatched fry. In fact, theyre
important not only to the survival of
salmon but also to other vital freshwater
wildlife, such as freshwater pearl
mussels and lampreys.
Two publications about gravel
working have been produced to help
land and shery managers, and theyre
available on the SNH website. Gravel
Working in the River Tay System A
Code of Good Practice explains how
sh use the gravels, what kind of work
is most damaging and how to carry out
activities without causing harm. And
the Gravel Working in Scottish Salmon
Rivers leaet summarises the advice
in the booklet, providing guidance for
anyone thinking of removing gravel or
gravel management on salmon rivers in
Scotland.
One of the largest groups of nesting

duck in inland Europe used to live on
St Serfs Island, the largest island in
Loch Leven NNR. However, the colony
almost disappeared in 2007. Foxes
turned out to be the main culprit, having
probably crossed to the island when
water levels were unusually low. The
foxes have now been removed and the
duck colony is showing good signs of
recovery.
To help the duck colony re-establish,
we restored the reed and tall grass
areas that nesting ducks favour.
Thanks to a new landing craft work
boat (shown above), contractors were
able to clear areas of dense willow
scrub and clear out two old ponds that
had become completely overgrown.
Work had to be timed for August,
after nesting had nished, but before
thousands of wildfowl return to winter
at Loch Leven.
Weve seen an increase in the
numbers of tufted ducks, mallards,
gadwalls and waders on the island this
year, commented Neil Mitchell, reserve
manager. As a result, we feel condent
that the duck colonies are recovering
well. But well keep monitoring them to
make sure our management has been
successful.
44
SNH Area News

West Highland
Correspondents: Stephen Varwell, Derrick Warner, Sean Morris/Sarah Bentley
Covering new ground
Better homes
Rum rut drama
Getting out and enjoying stunning

countryside is something that many
of us enjoy and perhaps take for
granted. But for those with mobility
problems, many areas can seem
hopelessly out of reach. Thats why we
were happy to help Skye & Lochalsh
mobility action group, The Way
Forward, purchase a new mobility
scooter, as well as a shed in which to
keep it.
The scooter makes it possible
for even more people to go off the
beaten track and enjoy our amazing
wildlife and landscape, commented
Stephen Varwell, local ofcer for Skye
& Lochalsh. Its been a pleasure to
work with The Way Forward group,
whose members show a huge
commitment to improving access for
all.
The project has been a real
team effort, with the mobility group
assessing paths suitable for use
with the scooter, advice coming
from Highland Disabled Ramblers,
support provided by Highland Council
rangers, free delivery of the scooters
by Skye Express and storage by
Donald Mackintosh. Highland
Disabled Ramblers also donated a
further two scooters to the group.
Its not just the big things that matter

when youre managing a national nature
reserve. At Ariundle Oakwood NNR,
near Strontian, not only do we care for
the great old oaks, we like to make sure
that the small things do well too!
Ariundle is right in the heart of
chequered skipper buttery country
and is home to a small population of
these rare and beautiful insects. The
chequered skipper needs a specialised
residence of damp, partially shaded
woodland glades with purple moor
grass and woodland owers. The
adults feed on bluebells and bugle
before laying single eggs on the grass
tussocks. Once hatched, the larvae
remain in the grass for the summer and
hibernate over winter. After emerging in
early April, the caterpillar pupates and
the butteries take to the wing in June.
We worked with a local specialist
contractor to create new glades in
the wood designed to give chequered
skippers just the sort of place they like
to live. The work was carried out entirely
by hand and all the cut timber stacked
to provide more insect homes. With this
extra habitat, the butteries should get
the boost they need.
Isle of Rum NNR is famed for its

spectacular scenery and wonderful
wildlife. This year has been full of
wildlife drama some of it played
out on national television! BBCs
Autumnwatch programme returned to
Rum to lm the red deer rut, with Simon
King (above) presenting the highlights.
And, for the rst time, viewers could
watch live action between broadcasts,
as they could go onto the internet and
view webcams set up on the rutting
greens at Kilmory. This proved hugely
popular, with large numbers of people
going online.
2009 has also been a dramatic
year for some of Rums other special
species. Both golden eagles and redthroated divers had a record year in
terms of breeding success. The three
golden eagle pairs successfully edged
ve young, the previous best being four
young edged in 1996 and 2004.
Twelve red-throated diver pairs bred
this year, successfully edging a total
of 12 young. This follows two very poor
years when only three young edged.
Future work planned on the island will
look at why breeding success is so
variable. This should help us nd out
if there are other ways for us to help
conserve this scarce species.
www.snh.org.uk
45
Discover Winter White

Scotlands national nature reserves are being promoted as some of
the best places to enjoy nature this winter in a campaign being run
by VisitScotland, the national tourism organisation.
The Winter White campaign is VisitScotlands seasonal marketing drive to raise
awareness of the huge variety of things that people can see and do over the
winter season. The aim is to inspire more visitors to come to Scotland during this
traditionally quieter period.
Winter White showcases the very best of Scotland, whatever the weather,
with wildlife and outdoor activities as key themes this year. National nature
reserves are ideally placed to offer visitors memorable experiences over the
winter months from a crisp walk through the frosted Caledonian pinewood of
Abernethy in Strathspey to the breathtaking spectacle of thousands of barnacle
geese wintering on the mudats at Caerlaverock on the Solway Firth.
The reserves will be promoted through the Winter White website (www.
visitscotland.com/whiteinvite) during the campaign. In addition, a pocket-sized
weekly planner, encouraging people to visit the reserves during the winter months
and throughout the rest of the year, will be distributed within the Scottish Daily
Mail newspaper.
And if youre planning a visit to one of Scotlands amazing national nature
reserves, then it couldnt be easier thanks to a new publication. Packed full of
stunning photography, our handy visitor guide has descriptions of over 50 national
nature reserves. Youll also nd essential information on how to get to each one,
the best time to visit and the facilities to expect when you arrive.
For those visiting the Cairngorms, weve produced a smaller leaet focusing
on the nine reserves you can explore in and around Cairngorms National Park.
Whether youre looking for massive mountains, great forests or spectacular
landscapes, this leaet is the essential companion for a trip to the Cairngorms.
You can grab your copy of these publications simply by emailing pubs@snh.
gov.uk, clicking on www.snh.org.uk or calling 01738 444 177.
1
The new visitor guide
provides you with
essential information
on all of Scotland's
national nature
reserves.
2
Ben Lawers in
Perthshire is a national
nature reserve that
offers breathtaking
high-level walks in
winter.
46
Print out
2010 calendar
Our calendar for 2010 focuses on
biodiversity, in celebration of the
International Year of Biodiversity.
The calendar features stunning images
from noted natural history photographers,
along with a lively text that explores
biodiversity issues and reveals a range of
benets that biodiversity delivers.
The publication is available in two
formats as a large wall calendar at 6 or
a small desk-top calendar at 3.
Geology of northeast Scotland

The latest title in the Landscape Fashioned by Geology series is Northeast Scotland. This
lavishly illustrated book describes the various events that have shaped the unique northeast
landscape.
The publication looks back over hundreds of millions of years, from the creation of
the granite and gabbros of the Caledonian Mountains to the formation of the Old Red
Sandstone found along the coast. It also describes the more geologically recent changes
that occurred during the Ice Ages.
The book uses a rich mix of photography and illustration to present the various landforms
and shed light on the processes that helped create them. The 68-page book is priced at
7.95 and can be ordered online.
You can order copies of SNH publications via the SNH website. You can also buy our publications in person from the shop
in the reception area of our SNH Battleby ofce or tel: 01738 444 177. The vast bulk of SNH publications are free, but the
Naturally Scottish and Landscape Fashioned by Geology series do carry a cover price. Hard copies of our research and
report series, as well as the annual calendar, are also priced items.
www.snh.org.uk
47
Wildwood plan
for Carrifran
This may look like a natural landscape
but its not. These hills would once have
been covered with a rich tapestry of native
woodland. So, for the past 15 years, a
dedicated group of volunteers has been
trying to turn the clock back
48
www.snh.org.uk
49
In 1993 a group of friends came up with the idea of re-creating a

fragment of the wildwood that originally covered the hills of southern
Scotland.
They spent years searching for the right place, planning the project and
negotiating over costs, before nally buying the dramatic hills around Carrifran in
the northeast of Dumfries and Galloway in 2000. And, remarkably, the 400,000
costs were met without the use of any public funding the money was raised
entirely from like-minded supporters throughout Britain and overseas.
Carrifran is a magnicent ice-carved valley in the Southern Uplands between
Moffat and Peebles. It covers more than 6 sq km (2.3 sq miles), rises to over
800 metres (2,625 feet) and takes several hours to walk round. Like much of
upland Britain, it has lost its natural woodland cover, along with many of the wild
creatures that depended on it. That loss came about through a long history of
felling, burning and grazing by sheep, cattle and goats.
The large range of altitude at Carrifran offers a chance to re-create a variety of
woodland, including treeline habitats around 700 metres (2,296 feet), which are
rarely found in Britain today.
The friends who started the project came together as a Wildwood Group
in 1995, and also helped to form the Borders Forest Trust. The trust is an
environmental charity that seeks to conserve, restore and manage native
woodlands for the benet of people and wildlife.
We were all sure that we should think big, explained Philip Ashmole, one
of the founding members of the Wildwood Group, so we set out to create a
6,000-year-old natural environment in a single treeless valley.
We hoped this would pay back some of our dues to the wild animals and
plants that once lived there, as well as make an impact on the minds of those who
came to know about it.
50
1
The bare hills of
Carrifran
photographed in 1997.
2
Lonely rowan beside
the Carrifran Burn. It
now has some half a
million trees for
company!
3
The hills around
Carrifran lost their
woodland cover over
many centuries.
3
The Lowlands of
Scotland had once
undoubtedly an equal
portion of woods with
others countries But I
believe few regions have
been denuded like this,
where many centuries
must have passed in
waste without the least
thought of future supply.
Samuel Johnson (1775) from

A Journey through the Western Isles
www.snh.org.uk
51
Planting begins
On Millennium Day, 1 January 2000, about 100 volunteers celebrated the
purchase of Carrifran by planting the rst trees. A complete plan for restoring the
site had already been developed, and funding and advice from SNH allowed the
steering group to appoint a project ofcer to take forward the work.
Since then, more than 450,000 native trees and shrubs have gone into the
ground. About 10% of the trees have been planted by volunteers, who have
contributed their time and enthusiasm to not only plant trees, but also bash
bracken, repair paths, remove unnecessary fences and generally clear up.
The rest of the tree planting has been down to contractors who come back
to work at Carrifran year after year, and are therefore a vital part of the Wildwood
project. Both contractors and volunteers are prepared to work high up in the hills
through the winter, probably meeting tougher conditions than just about any other
tree planters in Britain.
Decisions about which trees to plant can be made with condence because
the Wildwood Group have identied the tree species that grew in the original
wildwood at Carrifran. They have a complete pollen record taken from a peat
bog on the site and theyre familiar with the conditions that each species prefers.
Moreover, they gathered and grew thousands of seeds and cuttings from the
Southern Uplands, so they knew the trees being used were adapted to the local
climate.
4
52
Visitors to Carrifran and those who drive past now can readily see the
developing woodland near the mouth of the glen, where some trees are about
ve metres (16 feet) high. It takes more careful searching to spot the hundreds of
thousands of trees and shrubs spread over the more remote parts of the site.
We set up the Wildwood project to show that, in a world weighed down with
environmental problems, we dont have to just sit back and wring our hands,
added Philip. We can take action and do something positive.
This project proves that people have the power to reverse environmental
harm, and we hope it will inspire others to come up with even bolder schemes to
restore areas that have been degraded down the centuries.
4
Carefully choosing a
planting spot to
provide some
protection for a
young tree.
5
Woodland spreading
up the glen in May
2009.
New project
Given that over 95% of native woodlands have been lost in the south of Scotland,
BFT have also been looking for other opportunities to support the publics
enthusiasm for restoring woodlands.
And theyve just announced that 700,000 has been raised to buy 640
hectares (1,580 acres) of land at Corehead, north of Moffat, which lies just over
the hills from Carrifran. The hills and valleys of Corehead were historically part of
the wild Ettrick Forest, and BFT plan to restore the heather moorland and native
woodland that once thrived there.
The famous Devils Beef Tub also forms part of Corehead. This is one of the
most iconic landmarks in the south of Scotland, taking the form of a cavernous
hollow in the hills where the notorious Border Reivers once hid their stolen cattle.
Corehead extends to within three kilometres (1.8 miles) from Carrifran, offering
the possibility of making a connection. The surrounding hills form the watershed
between the Tweed and Annan river systems, so theres potential to create links
across the hills and rivers.
If youd like to read more about Carrifran, then why not buy a copy of the
recently published book The Carrifran Wildwood Story: ecological restoration
from the grass roots, which was also supported by SNH. All the money raised
through sales goes to support the project. To nd out more about the book, you
can download a preview and print off an order form at www.carrifran.org.uk or
buy online at www.bordersforesttrust.org
www.snh.org.uk
53
Kids only!
What is snow?
When water freezes inside
clouds, ice crystals form. Ice
crystals are crystals that have
formed around tiny bits of dirt
that have been carried up into
the atmosphere by the wind.
The ice crystals then join
together to create snowakes,
and once the akes are heavy
enough they fall to the ground
as snow.
There are lots of fun activities to do in this issue, but rst youll need
to collect some bits and bobs from outdoors. So why not all wrap up
warm, get outside and enjoy the fresh air on a nice family walk. Collect
interesting items and take photos, and when you get home, you can
draw a picture, start a nature scrapbook or make a collage.
Have fun with the activities...
How big is a snowake?

Most snowakes are less than
1.5 cm (0.5 in) across. The
largest snowake recorded
was 38 cm (15 in) in diameter.
All snowakes have six sides
and no two snowakes are
alike.
You will need: lard, birdseeds, raw peanuts, raisins, cheese (grated),
yoghurt pots or pine cones and strong string.
In a bowl, put three heaped tablespoons of lard and then put in a warm
place until the lard goes soft.
When soft, add a tablespoon of each of the following: birdseed, raw
peanuts, raisins and grated cheese. Mix them into the lard and then squeeze
the mixture into a lump.
Thread a string through the bottom of an empty yoghurt pot and tie a big
knot inside. Push the cake mixture in and then chill in the fridge until it turns
hard. (You can also push the cake mixture into the gaps of a pine cone
and hang this from a tree!)
Hang the pot upside down from a tree in the garden.
To make a twiggy photo frame you will need:

very strong card (cut into a house shape)
your favourite portrait photograph
strong glue
pruning shears
lots of twigs (of even widths)
string
54silver-sprayed fern or glitter to decorate
The Nature of3Scotland
You will need: freezer-proof container, cooled boiled water, natural item and a loop of string.
1. Collect natural items from outside that you think will look great in your ice sculpture such as
pine cones, leaves, stones, feathers or owers.
2. Place them into your freezer-proof container, which can be any shape or size you want.
3. Add cooled boiled water (with adult help), and make sure your item is fully submerged.
4. Place a loop of string at the top of your container, making sure only the ends are in the water
as this will be used to hang your ice sculpture. Now pop in the freezer overnight.
5. Remove from freezer and push the sculpture out of the container.
6. Hang from a tree in the garden, where it can twinkle in the sunlight. ENJOY!
Knock! Knock!
Whos there?
Eskimo!
Eskimo who?
Eskimo questions hell tell
you no lies!
What you need: string, wide-mouth pint jar, white pipe cleaners,
blue food colouring, boiling water (with adult help), Borax laundry
detergent, pencil.
How do snowmen travel

around?
By icicle.
Cut a white pipe cleaner into three equal sections. Twist the sections
together in the centre so that you have a six-sided star shape.
This forms a snowake base for the crystals to grow on.
Trim the pipe cleaner sections to the same length.
What does Jack Frost eat

for breakfast?
Frosties.
Attach a piece of string along the outer edges to form a snowake

pattern. Attach another piece of string to the top of one of the pipe
cleaners and tie the other end to the middle of a pencil
(this is to hang it from).
What did the big furry hat say

to the warm woolly scarf?
You hang around while I go on
ahead.
Fill a wide-mouth jar with boiling water. Mix Borax into the water one
tablespoon at a time. Use three tablespoons of Borax per cup of
water. Stir until dissolved (dont worry if there is powder settling on the
bottom of the jar). Add a little blue food colouring now to
give the snowake a blueish tint.
Submerge your pipe cleaner snowake into the Borax solution with
the pencil resting across the top of the jar.
Leave overnight and by morning your snowake will be
covered in beautiful shiny crystals.
www.snh.org.uk5
10
55
You may have been lucky enough to catch a recent Natural

World television documentary about the ways that wildlife
in a remote part of the Highlands copes with extreme and
fast-changing weather. Here's the background to the lm
When Fergus met Beinn
56
www.snh.org.uk
57
A spectacular lm featuring the wildlife and

landscapes on and around Beinn Eighe National
Nature Reserve in Wester Ross brightened the
nations TV screens in December.
The programme featured remarkable photography, including
a sea eagle making its maiden ight, black-throated divers
learning to swim (and land) for the rst time on Loch Maree,
and underwater footage of salmon heading upriver to spawn.
A Highland Haven appeared as one of the highlights in
the current BBC Natural World series. It was lmed over
the course of a year on Beinn Eighe and neighbouring
Loch Maree by award-winning lm-maker Fergus Beeley,
the series producer of David Attenboroughs Planet Earth.
Check out the Natural World section of the BBC website if
you missed the programme, as you may get another chance
to see it on the BBCs iPlayer.
Members of the SNH reserve team helped the camera
crew and were able to point them towards the best locations
for lming species, from the red deer rut to dragonies
catching prey on the wing.
And popular Scots musician Phil Cunningham wrote
the musical score that accompanied the programme. This
was Phils rst opportunity to compose music for a nature
documentary and it fullled one of his long-held ambitions as
hes a keen wildlife enthusiast.
Some of Scotlands most iconic wildlife is to be found on
Beinn Eighe, including golden eagle, pine marten and red
deer, all of which feature in the lm. The mountain is actually
Britains oldest national nature reserve. The reserve was set
up in 1951 primarily to protect its ancient pinewood, but it
embraces a vast area of 48 sq km (18.5 sq miles) stretching
from loch-side to mountain top.
1
Scots pines growing by
the Allt a Chuirn gorge.
Behind is snowcapped Creag Dhubh
at the eastern end of
the Beinn Eighe ridge.
2
White-tailed sea eagle
chick with down still
crowning its head.
3
The islands in the
widest part of Loch
Maree provide an
undisturbed haven for
many kinds of wildlife.
4
Black-throated diver
on Loch Maree. These
elegant birds breed on
the loch's islands in
summer.
The weather means

that only the hardiest
will survive.
58
Fond memories
The area brought back striking

memories for lm-maker Fergus
Beeley. This programme had a special
resonance for me as I knew the
northwest Highlands well as a child, he
explained. I hope my affection for the
place and its magic comes through.
Fergus is a wildlife lm-maker based
in Bristol who has lmed all over the
world. His credits include The Life of
Birds, White Falcon, White Wolf and
the Natural World strand among others.
The wildlife at Beinn Eighe has
to be able to adapt to a place thats
heavily stressed by powerful weather
systems. They sweep through and make
life really difcult and trying for the
animals, he remarked.
The weather means that only the
hardiest will survive. For instance,
the red deer have a real ght on their
hands to survive the relentless, cold
winter rain. It kills them more than snow.
Perhaps that explains why theres such
a good density of eagles. Certainly,
we were often forced off the hill by the
wind and rain.
And the weather can be a real
challenge for families of birds like
white-tailed sea eagles and blackthroated divers as they grow up through
the short summer. These are clearly
storm-resistant birds as adults, but until
theyre fully grown they are extremely
vulnerable, Fergus added. We got lm
of their wobbly maiden ights as well as
some severe crash landings.
Beinn Eighe reserve manager
Eoghain Maclean believes the
programme is a superb showcase for
the Wester Ross area and its wildlife. I
think its likely to bring positive spinoff in terms of the local economy, he
commented.
The programme has been sold to
something like 40 countries, so this
is an ideal marketing opportunity for
the area to attract more visitors. Its a
wonderful programme and the images
theyve managed to capture, particularly
of the black-throated divers and the sea
eagles, are hugely impressive.
www.snh.org.uk
59
60
Sounds natural
The soundtrack for the Natural World documentary
was composed by renowned Scots musician Phil
Cunningham (pictured right). Our area ofcer at
Beinn Eighe, Kenny Nelson, caught up with Phil for
a chat about the project.
Youre a prolic performer, composer and producer of music,
but was this your rst foray into nature documentary work?
Yes, its my rst big nature documentary, although its
something Id wanted to do for such a long time. Id
done some landscape work, but nothing that involved
animals. So this was not only a big challenge but a wee
dream come true.
Are there certain instruments you tend to prefer for
composing?
I use keyboards in the main, just to get the textures
and colours. I have to spend a lot of time talking to the
director too. Im a real tunes man I like big melodies.
But Fergus wanted undertones and moods, so once we
were clear about that, then I could release the melodies
from my mind. However, as the project developed,
inevitably all those melodies came creeping in, and
every different animal ended up with its own tune!
The programme paints a broad picture of landscape and
wildlife. But it also focuses on some of the characters too,
like sea eagles, divers, dragonies and even midges! Were
there any species that stood out for you?
I have to say I fell in love with the divers and their
plight. They had their own little theme, and every time I
saw them this tune would pop into my head. The most
difcult ones to do were the midges and dragonies,
because they were so random. I wish somebody would
teach those guys how to dance! It was really about
stepping away from melody with them and trying to
create a really irritating sound as irritating as they can
be!
You wanted to be a zoologist when you were younger. Do

you still get the chance to follow up that interest?
I still want to be a zoologist! Its my main interest outwith
music. The majority of my books and DVDs are all about
wildlife. Apart from CSI Miami, the only thing I watch on
TV is David Attenborough and programmes like that! I
love it and nd its a great way to switch off.
My work means Im very busy and I have to spend a
lot of time in planes, trains and automobiles, which are
noisy environments. Just to have peace and quiet and
to be able to watch something pecking away at some
seeds or whatever, it empties your mind.
Your music has taken you all over the world, and you spend a Youve obviously really enjoyed this project. Do you foresee
lot of time in America. But does Scotland and its landscapes yourself doing any more nature documentary work?
still inspire you?
I would love to be able to do more. It was always a big
Absolutely. Theres nowhere like here in my mind; its the ambition of mine to be able to combine what I do for a
most wonderful country in the world. Its very, very varied living with wildlife, the second love of my life. Ive really
struck it lucky in this instance because a big door has
you can drive 10 miles down the road and youre in
opened through working with the BBC Natural History
a totally different landscape. I just think Scotland has
Unit. Fergus liked what I did and hes talking about
everything to offer for landscape, wildlife, ruggedness
doing something together again in the future, so ngers
and drama. Its the complete package in terms of
inspirational material. I lived on the Isle of Skye for years crossed that its the start of something that might
continue.
and you could be inspired in 10 different ways in a day,
just by sitting in the same spot, because the light is so
changeable.
www.snh.org.uk
61
Emergency exit
Wildlife lm-maker Fergus Beeley wrote a diary for
the BBC news website of his experiences at Beinn
Eighe. Heres his rst entry, recalling the alarming
start to the project
2021 February 2008: A life-threatening start
The helicopter crawled up the edge of the mountain, hugging the barely visible
ground through the mist and cloud.
At about 700 metres (2,296 ft), the visibility improved and the snow-capped
peaks of Beinn Eighe came into view. The camera was running. This was day one
of lming for a wildlife documentary in the northwest highlands of Scotland and
the images today were stunning.
This was a good start. For the next week, our aim was to camp on the top of
this mountain to lm ptarmigan and mountain hare. Our location safety advisor,
Jim McNeill, came into vision in the round, deep corrie just below the triple
buttresses of the mountain known as Ruadh Stac Mr. His earlier reconnaissance
had identied this as a more sheltered position than the actual summit.
With strong winds soon to be coming in from the southwest, this was our
plan B. And it probably saved our lives for no-one had expected that we would
soon be ghting to remain on the ground in an extraordinary gale that reached
storm force 11.
It came on us as night fell, as if an angry dinosaur shared the corrie with us. It
rst swiped its claws at our tents. These strikes were sudden odd gusts of wind
that reached 160 km/h (100 mph), smashing the roofs of our tents down heavily
onto our faces.
These hits were followed by an eerie, empty silence, lasting sometimes 20
long seconds. By midnight, the dinosaur was furious. Jim and I, sharing the same
tent, could only remain absolutely at as the gale crushed the now broken tent
down onto our bodies, making even breathing difcult.
Cameraman Ian McCarthy was struggling to remain in the last standing tent,
as it shifted with him across the ground. Though he was also safely anchored to
our own rope-to-boulder lashings, if anything were to go now, our tents would be
lifted straight off the ground and away with the dark, the snow, the mouth of the
storm.
Jim, on all fours, checked the lashings and was lifted off the ground. It
was difcult to crawl and impossible to stand; but trained and experienced in
conditions such as these from his solo expeditions on the Arctic ice, Jim was calm
and clear in his commands.
It was difcult to
crawl and impossible
to stand...
Escape plan
We could not ride out this storm now without some signicant danger of
hypothermia setting into us. Clearly, Ians tent, the last, had only a short life now.
We had to descend off the mountain if the storm wasnt going to let up soon.
I could just make out Jim shouting down the satellite phone through the din of
the whipping and apping. It was 0900, and our procedural call back to base was
in progress. Eoghain Maclean, the Beinn Eighe reserve manager and Kinlochewe
Mountain Rescue Team member, agreed that an immediate descent was advised.
Our exit plan and route were agreed.
On all fours, clinging to the rocks, we gathered and lashed together the widely
strewn lm cases. With the visibility down to just a few metres, and the blizzard
making standing impossible, we started our descent.
62
5
Branching out Scots
pine in Gleann
Bianasdail by Loch
Maree.
6
Ice-covered river
owing out of Coire
Mhic Fhearchair on
Beinn Eighe.
www.snh.org.uk
63
Join our mailing list
Winter 2009
All at sea
Wave and
tidal power
Unique vision
Artist with a
different view
Beinn on TV
Highland haven
for wildlife
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www.snh.org.

Scottish Natural Heritage

The Nature of Scotland

10 A slightly different view

16 Sea change on the horizon

30 Water of life goes green

46 Discover Winter White

48 Wildwood plan for Carrifran

The Nature of Scotland

You can contact SNH by

Argyll and Stirling

A full list of our ofces

Other main ofces

Dumfries and Galloway

Printed by: Woods of Perth, Scotland

When you have nished with this magazine,

Forth and Borders

The Nature of Scotland

Short days can be a bonus if you want to watch

Will ye go tae Flanders?

The Nature of Scotland

The Nature of Scotland

Jammy, those Dundonians

The Nature of Scotland

Poet Kenneth Steven describes

The PoeTree project came about almost by accident some half

Award-winning artist Keith Salmon is able to

The Nature of Scotland

Its difcult for me to describe

I have always walked and scrambled

I see the landscape

In 2001, however, I heard of a

This rather strange technique has

Since the Glenmore course in 2001,

Some of Scotlands seabirds have

The Nature of Scotland

The offshore wind,

The Nature of Scotland

Energy is vital to modern life in Scotland. It

The Nature of Scotland

Until now, development has been limited because of the

The Nature of Scotland

However, George Lees, a policy and advice manager with

Journalist and broadcaster Lesley Riddoch has a keen

Scottish marine biologists from St

The Nature of Scotland

growth (part of the seals food chain)

result of killer whales preying on them

The Nature of Scotland

Greater protection for golden eagles

The Nature of Scotland

Efforts to protect sharks in Scottish waters are to be stepped up with the

Fancy tagging sharks?

Forest as big as Glasgow

Helping the economy

Common scoter is a rarity

The Nature of Scotland

Energy targets on track

Scotch whisky is one of

The Nature of Scotland

Water of life goes green

The Nature of Scotland

Events diary 2010

Monday 11 Area Evening