Friends of the Ochils Newsletter 21: Autumn 2002
Glen Sherup Native Woodlands
As FotO members will know, the Woodland Trust - whose representative Philip Gordon will be the guest speaker at our forthcoming AGM - has recently planted the north side of Glen Quey with native woodland species. We have had a constructive dialogue with the WT both before and since this planting. The poor quality of stiles (see the spring 2002 newsletter, page 6) has been remedied thanks to our promptings. We are maintaining a watching brief on the impact of high planting on outward views from the north-eastern ridge of Innerdownie and between Innerdownie and Tarmangie. The WT has agreed to take action if views are obscured. However, it is possible that a lot of the highest and most exposed planting may fail "naturally" and so no problem will arise.
Towards the end of 2001, we heard that the WT was in negotiation to buy most of Wester Glensherup Farm. This not only takes in the north side of Glen Sherup but also the north side of Ben Shee to the River Devon, the Frandy Burn and the Middlehill Burn. Significantly, it stretches not only to the watershed on the main ridge of the Ochils between Cairnmorris Hill and Tarmangie but goes further south to include the uppermost waters of the Burn of Sorrow, down to a height of about 520 metres.
Our initial reaction was that this was too much too soon. However, we also recognised the reality of the current economics of hill farming. If the owner wanted to sell, the most likely buyers would be interested in trees. This could either be commercial forestry based on quick-growing coniferous species such as sitka spruce, or a conservation organisation likely to plant a wider range of native species. The latter was the bid already in progress when we heard about it.
The forestry and woodlands subgroup of FotO met with the WT at an early stage to offer our general comments. We then commented formally at the "official" stage when the WT submitted an application (with an accompanying environmental impact statement) to the Forestry Commission for funding through the Woodland Grant Scheme. We raised a number of matters to do with the silvicultural detail of the proposal and access, including car parking. We were happy that all these matters, with one exception, were taken into account in further work on the proposal.
All other interested bodies - such as Scottish Natural Heritage, East of Scotland Water and the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds - were content with the amended proposal. Only FotO maintained an objection to the scheme. Our objection was to the planting proposed around the high spine of the Ochils between Skythorn Hill (itself just outside the WT land), Cairnmorris Hill and Tarmangie (the latter also outside the WT land).
The proposal to which we were opposed is shown in Figure 1. The high ground running north-east from Cairnmorris Hill over Scad Hill was to be left unplanted, partly as a result of earlier discussions between ourselves and the WT. But the normal route past Cairnmorris Hill to Tarmangie, used by almost all those walking the skyline of the Ochils 2000-footers, was to be planted. While this planting would be relatively open (with the path itself left clear), we were still concerned that it would introduce an element out of keeping with a high ridge walk. We were also concerned at the landscape impact of trees crossing the skyline to the west and south of Cairnmorris Hill and descending towards the Burn of Sorrow.
Our concerns were taken seriously by the Forestry Commission and a site meeting arranged at which FotO, the WT and the FC were all represented. It was very wet underfoot and undertyre after an electrical storm as six of us were transported up the hill in a four-wheel-drive vehicle. In my haste, having come from work and quickly changing at home en route, I had forgotten my boots and so was to be seen wearing full waterproofs and trainers!
Sitting on top of Cairnmorris Hill and studying the scene first-hand, it became clear that the FC shared some of our concern. The topography here is not obvious and this is where a site visit, even a wet one under FC umbrellas, was to prove valuable.
Especially valuable was the constructive work that took place, with pointing fingers being translated into indicative lines on the map. The end result was subsequently sketched out more formally by the WT and this is shown here on the facing page as Figure 2. FotO has agreed to these new proposals, bearing in mind that at the highest altitudes the trees will be more sparsely planted and are in any case likely, because of exposure, to have the potential for only limited growth. The WT will liaise with us further when on-the-ground preparations are about to begin, probably this autumn. (As we go to press, the WT has just met with FotO on a site visit - more on this next time.)
We came away - Dave Hewitt and myself - feeling that a satisfactory position had been reached, covering the interests of all concerned parties. While the area to be planted by the WT had been reduced to accommodate our recreational and landscape concerns, other potential areas of planting (in the headwaters of the Burn of Sorrow but below the Skythorn-Tarmangie path) or of increased planting density had been identified which would maintain the ecological integrity sought by the WT, as well as ensuring the financial viability of the scheme.
I also came away feeling very wet. Halfway down the hill the vehicle went into a bog and we all had to get out so that it could free itself. This led to me enjoying a short paddle in my trainers. But it was worth it.