Scottish National Heritage - The Nature of Scotland SpringSummer2013Issue - 17

www.snh.gov.
uk
Scottish Natural Heritage
Spring / Summer 2013
The Nature of Scotland
Discover
Scotlands wildlife
Year of Natural Scotland
Hebridean focus
BBC Scotlands wild season
Show stoppers
Moray Firth dolphins
Contents
Features
10 Year of Natural Scotland

Discover Scotlands wildlife
22 Cairngorms National Park

Scotlands largest National Park
is 10 years old
36
28 Islands on the edge

Filming the BBC natural history

series about the Hebrides
10
50
22
54
34 Caring for Scotlands

countryside

Rural land management in
Scotland
Regulars
2

28
Where we are
SNH contact details
3 Welcome
4

Wild calendar
Where to go and what to see
this spring and summer
20 Dualchas coitcheann

/Common heritage

Linking language and environment
49 Supporting employment
and skills

Schemes to help young people
into rewarding employment
50 Moray Firth dolphins

An environmental and economic
success story
54 Finders keepers

Modern apprentices for a
traditional craft
60 Linking communities

How Sustrans is connecting
people through safe routes
36 Reserve focus

Discover Knockan Crag NNR
42 Area news

Reports from round the country
56 News
64 Mailing list

Change your details or subscribe

to our e-newsletter
Facebook and e-newsletter

We have recently launched a new Facebook page and an e-newsletter. If you
want to join our e-newsletter subscriber list you can do so on our website under
our Contact Us pages or complete the form on page 64. Our Facebook page can
be accessed from the home page of our website.
www.snh.gov.uk
Credits
The Magazine of Scottish Natural Heritage
Issue Number 17 Spring / Summer 2013
Published twice per year
SNH 2013
ISSN 1350 309X
Where we are
Area offices
You can contact SNH by

letter, telephone or email.
The following details
should enable you to find
your nearest main office,
but bear in mind that we
also have a number of
offices smaller than those
listed.
Forth
The Beta Centre,
Innovation Park,
University of Stirling,
Stirling FK9 4NF
Tel. 01786 450 362
Editor: Jim Jeffrey

Tel. 01738 458528
A full list of our offices

appears on the SNH
website: www.snh.gov.uk
Cover photo: A harbour seal on a windy Tentsmuir beach

Photographer: Danny Green/2020Vision
Corporate
headquarters
Inside cover photographer: Lorne Gill/SNH

Welcome page photographer: Lorne Gill/SNH
Photography all images by Lorne Gill/SNH other than: Laurie Campbell/
SNH 6 (top left), 30 (top right), 54; Mark Hamblin 6 (image 1 in strip), 12 (5
in strip), 13, 57; Keith Ringland (2 in strip); Lorne Gill/SNH/2020Vision 7;
Peter Cairns/2020Vision 9 (image 3 in strip), 17; David Whitaker 9, 27, 44c;
Neil McIntyre 12 (1 and 2 in strip) ; Niall Benvie 12 (3 in strip) ; Laurie
Campbell 12 (4 in strip) ; Chris Gomersall/2020Vision 15; Bertie
Gregory/2020Vision 16; Peter Sandground/SNH 18; Florlan Graner/
Naturep1.com 20; Alex Mustard/2020Vision 33; AlecMacDonald 42l;
Scottish Urban Regeneration Forum SURF 42c; Juan Brown 42r; John
Simpson 43l; Susie Goodwin 43c; Derek Robertson 43r; Mags Russell 44r;
Nick Gedge 45l; NSA Project Dumfries and Galloway Council 45c; The
Conservation Volunteers Scotland 46l; Andrew Smith 46r; Helen Cole,
National Trust for Scotland 47l; Ewen Cameron 47c; Neil Mitchell 47r;
Martin Twiss 48c; Charlie Philips 50,53.
To share your views about The Nature of Scotland or suggest articles for
future issues please contact the editor:
SNH Magazine
Battleby, Redgorton,
Perth PH1 3EW
Email: editor@snh.gov.uk
The views expressed in this magazine do not
necessarily reflect those of SNH.
Printed by: J Thomson Colour Printers, Glasgow

JTCP31k0413
When youve finished with this magazine, please recycle it. Pass it to
another reader or dispose of it at your local waste-collection point.
Great Glen House,

Leachkin Road,
Inverness IV3 8NW
Tel. 01463 725 000
Email: enquiries@snh.gov.uk
Other main offices

Perth PH1 3EW
Tel. 01738 444 177
Silvan House,
3rd Floor East,
231 Corstorphine Road,
Edinburgh EH12 7AT
Tel. 0131 316 2600
Caspian House,
Mariner Court,
Clydebank Business Park,
Clydebank G81 2NR
Tel. 0141 951 4488
Forth
Silvan House,
3rd Floor East,
231 Corstorphine Road,
Edinburgh EH12 7AT
Tel. 0131 316 2600
Southern Scotland
Greystone Park,
55/57 Moffat Road,
Dumfries DG1 1NP
Tel. 01387 272 440
Northern Isles
& North Highland
Ground Floor,
Stewart Building,
Alexandra Wharf,
Lerwick,
Shetland ZE1 0LL
Tel. 01595 693 345
Northern Isles
& North Highland
The Links,
Golspie Business Park,
Golspie,
Sutherland KW10 6UB
Tel. 01408 634 063
South Highland
Fodderty Way,
Dingwall Business Park,
Dingwall IV15 9XB
Tel. 01349 865 333
South Highland
The Governors House,
The Parade, Fort William,
Inverness-shire PH33 6BA
Tel. 01397 704 716
Tayside & Grampian
Perth PH1 3EW
Tel. 01738 444 177
Tayside & Grampian
Inverdee House,
Baxter Street,
Torry,
Aberdeen AB11 9QA
Tel. 01224 266 500
Argyll & Outer Hebrides
32 Francis Street,
Stornoway,
Isle of Lewis HS1 2ND
Tel. 01851 705 258
Welcome
Ian Jardine
Chief Executive
2013 is a big year for us here in Scottish Natural Heritage as we celebrate the
Year of Natural Scotland. As an organisation, we also passed our 21st birthday
at the start of April and what an interesting, challenging and enjoyable 21 years
it has been. In this issue of our magazine we look at a wide range of activities,
events and festivals that you can enjoy around the country this year. As we leave
autumn and winter behind, we move into a time of year that often sees Scotland
looking at its most enticing and we want to help you make the most of it.
We introduce you to Scotlands Big 5, putting the spotlight on five of our
best known and loved animals. The purpose is to encourage people to learn more
about them, but also to visit parts of the country where these animals live and to
enjoy Scotlands nature and scenery. But you dont have to stick to our Big 5
you can choose your own too. To help you find out more we have launched three
apps that provide a visually stunning and highly portable way to get to know more
about Scotlands nature.
2013 marks the tenth anniversary of the establishment of the Cairngorms
National Park. Lisa Drysdales article focuses on the achievements of the Park
over its first decade. This year we will also highlight the legacy of John Muir, a
Scot from Dunbar who was the key figure in founding National Parks in the USA
and who is regarded internationally as one of the founding fathers of the national
park movement.
We have been fortunate that cameraman John Aitchison has agreed to give
us a taster of the BBCs eagerly awaited natural history series on the Hebrides.
The programme will shed light on some of the stunning landscapes and wildlife
of the islands. I am pleased that in this issue we also have articles about the work
of rural land managers and gamekeepers. Some of the debates we have about
managing Scotlands countryside and its wildlife are pretty robust but we all agree
that there are strong links between our economic prosperity and the health of our
environment. Land managers and gamekeepers are key figures in shaping our
countryside, and understanding their role and aspirations is absolutely essential to
any consideration of its future. Kenneth Stephens article looks at the modern role
of the gamekeeper for whom wildlife management and habitat conservation are
increasingly central to their activities.
I hope you will find lots of interest in this issue, but above all I hope you will
feel inspired, encouraged and energised to go out and get the most out of the
Year of Natural Scotland.
Wild calendar
Kenny Taylor gives
some seasonal
tips for savouring
Scottish wildlife
and landscapes
There could still be snow in the hills and nights when frost whitens
grass. There may be geese in fields as swallows arrive, the wildfowl
not yet gone to Iceland. There might be a glint of winter stars in the
ponds where frogs are spawning. But the new season is here now,
whatever the echoes of the old. Welcome, long days, the songs of
warblers, yellow flowers and white flowers, as sleepers awaken to
new life.
Whats the scent of the woods today? In some,

you might notice the reek of ramsons, pungent
as garlic, or tones of leaf-mould underfoot, full of
earthy odours. But the trees themselves?
Try taking a deep breath above a leafy birch
branch this spring, and you might get a pleasant
surprise. On the mainland, chances are there
will be some birches not far away. If you can visit
birch-rich National Nature Reserves, such as Muir
of Dinnet on Deeside or Craigellachie overlooking
Aviemore, all the better.
Birches of different kinds are Scotlands
commonest native trees. They are quick to
colonise bare ground and thrive in harsh upland

conditions. Some exude an aromatic oil from their
young leaves, perhaps as a defence against insect
damage. The scent is delicate, and can be quite
noticeable after a shower of rain.
Leaves of these odorata birches can be sticky
to the touch. But not all birches are scented,
making the search all the more challenging.
So, go on, lose some inhibitions to celebrate
the season and give the trees a sniff.
Spring
Get sniffy
Web tip: www.nnr-scotland.org.uk/muir-ofdinnet
Dance of the Ephemerons

When the bankside hawthorn is in bloom, they
might come out to dance. Just for a day or
so; then they die. Mayflies, named for those
thorn-bush flowers of May in the time of their
swarming, seem to symbolise something of both
the fragility of life and the beauty of nature along
streams and rivers.
Thanks to abundant and often clean
freshwater, Scotland is home to 38 of the UKs 51
different species of mayfly. Known until the late
1800s as dayflies or (in a spacey-sounding way)
ephemerons, these are unique among insects
in having two adult stages. These winged stages
develop after the mayfly has spent one or two
years as a water-dwelling larva.
www.snh.gov.uk
The first adult stage, known to anglers as a

dun, has dull, rather opaque wings. The second
the spinner has longer tail filaments and
finely veined, translucent wings. Mayfly males
swarm near water and are weak fliers, hence the
dancing up and down. If a male manages to
grasp a passing female to mate, the couple falls
out of the swarm.
Shell lay her fertilised eggs in water, then
die, by which time her suitor could already have
expired. Merry, the month of May.
Web tip: www.wildtrout.org/content/mayflyclassroom (teachers resource)
5
Spring
Rodes show
At first, you might not know what has made the sounds, nor
from which direction theyve come. Whirr-click; then silence.
You start walking again along the sandy track.
Whirr-click. This time a brief blur of motion makes you
look at one point on the ground. Move closer, quietly, and
there it is: a gem of an insect, wing cases glowing emerald
green and edged with bronze.
The green tiger beetle is a brilliant little creature, in more
ways than one. It can be tricky to see at close range, since
its a fast-moving predator and can react very quickly to
movement. But thats part of the fun of hunting for tigers on
warm spring days when many are coaxed into action.
Keep trying, and you could be rewarded with a view
of big, bulbous eyes, massive jaws and gorgeous colours
before the tiger makes a dash for it or flies away.
Green tiger beetle larvae live in burrows, where they lurk
just beneath the surface in the hope of grabbing prey that
stumbles in. So another challenge is to look for those little
holes and then (very difficult) spot the owner.
It can look like a large bat as it flits

above woodland tracks and clearings
in the half-light. Both its silhouette and
sound (a strange blend of squeak and
soft grunting) can evoke the dusk of
spring evenings for those who know
their meaning.
The shape in the mirk is a
woodcock, a type of wading bird that
unusually for its kind nests among
trees. Come summer, females will be
trying to hatch and rear broods of four
chicks on the woodland floor, each
youngster as beautifully camouflaged in
tones of tawny, russet and cream as the
parents.
But first comes courtship and
mating. Males seek mates through aerial
patrols at dusk, complete with those
weird sound effects. Called roding, this
search-and-display flight is a woodcock
speciality.
Counts of roding males can give
a good idea of the size of the local
woodcock population. This is why the
British Trust for Ornithology and the
Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust are
conducting a national survey of roding
woodcock this year: a boost to science
from a little spring magic.
Web tip: www.buglife.org.uk/discoverbugs/

bugofthemonth/Green+tiger+beetle
Web tip: www.bto.org/volunteersurveys/woodcock-survey
Tigers in the sand
Some other things to look for in spring:
Swallows and martins gathering mud for nests, spring salmon on the move in some rivers,
amphibian spawn and tadpoles, wood anemones and other early-flowering woodland plants
Things deepen in this season: the greens of leaves as they thicken against the sun;
the intensity of blue in waters over shell sand; the vinegar tang of guano wafting
on an updraught from a seabird colony; the colours of orchids as they blush into
flower. The long days and short nights of summer make ambitious journeys to explore
landscapes and nature more feasible. Mountain, moor, coast, loch, wood, river or sea:
dive in and get immersed.
Summer
Summer
Beware the sunny trap

Any plant with a solar tag in its name can bring
thoughts of summer. Sunflowers might spring to
mind. But those who relish Scotlands squelchier
delights might also imagine plants that are much
smaller but, in their own way, more exotic.
Sundews: you need to hunker-down to
appreciate their brilliant strangeness. Up close,
clear orbs of sticky goo fringe the tips of tiny
tentacles around the leaves. Even on a dull day,
the globules glisten (hence the sun in the name).
But catching the light isnt the purpose of
the gloop. Its there to entrap fresh meat. Small
insects that land on the droplets get stuck.
www.snh.gov.uk
Charles Darwin was fascinated by sundews, and

noted how even the touch of a gnats legs on a
tentacle was enough to make it curl over towards
the centre of the leaf, making a kind of vegetable
stomach.
Digestive enzymes then allow the plant to
absorb the insect as food, boosting its intake of
nutrients such as nitrogen in places where such
plant growth boosters can be in short supply.
Web tip: www.bbc.co.uk/nature/life/Drosera
The real seagull

Waves surging on the rocks of a headland. The glistening of
light on the water. Offshore, a fishing boat. At the cliffs, white
birds by the hundreds swirl around mud nests plastered to
dark stone.
Of all Scotlands gulls, kittiwakes are the most deserving
of the term seagull (a word whose imprecision can make
birdwatchers cringe). They nest beside the sea, catch small
fish and other prey in its upper layers and range far across it
through autumn and winter.
Come summer, they will have been in residence at their
sea-cliff colonies for weeks, where each pair will try to raise
a couple of youngsters. The sight of these dapper seabirds
and their offspring can be one of the delights of the long
northern days.
Worryingly, many kittiwake colonies have been in steep
decline in recent years, because of food shortages possibly
linked to effects of climate change on the oceans. But you
can still hope to experience some sights and sounds of them
at traditional kittiwake strongholds, such as the cliffs of East
Caithness, Orkney and Shetland.
Web tip: www.rspb.org.uk/wildlife/birdguide/name/k/
kittiwake/index.aspx
Ear of flying
Walk a path beside native conifers in early summer, and you
might notice something odd about the puddles. Pale yellow
scum covers them, or gives a rim to others. Dry hollows hold
colourful rings as echoes of the water they once held, like
tidemarks in a poorly cleaned bath.
Scots pine perhaps our most iconic native tree is the
puddle painter. Each pine holds both male and female cones.
The male ones which are longer and thinner than the
females, and often grow at the ends of branches release
huge amounts of pollen.
On breezy days, you might see clouds of the stuff
blowing through a pinewood, as countless millions of grains
take flight. The chance of one successfully fertilising a female
is tiny, which is why so many are released.
To aid aerial buoyancy, conifer pollen grains have two
balloon-like air sacs. In Scots pine, under the microscope,
these look rather like Mickey Mouse ears.
Intriguingly, some herbalists reckon that pine pollen is a
potent natural source of the male hormone, testosterone.
But thats another story.
Web tip: www.treesforlife.org.uk/tfl.scpine.html
Summer
Bonny, the Clyde
The River Clyde is often typecast by its industrial
past. Its the water that made Glasgow a worldclass trading hub. But away from its urban banks,
it also has stretches of great rural beauty.
A prime area to experience the wilder aspects
of the Clyde is close to the town of Lanark and
the village of New Lanark. Here, the river and its
tributaries have cut deep gorges, whose steep
sides have protected native trees from felling.
So the woods here, including Scotlands largest
areas of ash-elm woodland and abundant oaks,
are superb; given extra sound and depth by the
waters that cut through them.
The Scottish Wildlife Trusts Falls of Clyde

reserve is justifiably popular with visitors. Less
known to people from outside the area is the
Clyde Valley Woodlands National Nature Reserve
at Cleghorn Glen and Cartland Crags.
A path skirts a tributary of the Clyde here.
Despite its name Mouse Water (pronounced
Moose, of course) this is a lusty wee beast of a
river, big on white falls.
Web tip: www.snh.org.uk/pdfs/publications/
designatedareas/clydevalleycleghorn.pdf
Some other things to look for in summer:
Different bumblebee species on garden flowers, harbour seals with pups at haul-outs,
ospreys fishing over lochs and estuaries, argus butterflies on mountain heathlands
www.snh.gov.uk
10
Join the fun!

The Year of Natural Scotland 2013 is your chance
to find out more about our nations stunning natural
heritage. Its a year-long programme of events
and activities celebrating Scotlands fantastic
landscapes and wildlife. Over the following pages
we reveal what we and our partners have in store to
help you make the most of this special year.
Scotlands Big 5 is a campaign introducing you to five of our favourite species
and suggesting where to go to see these fabulous animals and much more
besides. A string of events and festivals will also raise the profile of Year
of Natural Scotland, and in launching three apps we hope to make wildlife
watching, train journeys and getting out and about even more enjoyable.
Add to the above a celebration of John Muirs legacy, and a stunning Year of
Natural Scotland video and its clear that there is a lot going on. So let the fun
begin, and grab a slice of the action as Year of Natural Scotland unfolds.
www.snh.gov.uk
11
SNH-25959-Big5-80x213-AW-GK 1
05/04/2013 10:21
Meet our
Big 5
As part of the Year of Natural Scotland 2013, Scottish
Natural Heritage and VisitScotland have launched an
exciting campaign aiming to get everyone talking about our
wildlife and landscapes and out and about to discover
more. We are suggesting what Scotlands Big 5 species
might be, based on factors such as where they can be
seen in the wild, how popular they are and how much they
are associated with Scotland but now its over to you!
Scotlands Big 5 campaign is your opportunity to find out
more about our wildlife. It will help you to experience it
for yourself and perhaps encourage you to think about
choosing your own top 5. Well help you to find information
about our wildlife and landscapes and the best places to
spot Scotlands top species. And, working together with
VisitScotland and a range of other partners, well bring you
unmissable experiences and events for Scotlands Big 5
throughout the year.
Marion Mulholland, campaign manager for Scotlands
Big 5, explains how the campaign will take shape: We
work with many partners to encourage people to enjoy the
outdoors. Our priority is to improve opportunities for outdoor
recreation and learning and we cannot underestimate the
power of wildlife nor its crucial role in this. The Scotlands Big
5 campaign offers wonderful opportunities for inexpensive,
fun-packed experiences across the whole country.
We are encouraging everyone to get involved with
Scotlands Big 5 by voting for their favourite species. Visit
our website www.scotlandsbig5.co.uk. suitable for all
12
desktop and mobile devices to find out more and enter our
competition to win a Scotlands Big 5 Break.
The campaign is aimed at people from all over Scotland,
including our largest cities. The Scotlands Big 5 app,
available for free download on iPhone, iPad and iPod touch,
contains fascinating facts about each species. We hope
children and adults alike will use the app and website to
learn more about Scotlands wildlife in an entertaining way.
The Scotlands Big 5 campaign is about stimulating
interest and discussion of our nature and landscapes by
focussing on some of our most iconic species and their
habitats. As Marion points out We are inviting people to
think about how theyd choose their own top 5, and to
submit wildlife photographs and share their best wildlife
encounters on the new SNH Facebook page. We will also
be adding a host of special images to our Twitter stream and
online galleries.
For more information on our campaign visit
www.snh.gov.uk/big5
The high flyer

First up in Scotlands Big 5 is the mighty golden eagle,
arguably the feathered superstar of the Scottish uplands.
There are reckoned to be around 440 pairs in Scotland,
located mainly in the Highlands and Islands but with
a presence in the Borders and Southern Uplands too.
They are renowned for their sharp eyesight and hunt with
considerable success on our hills and moors, where rabbits,
hares and grouse feature in their prey. Carrion mostly
sheep and deer also forms part of their diet, but they have
been known to take seabirds, foxes and even other birds of
prey.
Their size, allied to their hunting prowess, has earned
them a special place amongst Scotlands wildlife. Yet for all
their iconic status they are not the easiest of birds to catch
a glimpse of and can be confused with buzzards, despite
being twice as large. The confusion arises because eagles
tend to be spotted from a distance soaring on a thermal or
perched on a rocky crag.
The golden eagle is awesome. Broad-winged and
powerful, it can glide, soar and dive with grace, pinpointing
www.snh.gov.uk
prey from a mile away or more. That keen vision also helps it
avoid detection and close encounters.
You could look for eagles over the huge flat peatlands in
the heart of Lewis or over iconic jagged ridges and peaks
of the Skye Cuillins. The Perthshire glens can be another
location worth trying. But wherever you seek out a glimpse
of the golden eagle, one things for sure once seen, never
forgotten.
13
The curious seadog

If the golden eagle is the master of the skies, then the
harbour seal is the champion of the seas.
With rounded heads, big flippers, whiskery muzzles
and large, dark eyes, harbour seals are appealing-looking
creatures. These are among the larger wild animals youre
likely to see in Scotland. Harbour seals are also known as
common seals, which is a little confusing as they are (in
Scotland) much less common than the grey seal, but harbour
seal is the more widely used international name.
The shapes of harbour seals stand out against a
background of mud or sand, but their coat patterns can be
more camouflaged against rocks. Binoculars are handy!
They prefer sheltered inshore waters but the best place for
catching a glimpse of them is to look for a haul-out spot
on sandbanks at low tide. The Cromarty Firth, Dornoch
Firth and Loch Fleet are well known for their handy lay-bys
that give a good chance of seeing seals. There are also
dedicated wildlife-watching trips that specialise in giving you
a good view of the animals.
14
But, remember, they do spend more time in the water

than on land. Their big eyes help them to see in dimly lit
waters, and an impressive number of whiskers sense the
presence of movement or food in the distance or nearby.
Flippers power fast attacks and quick turns, so they can be
elusive when in the water.
The whiskered diver

Water is also the natural home of our third Big 5 member
the otter.
Apparently playful in a way few other creatures seem to
be, the otter will dive amongst kelp beds at sea, but equally
prove to be a sleek hunter among weeds in rivers. Many a
classic wildlife picture shows this cruncher of crabs and
catcher of silver-scaled salmon enjoying the rewards of its
remarkable hunting skills. Spotting an otter is undoubtedly
one of the great Scottish wildlife highlights.
Scotland is one of the very best places in Europe to
see otters some 8000 animals are reckoned to live here.
Many are along our coasts, especially in the west and north
of the country. As these coastal animals are usually active
by day, they are much easier to see than inland-dwelling
otters, which are largely nocturnal. Otters are found all over
Scotland, providing many magical opportunities to watch a
beautiful, wild creature that seems at one with the waters
where it swims and dives.
www.snh.gov.uk
With their webbed toes, a powerful tail that can act as a

rudder and propel them through the water, ears and nostrils
that can shut during dives, fur with waterproof hairs as an
outer layer and a dense, insulating undercoat, otters are
supremely well-adapted to a life in cold Scottish waters.
15
The roaring monarch

Few would disagree that the red deer is one of our most
easily recognised species.
With red deer, size matters. Its the largest land animal in
Britain and Ireland and one of the biggest deer in the world.
They are big animals in big landscapes and in this instance
size counts, for when large stags battle during the mating
season its the strongest that win access to females.
When red deer stags roar in the autumn rut its probably
one of the most powerful wildlife sounds you can hear in
Scotland. But the red deer isnt rare and you have a good
chance of spotting one given that there are approximately
350,000 of them living here. Certain roads are noted as
being good deer-spotting routes, and the Braemar to Mar
Lodge route, and Braemar to Glenshee road are well known
for the likelihood of getting a good view of red deer.
Mountain ranges, wooded loch shores, sweeps of moor,
steep island hills these are all places where red deer fit the
surroundings. Zoom in, and the colours of stags and hinds
are in keeping with the browns and oranges of boglands,
the tawny tones of upland grazings, winter moors and more.
16
And when you see no colours to speak of, save the

black of silhouettes against the deep blue-peach tints of an
evening sky, the power is still there. The shapes of stags on
a ridge at sunset, antlers piercing the heavens, are a classic
Scottish image.
Perhaps not surprisingly, the red deer features heavily
in Scottish culture and art. Antlers were used as tools
in Scotland for millennia and venison has been part of
the Scottish diet for centuries. And arguably one of the
most famous paintings associated with Scotland is
Sir Edwin Landseers Monarch of the Glen,
depicting a magnificent stag.
So thats our Big 5,

but we want to hear
your views too. Why
not tell us which is
your favourite wild
creature by joining
the discussion on the
SNH Facebook page?
The tufted acrobat

Considerably smaller, but equally charismatic, is the red
squirrel. They are colourful, cute, agile, and captivating.
Their ability to move about the upper branches of trees is
well documented, and to see a red squirrel make deathdefying leaps between branches and gravity-powered
descents of trunks is a great wildlife spectacle.
They have an intimate knowledge of woodlands where
the good cone trees are, where they hid food some months
before and where the safe spot for a drey might be. But now
red squirrels also need our help, in shaping woods, rich in
cone-bearing trees, to give them the best chances of survival.
Many different kinds of woods are home to red squirrels,
but somehow they seem made for the pine trees of
Scotland. The animals colours, warm as the orange glow of
evening sunshine on Scots pine trunks, tone with the bark,
giving them camouflage against predators, such as buzzards
and pine martens.
Red squirrels can eat a wide variety of food, including
nuts, berries, fungi and bark. But the seeds of conifers such
as Scots pine and spruces are a top food source, providing
www.snh.gov.uk
more energy, weight-for-weight, than anything else in their

diet. In just one year, a red squirrel could eat around two
million pine seeds!
The range of the red squirrel has shrunk across Britain,
mostly because of competition with the much larger nonnative grey squirrel. At one time the red squirrel was so
common as to be regarded by some as a pest, but now only
120,000 red squirrels remain in Scotland. Nevertheless,
parts of Scotland are still strongholds for reds and, inspired
by their passion for these beautiful little creatures, teams
of people are working in many different places to
boost woods that are rich in
cone-bearing trees.
17
Events and
festivals galore
Across Scotland events and festivals
are more popular than ever. Scottish
Natural Heritage and partners have
planned a calendar of activities for the
Year of Natural Scotland to make sure
that everyone can get the most from
this special year.
Throughout the Year of Natural Scotland we will be working

with some well-known events, including The Royal Highland
Show and Cowalfest, to bring you fascinating information on
Scottish nature as well as fun activities for the whole family.
To find us at these events look out for our stand and our Year
of Natural Scotland banners!
You could spot one of Scotlands Big 5 species at the
Orkney Nature Festival in May or visit Dumfries and Galloway
in June for World Oceans Week, a celebration of everything
to do with the sea. If you prefer to combine the outdoors
with some excellent natural produce you could even take a
hike in Malt Whisky Country at the Moray Walking Festival
in June or you might be tempted to catch a ferry and sample
the Shetland Peerie 5 and Muckle 5 at the Shetland Nature
Festival in July.
And dont forget the many Open Days and exclusive
activities in our National Nature Reserves (NNRs). We have
a fantastic range of events lined up including:
John Muirs Birthday Time Capsule in St Cyrus NNR;
Black grouse safaris in Creag Meagaidh NNR;
Manx shearwaters colony expeditions on the Isle of
Rum NNR; and
The launch of the Rock Route interpretation at Knockan
Crag NNR
And thats just scratching the surface of the plans afoot at
our National Nature Reserves. There is more information at
www.snh.gov.uk/natural
18
Celebrate John Muirs legacy

The Big April Adventure aimed to get Scots into the
countryside during Year of Natural Scotland. Thousands of
people were encouraged to visit all corners of Scotland over
land and sea, exploring nature, wildlife and landscapes.
Led by VisitScotland, this 3.4m campaign is expected
to bring some 68m to the Scottish economy. It featured
a major ticket giveaway from Scottish transport providers
which allowed around 15,000 people to enjoy free travel
during April courtesy of Caledonian MacBrayne and
ScotRail.
John Muir Day fell on April 21st, which was the 175th
anniversary of his birth. One of Americas most celebrated
environmental heroes, Muir was an exceptional naturalist,
explorer, mountaineer, botanist, writer and pioneer of
conservation. But did you know that he was born in Dunbar
and that it was in Scotland he first fell in love with nature?
In East Lothian there will be community events and
guided walks around the landmarks of Muirs childhood. Not
to be outdone Pitlochrys Wild Space centre showcases
Scotlands fantastic wild places through the words of John
Muir using films, art pieces, audio and the work of top
photographers.
Finally, looking further ahead, April 2014 brings the
opening of the John Muir Trail. Stretching from Muirs
birthplace in Dunbar to the waters of the Clyde at
Helensburgh, the route will allow everyone to explore the
nature and landscapes of Central Scotland and visit Loch
Lomond & the Trossachs National Park.
A trio of apps
Apps have a huge role to play in making
information more accessible on smart phones
and mobile devices. Visually stunning, highly
portable, and crammed with engaging
content, they are an ideal way to get to know
more about Scotlands nature.
Scotlands Nature
Our first app offers a detailed insight into Scotlands most
iconic landscapes and species. Using a range of stunning
images by award-winning photographers and linking them
with enchanting audio clips from Derek McGinn help make
this an app that brings a sense of the outdoors no matter
where you are. This app, which was reviewed on BBC
Radio Scotlands Out of Doors programme in late February,
can be viewed on an iPad, iPhone and the iPod touch. As
you can see from our photo it was launched in the Scottish
Parliament in January by Richard Lochhead, Cabinet
Secretary for Rural Affairs and the Environment, and Paul
Wheelhouse, Minister for Environment and Climate Change.
Richard Lochhead, Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and the Environment,
and Paul Wheelhouse, Minister for Environment and Climate Change
launched the Scotlands Nature app.
View from the train
It is undeniable that there is plenty to look at as you travel

through Scotland by train. Rail journeys that are peppered
with fabulous wildlife, stunning landscapes and a rich history
have long been part of the Scottish rail experience.
Our View from the Train guides are the ideal companion
for commuting passengers and tourists alike. To meet the
increasing demand for on the go information, the guides
are available as a free-to-download app, blending an audio
Scotlands Big 5 app
soundtrack with stunning images from across the country.
We have covered some of the busiest and most popular
Also currently available is Scotlands Big 5, a pocket guide
routes across Scotland, bringing to life the natural and
to some of Scotlands iconic wildlife. Superb photography,
video and audio and a stack of key facts provide real insight cultural landscapes seen from the rails. From the Clyde
shipyards to the throngs of wading birds in the Clyde
to Scotlands Big 5 species golden eagle, harbour seal,
estuary, from the rich oakwoods of Argyll through to
red deer, red squirrel and otter and their fascinating lives.
Dundees whaling heritage and the high mountain plateau of
Scotlands Big 5 is a joint campaign between
VisitScotland and Scottish Natural Heritage, supporting the the Cairngorms, the subjects covered are many and varied.
The routes explored through the audio guides are
Year of Natural Scotland 2013. By focusing on five popular
Glasgow and Edinburgh to Aberdeen, Glasgow and
species to help celebrate Scotlands natural beauty and
Edinburgh to Inverness, and finally Glasgow to Oban.
the year-round opportunities to enjoy them, we hope to
The audio guides are narrated by well-known
encourage everyone to think more about our wildlife and
broadcasters Mark Stephen of BBC Radio Scotlands Out
landscapes.
of Doors programme and the BBCs Fiona MacDonald.
The app highlights some of the best places to see
There is poetry and music along with the soundtrack of our
Scotlands Big 5, provides tips on how to identify each
natural environment, including the calls of many birds, all of
animal and reveals the twists and turns of their surprising
which combine to paint a picture of Scotlands exciting and
lives.
exhilarating landscapes.
As with our Scotlands Nature app, we use dramatic
The app is available for Apple products including the iPad
video and audio content and spectacular images from top
and iPhone as well in Android format and downloadable from
photographers to help capture the wild spirit of Scotlands
app stores. The guides are also available as an audio-book,
Big 5.
downloadable from the Scottish Natural Heritage website
This free app is available for iPhone, iPad and iPod
devices from the App Store. A website www.scotlandsbig5. at www.snh.gov.uk/train. A booklet giving a tiny taster of
the guides will be widely distributed and likewise available in
co.uk is suitable for mobile devices and features related
electronic form on our website.
content plus a news blog and downloadable materials
www.snh.gov.uk
19
The haddock (Melanogrammus aeglefinus) is known in Gaelic

tradition as Peters fish. The reason is Biblical, as Ruairidh
MacIlleathain explains.
Dualchas coitcheann
Common heritage
20
Iasg Pheadair
Ann an Leabhar Mhata (Caib. 17) anns an Tiomnadh Nuadh, tha osa agus
a dheisciobail a faighinn iarrtas airson airgead cse anns an teampall ann an
Capernaum. Tha osa a cur roimhe airgead fhaighinn bhon mhuir. Imich thusa
chun na fairge, tha e ag innse do Pheadar, agus tilg dubhan innte, agus tog a
chiad iasg a thig a-nos; agus air fosgladh a bheil dhut, gheibh thu bonn airgid;
sin gabh, agus thoir dhaibh air mo shon-sa agus air do shn fhin.
Faodar a bhith cinnteach nach e an adag againne a ghlac Peadar. Ach, le
sgaoileadh Crosdachd gu ruige dthaich nan Gidheal, rinn daoine ceangal
eadar an stiridh s a Bhoball agus an adag air an robh iad elach, air sillibh
nam ballan dubha air an iasg air gach taobh dheth os cionn nan itean uchdail
aige. Bhathar a danamh dheth gum b iad na ballan dubha lorgan-meir
Pheadair a bh air fhgail air an iasg, s didh gun do tharraing an deisciobal am
bonn airgid beul an isg. Bhathar a gabhail iasg Pheadair no iasg Pheadair
rnaich air an adaig; tha dil gur ann s a Bheurla a thinig am facal adag.
Agus bhathar ag innse rann beag do chloinn ann an coimhearsnachdan
iasgaich gus an aithnicheadh iad an diofar eadar an adag agus a chuidhteag, oir
bithear tric a glacadh an d shersa isg cmhla: Ball dubh air an adaig, gob
fad air a chuidhteig.
Gu h-eachdraidheil, bha cleachdadh iasgaich ann an Uibhist air Latha na
Nollaige. Bhiodh feadhainn ag iomradh a-mach bhon chladach seachd ceud buille
rmh s a seachd. Bhiodh iad a cur an dubhan sos, mar a rinn Peadar anns a
Bhoball, agus iasg sam bith a gheibheadh iad, bhiodh iad ga thoirt gu daoine
bochda. S e an t-ainm a bh air sin Dirc Pheadair. Ged as ann do chleachdadh
Crosdail a bhuineas stiridh na h-adaig, tha deagh choltas ann gum buin an
ireamh seachd ceud s a seachd gu seann chleachdadh ro-Chrosdail.
Peter's fish
In the Biblical account of Jesus and his disciples being asked to stump up the
temple tax in Capernaum (Matthew 17), Jesus asks Peter to get some money in
order to avoid offending the tax-collectors. Go thou to the sea, and cast a hook,
and take up the fish that first cometh up; and when thou hast opened his mouth,
thou shalt find a piece of money; that take, and give unto them for me and thee.
We can be confident that the species of fish in question was not the haddock
of our own marine waters. But, as Christianity came into Gaeldom, the story of
Peter and the fish became connected with the haddock because of the large dark
spot the species bears on either side of its body above the pectoral fin. These
were seen to be the finger marks left by Peter on the fish as he extracted the
money from its mouth. The haddock became known in Gaelic as iasg Pheadair
Peters fish or iasg Pheadair rnaich the fish of loving Peter; its modern name
adag, however, is almost certainly derived from the English haddock.
Children in fishing communities were taught to differentiate the haddock from
another whitefish, the whiting (Merlangius merlangus), with the following saying:
Ball dubh air an adaig, gob fad air a chuidhteig a black spot on the haddock, a
long snout on the whiting. On Christmas Day in Uist, the men would traditionally
row 707 oar-strokes from the land before casting a line, that particular number
possibly being a relic of an earlier pre-Christian practice. Any fish they caught on
that day would be called Dirc Pheadair Peters tribute and would be given to
the poor and needy.
http://gaelic.snh.gov.uk
www.snh.gov.uk
21
22
A decade on
The Cairngorms National Park celebrates its 10th
anniversary this year. From uncertain beginnings, the
UKs largest National Park has grown in reputation,
attracting international recognition for its work to
protect and enhance this speciallandscape, as
Lisa Drysdale explains.
www.snh.gov.uk
23
Spectacular vistas and a staggering array

of wildlife make a visit to the Cairngorms
National Park an unforgettable experience.
Its rugged mountains, sparkling clean
rivers, heather moorlands and ancient
forests cover less than 2% of the UKs
landmass. Yet this infinitely special corner
of Scotland is where 25% of the UKs
threatened animal, insect, lichen, fungi and
plant species are found.
Its a stronghold for uncommon species such as the wildcat,
Scottish crossbill and red squirrel, and nature conservation
is considered of international importance for 50% of the
Parks expanse.
The Park isnt only an area of outstanding natural beauty;
its also home to around 17,000 people and supports
numerous businesses. Managing the Park means bringing
together various agencies and groups to balance the needs
of the environment, economy and people.
This is a working Park and its environment is the most
important in the UK there are habitats here that are found
nowhere else in Europe. For the first 10 years of the Parks
24
existence a chief focus has been to protect this unique

biodiversity at the local level. A partnership approach has
enabled positive benefits for all.
The Strathspey area of the Park is perhaps the most
important mainland site for breeding waders in Britain,
largely thanks to the nature-friendly mixed arable and stock
farming system used here. But surveys in 2000, 2005 and
2010 revealed that some species such as lapwing and
redshank had declined by as much as 50%.
Strathspey Wetlands and Waders Initiative was set up
to safeguard wetland and wet grassland habitats in a bid
to restore the fortunes of the nationally important wader
populations. The initiative brings together the Cairngorms
National Park Authority, Scottish Natural Heritage, RSPB,
the Scottish Agricultural College and land agents to
advise farmers and landowners in Strathspey. Theres long
been a misconception that fields with wet areas are badly
managed; in fact, such areas are exceptionally important for
biodiversity.
Farmers take a great deal of pride in having wildlife
on their fields, so theyre keen to be involved, says Justin
Prigmore, Cairngorms Nature Officer. We advise on the
timing of operations as this has a big impact on the success
of the waders. We help farmers to access funding like
Scotland Rural Development Programme (SRDP) Land
Management Options. Practical measures such as our
investment in a rush-topping machine to loan to farmers have
helped too. Weve seen a great uptake by farmers wanting to
manage rush in a way thats beneficial for the waders.

Habitat improvement and riparian enhancement are two
of the key themes of the Spey Catchment Initiative, a twoyear initiative to protect and enhance the entire catchment
of the River Spey, which extends to a staggering 3,000 km.
One of its current projects is to return to its natural state a
stretch of the Allt Lorgie burn that had been straightened,
chiefly for agricultural purposes. Because water flowed
too quickly through the channel, the ecosystem hadnt the
chance to become properly established.
Whats unique about the Allt Lorgie site is that river
restoration projects elsewhere have engineered the solution
as well as removing the original barriers, explains Liz
Henderson, Spey Catchment Initiative Project Officer. But
what weve done is remove the embankment and now were
going to let the burn come to its own natural solution.
The aim is that over time it will start re-meandering itself,
using the bends to help slow the water flow. That should
allow the whole ecosystem to develop so that we get more
plants, fish and other creatures living in the burns pools
and ripples. It will be a long process but we hope to see a

change when we redo the topological and habitat surveys in
three years time.
In 2011, the Park was chosen as the location for the pilot
of the private sector-led initiative Wildlife Estates Scotland,
launched nationally in February this year. The accreditation
scheme for sporting estates enables land managers to
demonstrate and ultimately enhance good biodiversity
management. Sporting land use is the dominant land use in
the Park.
At the end of the day were looking at two major sources
of revenue for the rural economy in Scotland: nature tourism
and sporting management, says Wildlife Estates Scotland
Project Officer Ross Macleod. If we can preserve and
improve those two assets and reduce any conflicts between
them then we will have done a good job.
The Park Authoritys Land Use Director, Hamish Trench,
helped to develop the questions required to evaluate
applicants performance in areas such as deer management,
the Muirburn Code and shooting practices. The accreditation
3
1
Uath Lochans in the
heart of the
Cairngorms.
2
Farmland and forestry
add patches of
greenery in Upper
Deeside.
3
Canoeing in Loch
Morlich is hugely
popular.
www.snh.gov.uk
25
26
enables estates to work to constructive conservation management standards

and show the good that can be done where estates take up these standards.
Its hoped that 75% of estates in the Park will sign up to the initiative, which
should become a real selling point.
Over 10 years a wide range of people have come to recognise the value
that the varied nature of the Cairngorms provides, explains Hamish to the
people who live here, to its 1.4 million visitors annually, and to the economy
of Scotland as a whole. This extraordinary environment is the basis for the
international tourism that the Park attracts. Weve seen a lot of conservation
projects develop over the decade; now the focus is on the exciting
opportunities to join up efforts and make a greater difference on a landscape
scale.
It is this bigger picture that is the focus of Cairngorms Nature Action Plan
20132018. Cairngorms Nature is a new partnership where people and
organisations, regardless of background or sector, come together with the
common aim of safeguarding and enhancing the outstanding nature in the Park.
Anyone is welcome to help drive further diversity and better connections in and
among the Parks already rich and varied habitats. The last decade has already
shown that a collective approach reaps rewards; by working together we have
a greater chance of success at making this invaluable area of Scotland more
resilient than ever.
Did you know?

Cairngorms National Park
acquired National Park status
in 2003. It is Britains largest
National Park.
Five of Scotlands six highest
mountains are found in the
Cairngorms National Park.
In 2010, the southern
boundary of the Cairngorms
National Park was extended
to include a larger part of
Perthshire.
The Cairngorms National Park
attracts around 1.4 million
visitors annually, contributing
approximately 115m to the
local economy.
Since 2003, more than 1,000
jobs have been created and
a 13% increase in business
achieved in the Park.
The Cairngorms National
Park contains Britains most
extensive tract of Caledonian
forest, comprising pine, juniper
and broadleaved species;
it is home to an estimated
80% of the UKs capercaillie
population.
4
Beautiful Glen Feshie
with ancient Scots
Pine forest and the
braided River Feshie.
5
The crossbill is a
Cairngorms National
Park favourite.
www.snh.gov.uk
Cairngorms National Park is

home to 17,000 permanent
residents. A key aim of the
Park is to ensure that social
and economic development
takes place hand in hand with
the pursuit of conservation
and recreation goals.
A 2.5m five-year programme
supporting community-led
projects was recently launched.
27
Islands on
the edge
Wildlife cameraman John Aitchison explains
what viewers can look forward to in the new
BBC natural history series about the Hebrides.
28
1
The dramatic St Kilda
cliffs on Hirta
www.snh.gov.uk
29
For two years I have been filming a natural history

series for BBC Scotland in the Hebrides the
islands stretching along the west coast from Islay
to Lewis and Mull to St Kilda.
There are so many special places and wild animals on and
around these islands that its hard to single out favourites.
However, as 2013 is the Year of Natural Scotland and
Scotlands Big 5 animals all feature in the series, I thought it
worth mentioning that they played a prominent role.
For example, before heading off to the islands, we filmed
on adjacent mainland areas including Taynish, the shores
around the Sound of Jura and in Morvern. That was when
we saw red squirrels collecting buried nuts in the Taynish
National Nature Reserve, golden eagles on the RSPBs Oa
reserve on Islay, a young otter leaving his mother to spend
his first winter alone on the Sound of Jura and harbour seals
coming ashore to give birth.
In making this series we had hoped to follow individual
animals like these at critical stages of their lives, and the
remaining member of the Big 5 the red deer provided
especially dramatic footage.
I filmed the red deer on the Isle of Rum, a National Nature
Reserve, during their autumn rut. The deer on Rum have
been studied since 1953 in one of the longest studies of any
vertebrate in the world. This study was a huge advantage for
our filming as the researchers know the individual deer and
their histories in extraordinary detail.
I had hoped their advice would help us to film a
compulsive drama and to reveal its details with a very slow
motion camera, and I wasnt disappointed.
30
I went to Rum in late September and found one stag in

control of the best area in Kilmory Glen where many hinds
were gathering, attracted by his deep roars as well as the
good grass. For days another, older stag watched him from
the other side of the river as hind after hind crossed to join
his rival.
The master stag was almost constantly fighting to keep
control and eventually he tired. This was the older stags
moment. When he crossed the river and roared a challenge
the master immediately charged over to lock antlers. From
the start the fight seemed to be going against the older stag
time and again, although he pushed as hard as he could,
he was driven backwards, towards the river.
So close to the onset of winter any serious injury from an
antler could be fatal, but, if the older stag had chosen not to
fight, his chances of mating would have been slim. Ali Morris,
one of the deer researchers, had predicted exactly where
the stags would clash, so the slow-motion camera was well
placed to film what happened next.
Just as the master stag was about to drive the older stag
away he lost his footing and in that instant their fortunes
were reversed the older stag lunged and gored the master
in the shoulder. Bleeding heavily, he left the hinds to the
victor whose gamble had paid off after all.
St Kilda mice
We also filmed in the St Kilda National Nature Reserve,
owned by the National Trust for Scotland, where other
researchers are looking into the effects of living in one of
Scotlands most isolated places. St Kilda is among the most
important seabird colonies in Europe. The gannets nesting
on Stac an Armin, Stac Lee and Boreray are a spectacular
sight, but we went there for something else too St Kildas
mice.
When people arrived on the islands thousands of
years ago they brought fieldmice with them and, like
every castaway, the mice have discovered that needs
must. Trapped on these islands the mice have become
carnivorous, feeding on the carcasses of Soay sheep and
seabirds.
With almost no predators, and no competitors either,
generation after generation, they have been growing larger;
they are now twice as heavy as their mainland cousins. St
Kilda is turning out to be something of a Scottish Galapagos,
a place to watch evolution in action.
2
Sea cliffs lit by evening
light at The Mull of Oa,
Islay.
3
Magnificent red deer
stags were a highlight
of filming on Rum.
4
St Kildas mice are
larger and heavier than
their Scottish mainland
counterparts.
www.snh.gov.uk
31
Basking shark tales

One of our most fascinating encounters during
the filming was with Britains biggest fish and the
second largest in the world, the basking shark.
The Hebrides are among the best places anywhere to see
them, and in recent years some of the sharks here have been
fitted with tags to track where they go when they leave us
in autumn. Sharing the sea with seven-metre sharks was
extraordinary, up to eighty of them in one day off Coll and
Tiree.
Underwater cameraman Doug Andersons superb shots
really show the scale and gentleness of these planktonfeeding giants, but I found the whole experience transformed
by recently discovered information about where some of
these sharks might have come from.
One shark, 100 days after it was tagged in British waters,
had crossed the Atlantic to Newfoundland. For much of the
time it was almost a mile deep. Another, tagged off Tiree
in 2012 by SNH and the University of Exeter, has since
swum to the Canary Islands where its tag is still plotting
its location. You can see the map of its journey at www.
wildlifetracking.org/?project_id=753&dyn=1360088814
There were many surprises both when filming on the
islands and when we returned to the mainland. The biggest
one for me was underwater, in Loch Creran. It has the
best examples in the world of reefs built by tube worms
called Serpulids. Their flowering, as they extend their
extraordinarily colourful gills into the current to feed, looks for
all the world like a timelapse of unfolding blooms.
These reefs are very fragile and rare and they are now
protected by one of Scotlands vitally important marine
Special Areas of Conservation. Its a success story in which
SNH has played a key role. Without conservation measures
like these our country would certainly be a poorer place.
Where, when and how

Hebrides Islands on the Edge, a series of four one-hour
programmes narrated by Ewan McGregor, will be shown
on BBC One Scotland in May and available to view
across the UK afterwards on BBC iPlayer.
It is part of BBC Scotlands Wild Scotland season, which
includes the series Wild Cameramen at Work about many
of the worlds top wildlife film-makers who have been
inspired by Scotlands scenery and wildlife.
You can follow things on Twitter #BBCHebrides and
John@johnaitchison1
32
5
Basking sharks
captured the
imagination of the film
crew around Coll and
Tiree.
www.snh.gov.uk
33
Caring for
Scotlands
countryside
Paul Wakefield of Scottish Land &

Estates talks of his admiration for
landowners commitment to nature
and the collaborative work that often
lies behind this vital contribution to
Scotlands environment.
Just like natures many species,
landowners and land managers
come in a variety of sorts.
However, one quality that
remains constant among the
vast majority is the depth of
their dedication to protecting
Scotlands wildlife. They share
a great sense of affinity and
connection to the land within
their charge, as well as the
species that inhabit it, and will go
to great lengths to ensure that
they will continue to be there for
many generations to come.
situations or locations. Collaboration

is therefore crucial to ensure a healthy
mix that is right for our wildlife and
landscapes.
This is best illustrated by Wildlife
Estates Scotland (WES), which was
originally launched in November 2010
by the then Scottish Environment
Minister, Roseanna Cunningham.
This exciting and novel initiative was
developed by Scottish Land & Estates
in conjunction with SNH, RSPB, the
Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust
and the Cairngorms National Park.
It engages landowners in showing
how different land uses can be
integrated to provide a whole range of
benefits and how good management
practice contributes to this. WES aims
to promote the very best game and
Whether it is required for food or
energy production, used for recreational wildlife management practices, to build
recognition of these practices more
purposes or carefully conserved for
widely and to raise standards of land
its natural beauty and qualities, land
management through the introduction
has much to offer and has a great
of an objective and comprehensive
many demands placed upon it. It must
accreditation system. It does so by
therefore be managed carefully and
sensitively, as well as pragmatically and stringently assessing an estate and
its management against the following
productively.
criteria:
Forest and heather management,
species reintroduction, habitat
Commitment to best practice
protection, country sports provision
Adoption of game and wildlife
and farming are all part of the mosaic
management plans that underpin
of rural land management. However
best practice
no one-size of management fits all
34
Maintaining species and habitat

records
Conservation and collaborative work
Integration with other land
management activities (such as
farming, forestry and tourism)
Social, economic and cultural
aspects (such as employment,
community engagement and
communications)
So far over 250 estates have signed up
to WES Level I and the commitment to
go forward to the more comprehensive
WES Level II accreditation, which

was launched in February 2013. This
clearly displays the commitment of
estate owners and their representative
body, Scottish Land & Estates, to
being visible and open about their
practices while continually challenging
themselves to do better, without the
need for regulation.
Estates have, in the past, been
dragged down by the acts of a minority
who have failed to recognise their
obligations of stewardship, but this
should no longer cloud the positive
actions of the vast majority. At a time
www.snh.gov.uk
when budgets are stretched it is about

a sensible and measured approach and
the private sector is ever-ready and
willing to play their part.
In this, the Year of Natural Scotland
2013 where SNH and VisitScotland
are challenging people to explore
Scotlands nature and landscapes,
estates are getting behind initiatives
such as the Big 5 Celebrations.
The public can vote for their
favourite species, thus encouraging yet
more people to enjoy iconic Scottish
wildlife within its natural environment
such as the beautiful red squirrel, the
majestic red deer, soaring golden eagle

and striking mountain hare.
Scotlands natural heritage is
both wild and managed and requires
committed and careful guardianship to
ensure a healthy future. Landowners
are an integral part of this, helping to
manage Scotlands natural heritage,
its natural beauty and its delicate
ecosystems to be something that we
can all enjoy today and well into the
future.
1
Upper Glen Tilt, a
beautiful glen with
striking scenery.
35
Reserve focus
Peaceful as it looks today, Knockan Crag was the scene of immense

upheaval in the distant past, and great geological debate not so long ago.
Knockan
conundrum
36
Until the 1900s, geologists assumed, quite

reasonably, that layers of rock were laid down
progressively, with younger rocks on top of older
rocks. But there was a conundrum at Knockan.
Here one billion-year-old sedimentary rock formed from
sands and muds, that had been altered by tremendous heat
and pressure to form metamorphic rock, sat directly on top
of much younger sedimentary rocks. These younger rock
layers include limestone formed in a shallow tropical sea
and were only around 500 million years old. Incredibly, away
from the contact with the ancient rocks, the younger rocks
were completely unchanged. How could they have escaped
the baking heat and crushing pressure that had affected the
rocks above?
Plate tectonic movements of the Earths crust is the
basis for the explanation of this odd arrangement. It is
now understood that, 425 million years ago, the landmass
containing Scotland collided with another landmass that
included England and the rest of Britain. The collision in the

area of the present day Solway Firth buckled and fractured
the rocks of the north-west Highlands pushing, or thrusting,
them tens of kilometres westwards over the younger rocks
below.
These massive Earth movements of the so-called Moine
Thrust were first documented at Knockan. Today, geologists
from all round the world visit to see where this geological
process was first recognised.
As well as its geological importance, Knockan Crag is
home to a wide range of plants and wildlife. Rock ledges on
the Crag provide nesting places for birds such as kestrels
and ravens, and the heathland and the sheltered grassy
slopes beneath provide valuable grazing for red deer.
5
6
4
3
2
1
A835
Ullapool 13 miles/21 km
Key
viewpoint
toilets
accessible facilities
parking
picnic area
information centre
www.snh.gov.uk
100 m
100m
Crag Top Trail

Thrust Trail
Quarry Trail
Reserve boundary
37
1
The reserve is found 21 km north of Ullapool, in magnificent scenery where
Wester Ross meets the Sutherland boundary. At the southern end of the North
West Highlands Geopark, it is a perfect starting point for exploring further into
Sutherland. Take some time when you arrive in the car park to look up at the crag
above you. In the spring and summer you might see the kestrels that breed along
this cliff; or the ravens that glide on the updraughts. At the welcome area you will
see a map and the start of the information to guide you through the reserve. You
should also notice the large fence that sits above the Rock Room; the cliff above is
dynamic, and can shed pieces of rock that fall down and get caught in the fence.
2
Beside the path, a wall has been built to summarise the geological story. It shows
the rocks found here, and their ages. The key thing to note is that older rock sits
above younger rock. How this came about puzzled the early Scottish pioneers of
geological science.
38
1
The impressive Assynt
scenery viewed from
the Crag Top trail at
Knockan.
2
The Rock Room allows
visitors to both read
and hear about the
fascinating geology of
this region.
3
Rock sculptures, such
as this depiction of a
500 million year old
sea animal, are a
highlight of the trail.
3
At the Rock Room the whole story is told and the puzzle is answered. You can listen to eminent
geologists Peach and Horne giving their geological explanation, watch how Scotland moved from
south to north across the equator, practice your Gaelic translation of the surrounding hill names, or just
look out across Lochan an Ais to the scenery beyond. Spend some time here being a rock detective,
learning how the Moine schists moved over younger rocks, and explore our brand new interpretation
facilities. These facilities are the result of a major two year refurbishment of the interpretation at
Knockan Crag, part-financed by the Scottish Government and the European Community Highland
LEADER 2007-2013 Programme, and completed in February 2013.
4
The path continues below the cliff, passing engraved poetry and sculptures, then climbs up to the first
contact. Here is where you can see the thrust fault between Moine schist and Durness Limestone,
500 million years separates these very different rocks, brought together by plate tectonic forces.
www.snh.gov.uk
39
5
Continue along the path near the face of the cliff but only if
you feel confident with steep drops and a further climb onto
the top of the cliff. Its worth it for the views and a rest at the
viewpoint at the top; on a clear day you can see south to the
mountain of An Teallach, across to Stac Pollaidh, and north
to Suilven, Quinag, Ben More Assynt and beyond.
6
The route along the cliff top is easy and flat, with a small
path leading up to the Crag Top sculpture. Again, it is worth
stopping and taking in your surroundings. The path then
winds its way to the end of the cliff and back down to the
car park.
40
Essential information
Knockan Crag NNR lies about 21 km (13 miles) north of Ullapool
on the A835. Buses between Ullapool and Lochinver or Durness
stop at the Reserve entrance on request. The reserve is open all
year. There are toilets, a picnic area, car park and trails for different
abilities.
OS maps
4
A rock arch on the Crag
Top trail is one of the
outstanding geology
inspired features on
this National Nature
Reserve.
5
The many rock ledges
and crags provide
wonderful spots for
keen-eyed kestrels.
Explorer 439 (Coigach & Summer Isles) Please follow the Scottish Outdoor
Landranger 15 (Loch Assynt)
Access Code and local guidance at
the reserve. Please keep your dog(s)
under close control or on a short lead
Trail lengths
at sensitive times and comply with any
notices you see. A short lead is taken
All of our trails start from the car park;
to be two metres, and under close
either climb the steps or follow the
control means that the dog is able to
all-abilities trail to the Knockan Wall.
respond to your commands and kept
From here there is a wide, generally
close at heel.
flat path suitable for wheelchairs and
pushchairs to the Rock Room. From the
Rock Room there are three options for Nearby natural attractions
walking around Knockan Crag NNR.
You can find out more about the
Crag Top Trail will take you past the
amazing rocks and landscape of the
Moine Thrust and along the top of
North West Highlands Geopark along
Knockan Crag for superb views of the
the Rock Route. There is a Rock Route
Assynt mountains. The route has some leaflet to help guide you. At the route
steep climbs, but its a good path and
stopping places youll come across
clearly marked. Allow about 1 hour.
great views and information that tells
you more about the story of this part of
Thrust Trail takes you to the place all
the Earth.
the fuss is about the Moine Thrust
where you can bridge 500 million years The North West Highlands Geopark
with your bare hands. From here you
starts at the Summer Isles and
can return to the car park or continue
continues northwards through west
on the Crag Top Trail. The route is
Sutherland to the north coast.
clearly marked, with a short climb up
steps to the Thrust itself. Allow 30
Further information
minutes.
Quarry Trail is an easier option and this
takes you part of the way to the Thrust,
then doubles back before the path
starts climbing. Allow 20 minutes.
Terrain
Knockan Crag is
one of 47 NNRs in
Scotland. Find out
more at www.nnrscotland.org.uk
Dogs
You can contact SNH on 01854

613418.
You can also download a leaflet about
the reserve at
www.nnr-scotland.org.uk/knockancrag/publications
The walks are on hard surfaces, but

there are some steep climbs and
steps involved. Youll need good
walking shoes, and warm clothes and
waterproofs.
41
SNH Area News

Northern Isles and North Highland
Correspondents: Alexander Macdonald, Gail Churchill, Juan Brown
Coastal erosion study
Award winning scheme
Shetland Festival
Last Decembers ferocious storms

left a trail of damage along the coast
of east Sutherland and elsewhere on
Scotlands east coast. Flooding, erosion
and damage to the Highland Councils
coastal defences is set to cost 2.5
million across the council area. Scottish
Natural Heritage is now helping to lead
the way in planning more sustainable
defences and management of the
coastline in the face of climate change.
A meeting, chaired by local MSP
Rob Gibson, was held in January at
our Golspie offices and included local
councillors, officials from Highland
Council, Highlands and Islands
Enterprise, and Scottish Environment
Protection Agency, as well as
representatives of local businesses
and organisations both directly and
indirectly affected by the storms.
At the meeting, SNH offered to
commission Dr Jim Hansom of the
University of Glasgow to carry out a
study of the erosion on a three-mile
stretch of coast south of Golspie and
suggest sustainable options to manage
future erosion. Aerial photography of
the eroded coastline is being used to
map changes and inform future options.
The study will also include discussions
with local people and partner bodies
over the next couple of months and
should help planning on other parts of
the east Sutherland coastline.
Delivering an astonishing variety of

projects, the three year Scapa Flow
Landscape Partnership Scheme has
recently come to an end. With funding
from the Heritage Lottery Fund, the
scheme was led by Orkney Islands
Council, SNH and RSPB but with many
local Community groups, organisations
and individuals also involved in the
48 projects. All of which has raised
the profile of Scapa Flow, its wartime
history, and the rich natural and cultural
peacetime heritage.
You can now follow various
footpaths around the area, enjoying the
natural wonders of Scapa Flow and
discovering more about the wartime
sites. Take a tour of Ness Battery to
see the amazing mural in the canteen,
or visit a new exhibition in Burray about
the building of the Churchill Barriers.
Learn more about the islands in the
Flow by taking a ferry and exploring
Flotta, Graemsay or Hoy.
The Project won the Sustainable
Place category of the 2012 awards
for Best Practice in Community
Regeneration from SURF, Scotlands
independent regeneration network.
More information about Scapa Flow
and places to visit can be viewed
at www.scapaflow.co and you can
investigate the wrecks of Scapa Flow
without getting your feet wet by visiting
www.scapaflowwrecks.com
The Shetland Nature Festival runs

from 29 June to 7 July and SNH will
again be supporting the Festival with
some exciting new events. Watch out
for a schools photography competition
as well as music and sound projects
celebrating our local landscape and
wildlife.
Shetlands Muckle 5 will be a local
event themed around the Scotlands
Big 5 programme that SNH will be
running nationally. In Shetland well be
promoting this theme during the Nature
Festival and festival goers will be invited
to vote for Shetlands own Muckle 5.
So they dont feel left out, well also be
having an event looking at Shetlands
Peerie 5 so we are covering all
creatures great and small!
On 6 July we will be holding our
annual Noss NNR Open Day. This
event, regarded as one of the highlights
of the Shetland Nature Festival,
usually attracts up to 400 people of
all ages. The free family day out on
a spectacular seabird island offers a
range of activities including guided
walks, marine wildlife viewing and facepainting. Refreshments are served in
the pony pund once used to breed
pit ponies for the coal mines of northeast England. Free transport is provided
with a coach across Bressay and ferry
crossing of Noss Sound.
42
SNH Area News

Forth
Correspondents: Neville Makan, Caroline Crawford, Tom Cunningham
Youve bean tagged!
North Light Arts
Tentsmuir artist
The latest technology is being used

to answer the question Where have
you bean geese? Around 250 bean
geese come to the Slamannan plateau
each winter - the only flock in Scotland
however we dont know where they
spend the rest of the year. So research
is underway to find their breeding
grounds in Scandinavia.
Cannon-nets were set up at
Luckenburn Farm on the plateau. The
geese arrived at first light and after
seven hours of waiting, a small group
finally walked into the catching area.
One of the nets was fired and six birds
were caught.
Four of these birds were fitted
with specially made GPS/GSM tags
that send location data via the mobile
phone network, with results available
just a few hours later. This data will help
our understanding of how the geese
use the plateau in the months when
they are here. We look forward with
much excitement to finding out where
these bean geese go once they leave
the plateau in March, and in particular
where they have their young. Thanks go
to the Bean Goose Action Group and
the Hunter family (who own Luckenburn
Farm).
The landscapes, seascapes and

natural and cultural heritage of Dunbar
were the inspiration for a programme
of environmental art events and
workshops last summer.
The events were devised and
delivered by locally-based North Light
Arts, supported by SNH grant. All
sections of the community, including
many young people, participated in a
variety of exciting activities aimed at
encouraging a celebration of people
and place. From a base in a specially
constructed beach hut, artists, writers,
and rangers inspired hundreds of
people to get involved in photography
and film-making, community gardening,
rock-pooling, music-making, guided
walks and creating environmental
artworks around Dunbar. The project
has been the catalyst for new
opportunities to raise awareness of
John Muir, Dunbars most famous son,
and celebrate his legacy of exploring
and enjoying the landscape.
In a further creative project in
Dunbar, Walking a Line is a programme
of creative events which have been
devised as part of the Year of Natural
Scotland 2013. The aim is to use
exhibitions and performancesto explore
the nature of the local environment in
the footsteps of John Muir.
Derek Robertson has been appointed

Artist in Residence for Tentsmuir NNR.
It is one of the most exciting events in
the reserves history.
Derek said, I will be participating
in many of the events on the reserve as
well as open studio and demonstration
days. I want to develop on-site exhibits
of real work and an online, virtual arttrail around the reserve that can be
accessed from your phone. I intend also
to run some exhibitions locally and will
be holding a major show at the end of
the project in Glasgow or Edinburgh.
Throughout the year, I will display
artwork and material related to the
residency at the many exhibitions, talks
and other events I take part in.
Derek Robertson has been a
professional artist for over 20 years.
He is best known for his paintings of
wildlife, has written and presented
television programmes and had many
books published about his work. His
books and television programmes have
been shortlisted for awards and his
paintings have won numerous prizes.
He exhibits internationally and his
paintings are in art collections in over
50 countries.
www.snh.gov.uk
43
SNH Area News

Argyll and Outer Hebrides
Correspondents: Charles Thompson, Marina Pugh, Mags Russell
Hedgehog hotline
One good tern.
Voices of the Mine Mhr
The Uist Wader Project (Uist Wader

Research since 2011) was formed
in 2000 in response to concerns
regarding the decreasing numbers of
important wader populations on Uist
and Benbecula. Today the project
continues to protect the breeding
populations of some of Scotlands
most fascinating and beautiful wading
birds. Drawn to the rich habitat of
these islands, species such as the
ringed plover, dunlin, redshank and
lapwing have seen declining numbers
since 1983. The Research teams
work focuses on determining causes
and level of predation of these
birds, including the translocation of
hedgehogs, a non-native species,
which is suspected to be one of the
main predators of eggs and young
chicks of these ground-nesting birds.
Since 2007 all captured hedgehogs
have been translocated to the mainland
and now you can help us make a
difference. If you see a hedgehog
in North Uist, dead or alive, or if you
capture a hedgehog, contact us on:
01870 620 238. We will make the
necessary arrangements to collect it
from you.
You can find out more on the
Scottish Natural Heritage website. Help
us, help the waders!
www.snh.gov.uk/land-and-sea/
managing-wildlife/uist-waderresearch
The offshore islands of Eilean Inshaig

and Eilean Carnaich in Argyll have
a long history of supporting large
breeding colonies of common terns,
common gulls and black-headed gulls
which, in recent years, have succumbed
to mink predation. Now Craignish
Community Company (C3) and Ardfern
Yacht Centre, have developed a project
partly funded by Scottish Natural
Heritage, to encourage these seabirds
to return to their breeding grounds
in Loch Craignish. By building a raft
from a disused marine pontoon they
will be providing a safe location for the
seabirds to breed.
The partnership is hoping to emulate
results experienced in Loch Creran
where old mussel rafts were made
mink-proof with perimeter nets. Using
this method resulted in an increase in
common tern numbers from a single
fledgling in 1996 to over 300 pairs
recorded during 2012. It is anticipated
a similar recovery can be achieved in
Loch Craignish.
The project complements the
ongoing volunteer programme of mink
trapping which has been operating
successfully on Loch Craignish for the
last four years. It is hoped that seabirds
will now find a safe breeding haven at
Loch Craignish in Argyll.
In an area carved from Ice Age glaciers

and shaped by people through the
Neolithic era, Dark Ages, Victorian
age to the present day, Kilmartin Glen
has seen many live, work and visit this
ancient landscape.
Below the volcanic plug of Dunadd,
the crowning place of the first Kings of
Scotland, Mine Mhr National Nature
Reserve (the Great Moss) stretches
out as far as the eye can see with the
River Add meandering around this truly
spectacular raised peat bog on its
journey out to the waters of the west
coast.
In an exciting new project to capture
the people of today and their stories
of the present and yesteryears, in and
around this special National Nature
Reserve, we are looking for anyone who
has a story to tell, or passion to share, a
poem or song about the Mine Mhr to
get in touch.
This oral history project started in
March 2013 and will continue through
the course of the year. So, if you live
in the area, or are planning a visit and
would like to contribute, contact Mags
Russell on mags.russell@snh.gov.uk
or telephone 01546 603611.
44
SNH Area News

Southern Scotland
Correspondents: Nick Gedge , Anna Johnson, Trevor Godden & Barry Dunne
Reserve volunteers
Inspirational landscapes
Wild seasons
Clients from Apex Scotlands Dumfries

branch are making real improvements
to the visitor experience at National
Nature Reserves in the area. Since the
volunteers began working with SNH in
2011, the relationship has gone from
strength to strength, and the group now
meet regularly to carry out a range of
tasks.
Extensive sections of new boardwalk
mean that people can now venture
onto some of the wetter sections of
the reserves. Old boardwalks have
been recycled, and rusty wire, nails
and staples painstakingly removed,
before the boards were converted into
bird boxes. This work often takes place
in cold, wet winter conditions, but
the volunteers enthusiasm has never
dropped.
Apex Scotland supports exoffenders and young people at risk
by giving them the opportunities and
training to change their behaviour
and lead fulfilling lives. SNH has
provided funding for five volunteers
to gain certificates of competence in
brushcutting and strimming operations.
One long-serving volunteer, said: Ive
immensely enjoyed working on the
NNRs, learnt many new skills along
the way, and it has inspired me to look
towards going back to college for
training in this area.
Most of the groups work has been
on Caerlaverock and Kirkconnell Flow
NNRs.
National Scenic Areas (NSAs) have

inspired many writers and artists over
the years, and they are still inspiring
local schoolchildren too. Several primary
schools in Dumfries and Galloways
three NSAs took part in a project
to encourage pupils to look at the
landscapes they live in with new eyes.
Each class went on a fieldtrip to
rediscover their local area. Specialists,
ranging from geologists to astronomers,
helped the children find out more about
the special qualities of the NSAs.
An artist and writer accompanied
the children on each trip. Back in the
classroom, they then helped the kids
gather and develop responses to their
new understanding of the landscape
through creative writing and artwork. As
well as producing individual pieces of
work, most of the schools have a lasting
legacy of their fieldtrip. Collaborative
poems produced by the classes have
been incorporated into a variety of
permanent artworks located in the
school grounds.
The Fieldtrip project is one of a
series aimed at realising the potential
of Dumfries and Galloways NSAs,
and was delivered through Sulwath
Connections Landscape Project,
funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund,
Scottish Natural Heritage and Dumfries
and Galloway Council.
For more information please contact
Anna.Johnson@dumgal.gov.uk
Nature-based tourism in Dumfries and

Galloway is receiving a major boost with
an initiative to co-ordinate and promote
wildlife events on a seasonal basis.
Events from organisations like the council
ranger service, RSPB, FCS, WWT and
SNH are being packaged together, and
marketed collectively as Wild Spring,
Wild Summer, Wild Autumn and Wild
Winter.
This approach means theres a better
spread of wildlife events throughout the
year, extends the visitor season, and
brings tangible benefits to the tourism
industry and local economy. The initiative
builds on the success of the Wildlife
Festival and nature-based tourism work
over the last 10 years.
Wild Seasons brings together a
committed group of countryside and
tourism professionals from the public
and private sectors, and aims to realise
the potential of the regions outstanding
nature-based resource.
A project officer has been appointed
to develop the project further and to
engage industry groups more effectively.
Training sessions in being wild friendly
and nature-based seasonal travel
itineraries are now planned.
The Wild Seasons project is
being delivered by Southern Uplands
Partnership with funding from the
Dumfries and Galloway Leader
programme and Scottish Natural
Heritage. To find out more, go to
www.wildseasons.co.uk
www.snh.gov.uk
45
SNH Area News

South Highland
Correspondent: Tim Dawson, Derrick Warner, Kenny Nelson
Volunteers do their bit for

Moray Firth nature sites
Day-glo scarecrow
the inflatable solution
Creag Meagaidh
Camanachd!
Volunteers have racked up an

impressive total of 196 work days on
several Highland nature sites in 2012,
thanks to a new project between The
Conservation Volunteers (TCV) and
Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH).
TCV gives local people, often of
limited means, the chance to go into
the countryside and gain practical
experience in conservation work.
This work on protected sites has
really motivated our volunteers, said
Elspeth Lawson, volunteer development
officer with TCV. They are happy
to help with site management, and
appreciate the benefits of the hard work
for their own fitness, health and wellbeing.
The tasks that TCV have been
carrying out really help us with
managing these sites, commented
Tim Dawson, SNH Area Officer for
the Inner Moray Firth. Theyve been
clearing whin scrub from Dalroy and
Clava landforms near Inverness, and
also clearing scrub at the Shandwick
coast which will help the plant purple
oxytropis.
Volunteers also tackled the problem
of invasive non-native plants, by
removing New Zealand pigmyweed at
Loch Flemington, which lies between
Inverness and Nairn, and Himalayan
balsam from Urquhart Bay Wood, by
Loch Ness.
Lochaber ospreys with a taste

for farmed trout have had to feed
elsewhere thanks to an ingenious
and inflatable solution.
Alastair Macgregor, who runs a
commercial trout fishery near Spean
Bridge, contacted SNH when local
ospreys started to feed on his ponds.
The lochans were too big to be
protected by nets and the noise from
traditional gas gun bird scarers would
disturb people living nearby, so a novel
solution was required.
Eventually an answer was found in
the scary man a human-sized and
shaped orange balloon which inflates
every 15 minutes or so to scare off
predators.
The local ospreys did not go hungry
though, and were spotted bringing in
some very sizeable mackerel and flatfish
to feed their chicks, which successfully
fledged and flew the nest. These fish
were probably caught in the saltwater
of Loch Eil showing that ospreys can
commute quite significant distances to
good fishing spots.
This problem has actually been
turned into an opportunity by several
trout fisheries in Scotland, where the
fish filching ospreys have actually
become a major tourist attraction for
birdwatchers and photographers!
Creag Meagaidh National Nature

Reserve will be looking to a new way
of attracting visitors this year through
some eye-catching promotional
banners at two famous Highland
sporting venues.
Badenoch and Strathspey is the
heartland of the ancient sport of shinty
in Scotland and home to its two most
famous rivals Newtonmore and
Kingussie. Creag Meagaidh National
Nature Reserve lies just a few miles
west of the two villages, and some of its
staff are actively involved in playing and
coaching shinty in the local area.
To celebrate Year of Natural
Scotland, SNH designer Kelly Stuart
produced the striking banners, which
show one of the local wildlife stars a
black grouse wearing each teams
colours.
Reserve Manager Rory Richardson
was delighted with the result, saying:
Just as Creag Meagaidh is a
fantastic place to experience natural
heritage, shinty is part of the cultural
heritage of the Highlands it is great
to link two great icons of Highland life:
shinty and wildlife, and very fitting to
get this project going in Year of Natural
Scotland.
Creag Meagaidh holds regular
community shinty competitions at the
Reserve so look out on www.nnrscotland.org.uk for further details.
46
SNH Area News

Tayside and Grampian
Correspondents: John Burrow, Ewen Cameron, Neil Mitchell
New story at Ben Lawers
NE Big Five
Tayside beavers
New visitor facilities on Ben Lawers

National Nature Reserve are ready
for their first full year of testing by
eager visitors. The new car park is on
two levels and was designed to be in
keeping with the landscape. The story
of the reserve is now incorporated into
several carved features within stone
enclosures based on historic structures.
Artist Tim Chalk designed the carvings
and they are in pride of place on the
main route from the car park.
The path itself incorporates large
carved slabs set in a mosaic of local
stone and guides visitors through
stories including tales of shelter and
of nourishment. These will provoke the
interest of visitors as they walk along
and make the links between the various
themes included in the interpretation.
The intention is that this style of
explanation will present the tales of Ben
Lawers in unique and provocative ways,
while seeking to enhance the sense of
solitude and wildness in the landscape
without the intrusion of modern, clearly
man-made structures.
Ben Lawers would be a great choice
for exploring the outdoors in 2013, the
Year of Natural Scotland (www.nnrscotland.org.uk/ben-lawers/). It is
owned and managed by the National
Trust for Scotland.
The North East Biodiversity Partnership

has already chosen the Big 5 species
they want to highlight for Year of
Natural Scotland. For sheer spectacle
they want more people to know that
dolphins are regularly seen at the
mouth of Aberdeen Harbour cities
arent usually that lucky. They want
to highlight the pine marten, which
is becoming more common, and the
hedgehog which is becoming rarer.
The hope is that lots of people
will contribute sightings for the new
NE Mammal Atlas. To support their
forthcoming Ponds Project they are
highlighting the toad; another species
that was once common but finding
modern life more difficult. Last but not
least, the small blue butterfly, which
is also declining but the Partnership
hopes that more communities can be
encouraged to help manage the habitat
where they are hanging on.
We can all enjoy seeing these
species, passing on any sightings or
providing good habitat for them in our
gardens, our school grounds, our farms,
our work premises, and our community
areas in fact anywhere we have a
hand or a say in how even the smallest
spaces are managed.
Check these websites for more
info on how you can help www.
nesbiodiversity.org.uk and www.
nesbrec.org.uk
A breeding population of beavers

is living wild in Tayside, with a
recent survey indicating around
150 individuals. The Environment
Minister has allowed them to remain
for the duration of the official beaver
reintroduction trial in Argyll. Then, in
2015, he will make a decision on the
future of all beavers in Scotland.
To help inform his decision, the
Tayside Beaver Study Group was
created to gather information on these
animals and their impacts on all land
uses. The group will also explore
measures for managing conflicts and
realising potential benefits.
One project involves studies on the
health and genetics of the beavers,
in another landowners are invited to
complete a questionnaire about the
implications of beaver activity on their
interests.
The website www.
taysidebeaverstudygroup.org.uk has
been set up to provide more information
and gives details on the work of the
group, the status of the beaver and also
suggests measures which may be used
to alleviate the problems that beavers
can cause. These may include wire
netting around valued trees and
installing flow devices in beaver dams.
If you are in Tayside and have
beavers on your land, please contact
the Tayside Beaver Project Officer.
Email tayside_beavers@snh.gov.uk
www.snh.gov.uk
47
SNH Area News

Strathclyde and Ayrshire
Correspondents: Gail Foster, Martin Twiss, Hilary Britton
Clyde Valley Woods LIFE
Lanarkshire rain forests!
Smaller and smarter
The Core Forest Sites LIFE project,

a nationwide initiative co-funded by
EU LIFE-Nature Programme and
Caledonian Partnership, ran from
2000-2005. Its aim was to conserve
and restore core areas of woodland in
Scotland, including the 500ha of gorge
woodland which is the Clyde Valley
Woods Special Area of Conservation.
To help achieve this a programme
of woodland management works
was drawn up and these have been
continued through SNH Management
Agreements for the 10-year LIFE
maintenance period. These included
the following:
44 management agreements with
owners; removal of invasive species i.e.
rhododendron, snowberry, Japanese
knotweed and Himalayan balsam;
promotion of native woodland by
removing and thinning non-native
conifers, beech and sycamore;
woodland expansion and planting to
add to the woodland network; fencing
and other work to protect more than
300 ha from livestock grazing; removal
of over 150 tonnes of rubbish and
burnt-out cars; research publications
on factors influencing tree seedling
recruitment and the influence of canopy
gaps on woodland stand dynamics;
interpretive panels produced to explain
the value of woods; and regular
newsletters for land managers and
interested parties.
The astonishing biodiversity locked

up for centuries in the soils and trees
of the Clyde Valley Woodlands NNR
has survived due to the precipitous
slopes to which the oak and ash
cling. However, it is this same
dramatic topography that causes us
management problems.
Throughout 2012 it rained
incessantly, effectively a year-long
winter! At Cleghorn Glen this has
damaged the paths as walkers sought
drier routes leading to braiding and
habitat damage. Mountain bikers have
further exacerbated the problem.
Last year the paths never recovered
and only prolonged drought and / or
considerable expenditure will remedy
the problem.
The persistent saturation of the
steep, shallow soil has also caused
a number of landslips, including one
which took away part of the main path,
requiring its closure. The landslip
occurred at a challenging location,
but has now been repaired following
adifficult operation.
These incidents are raising
questions of path resilience and the
level of expenditure we can devote to
maintaining paths. Weve repaired this
landslip and are exploring options to
address wider path damage. However,
our traditional and popular approach
to low-key, aesthetically-pleasing
woodland paths may not be robust
enough if rainfall trends continue.
Under the Efficient Government

Initiative, we are all doing our best
throughout SNH to be smaller, smarter
and more efficient.
In August 2012, our Clydebank
office took it one step further when
we moved all the staff from two
floors into one. This has resulted in
energy savings, but more importantly
has brought staff together from
different units and has improved
communications within the office. In
addition, it has made our connection
with the John Muir Trust and Forestry
Commission stronger as we now share
the same floor.
There is now an even more
positive work ambience and whilst
hot desking has been a challenge to
manage, it makes sense to avoid having
workstations lying empty.
At the same time as the physical
move of people, we were transferred to
a soft phone system. This means that
your calls come through your PC and
are therefore attached to your login, so
it doesnt matter which workstation you
are at.
As the second office in SNH to have
this system we feel we are helping to
lead the way to an improved and more
influential SNH. The lessons learned
by us can be passed on to any other
office facing major changes such as
relocation, restructure or new systems.
48
Supporting
employment
and skills
A high priority for the Scottish
Government is its commitment to
addressing youth employment through
a broad range of approaches. At Scottish
Natural Heritage we are contributing to
this agenda by developing opportunities
for young people.
We have a range of schemes designed to help young
people get into rewarding employment. Amongst the options
we have are modern apprenticeships, work experience
opportunities, volunteer openings and graduate placements.
These approaches can be summarised as follows:
In addition to this direct contribution, SNH supports a

number of employment and training schemes run by other
organisations. For example we provide grant aid for The
Conservation Volunteers to host modern apprenticeships
and offer volunteering opportunities. Other organisations that
we support also offer volunteering opportunities, for example
When a suitable job vacancy arises, we will now offer a
the National Trust for Scotland, the Scottish Wildlife Trust,
modern apprenticeship. The apprenticeship aspect of the the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, to name but
post lasts for two years and involves training and support a few.
for the young person, helping participants to get the most
These opportunities with SNH offer benefits for people
from the experience. We currently have eight modern
and nature. By getting involved with our work participants:
apprentices working in SNH. We hope to recruit five
more during 2013/14 who will be focused on our natural will gain work experience and develop new skills, an
heritage work.
important route into employment in the natural heritage.
We are also offering paid graduate placement
can help us to increase our understanding of the natural
opportunities. This is where graduates apply to work for
world and to take forward practical action to support its
us for a short-term period to deliver research projects we
better care, management and enjoyment by people.
have selected. During 2013/14 we hope to offer up to
can help us deliver the social and economic benefits
six placements to young graduates. These placements
that communities gain from their stewardship of nature
will be in key growth areas of natural heritage work and
and landscapes around them; or to help improve the
will equip the graduates with useful skills whilst also
lives of the communities which suffer from a poor quality
benefiting SNH.
environment.
We know that important career choices have to be made
in secondary school, and to play our part several of our
will bring fresh thinking and vigour to our organisation,
offices are continuing to offer short-term work experience
helping to make us one of Scotlands leading public
opportunities for secondary school pupils.
bodies.
Volunteering is a really good way for people to
develop their knowledge of the environment. Many
To find out more take a look at our website
people working in the environmental sector have been
www.snh.gov.uk/about-snh/working-for-us/
volunteers in the past, developing the skills needed to
find paid employment. At SNH we work with volunteers,
particularly at our National Nature Reserves. They help us
with a range of tasks that include practical work, research
and surveys, and working with people.
www.snh.gov.uk
49
Stars of the Moray Firth

A group of organisations have joined forces to understand the
potential impact of boat movements on bottlenose dolphins in
Scottish waters, as Kenny Taylor explains
Sometimes, memories of classic

encounters with wildlife never
leave you. Thats how it is for
Ben Leyshon, SNHs operations
officer for the Inner Moray Firth
Team, when he thinks about
bottlenose dolphins.
50
When I first moved to the Highlands,

I went to Chanonry Point, on the
southern shore of the Black Isle,
explained Ben.
About thirty people were standing
there, looking at a group of twenty or so
dolphins just a short distance offshore.
The dolphins were leaping, diving,
surfacing and throwing fish in the air,
like they were putting on an amazing

show.
When they swam off, all the
people applauded. I thought that was
interesting, because the dolphins didnt
care about us and it wasnt really a
show. But everyone at Chanonry that
day was impressed and just wanted to
show their appreciation.
1
Acrobatic dolphins are
a key part of the Inner
Moray Firths rich
wildlife.
www.snh.gov.uk
World-class residents
Celebrity challenge
Appreciating bottlenose dolphins has

become a major aspect of Scottish
wildlife tourism since the 1990s. And
nowhere attracts more would-be
dolphin watchers than the Inner Moray
Firth, especially the waters near Spey
Bay, Inverness and around the Black
Isle.
The whole coastal Scottish
population is reckoned to number
no more than 300 animals. Of these,
roughly two-thirds (around 195) live
along the east coast, ranging from the
Moray Firth as far south as Fife and
the Lothians. Bottlenose dolphins are
globally widespread, but this is the
northernmost resident population on
the planet, fully 20,000km away in
a straight atlas line (much farther by
sea) from the southernmost resident
bottlenose dolphins in New Zealands
Fiordland.
Scotlands east coast animals
are also the only known resident
population in the North Sea. Theyre
one of the reasons why the Inner Moray
Firth, westward from Helmsdale to
Lossiemouth, is a European Special
Area of Conservation (SAC) the
only one in Scotland for bottlenose
dolphins.
In addition to those international
claims to fame and protection, east
Scotlands dolphin-linked financial
figures are also impressive. By the
most recent estimates, the east coast
population is worth at least 4 million
a year to the Scottish economy. Thats
more than 20,000 per dolphin.
The money is generated by the tens
of thousands of people who travel and
spend nights away from home in hopes
of seeing dolphins, from land or sea.
In turn, this supports more than 200
jobs, including on wildlife-watching tour
boats. So bottlenoses mean business.
They help to generate income and
jobs in coastal areas and provide a
marine treasure chest of memories
uncountable but vitally important for
the legions of watchers they amaze
each year.
It all sounds like good news. But there

have also been challenges over the
decades, during which bottlenoses
have risen to superstar status in the
Scottish wildlife watching charts.
Work by SNH has played a crucial
part in tackling those challenges.
This includes through the innovative
Dolphin Space Programme, a voluntary
code of conduct for boat operators
launched in the 1990s. Accredited
operators aim to provide a high quality
trip of low environmental impact. Its
still thriving, and last year won the
marine category in the RSPB Nature of
Scotland Awards.
SNH has always had a role in
helping the Scottish Government to
assess whether new coastal or marine
activities might affect the dolphin
population in the Moray Firth. But until
recently, it was tricky to estimate what
impact such schemes might have. This
presented challenges, both because
Scotland is obliged by European law
to weigh-up such things in the SAC
and because developers are keen to
have clear guidance on whether new
proposals can be accepted.
The bulk of the population in the
whole of the Highlands and Islands
live within a few miles of the Moray
Firth. The Inner Firth is an economic
powerhouse, including the fastgrowing city and harbour of Inverness
and other industrial centres such as
Ardersier, Nigg and Invergordon. Not
surprisingly, many people are keen to
further develop the coast, including
new business enterprises, housing and
leisure projects and port expansion.
Plans for activities further offshore,
such as sustainable energy schemes,
also feature. Many such projects could
generate additional boat traffic, in
addition to noise from machinery and
other potential disturbances to the
much-valued dolphins.
51
52
Meet the supermodel

Now, thanks to work developed in partnership between
Highlands and Islands Enterprise, The Highland Council,
Scottish Government, Scottish Natural Heritage as the
lead partner and the University of Aberdeen, theres a
much stronger scientific basis for addressing the question
of how dolphins and people can share the same waters.
Known to its friends as PCoD (Population Consequences
of Disturbance), its a sophisticated statistical model. That
might not sound very exciting, but feed in facts about
dolphin numbers, growth rates and movements, for example,
combined with how dolphins respond to boats, and it leaps
into useful life.
It allows science to inform management in a way that
is new, says Ben Leyshon. With the model there are now
more instances where we can say with confidence that there
will or wont be a problem for the dolphins.
The work has predicted that hundreds of extra trips
of large vessels following set routes are unlikely to be a
problem for the dolphins but smaller numbers of unregulated,
recreational boat trips in key waters may well be.
Thanks to continued work by the University of Aberdeen
and the support of the Scottish Government, Ben says
hes confident that the model will allow increasingly
robust predictions to be made. This should be a boon
for businesses seeking clear answers to questions about
possible new developments. It will also help Scotland to
meet its obligations under European wildlife law.
But most importantly, it should reduce some of the
uncertainties about how humans and dolphins can continue
to live beside each other and thrive along Scotlands east
coast.
Dolphins are amazing creatures, says Ben. But
its nature as a whole that inspires me, with dolphins an
important, symbolic part of the whole package.
So science that can help the resident bottlenoses
continue to feed, breed, leap and dive along Scotlands busy
east coast should also be good news for the wider marine
environment.
Sounds like its time for more applause at Chanonry
Point.
2
Dolphin watching at
Chanonry Point is
hugely popular.
Find out more

http://gateway.snh.gov.uk/sitelink/siteinfo.jsp?pa_code=8327
www.rspb.org.uk/thingstodo/natureofscotland
www.snh.gov.uk/publications-data-and-research/publications/
search-the-catalogue/publication-detail/?id=1958
www.snh.gov.uk
53
Finders keepers
Gamekeepers have long played a significant role
in Scotlands countryside. As Kenneth Stephen
explains, the modern role of the gamekeeper
increasingly spotlights wildlife management and
habitat conservation as key objectives.
1
The distinctive cry of
the curlew is one of the
most evocative upland
sounds.
2
Hedgerows and field
margins provide
benefits for gamebirds
and other wildlife.
Fifty-five percent of correspondents

in the 2011/2012 Scotland Visitor
Survey cited the nations scenery and
landscape as their principal reason for
choosing Scotland as a destination.
As Scots we appreciate the majesty
and drama of our bens, clean air and
corries. We pride ourselves in the
variety of species ranging here; our
54
sparkling rivers and heather expanses.

Yet less is known about how great
swathes of our landscape are managed.
Scotland has a land mass of
7.8 million hectares. Of that, the
management of 4.4 million hectares is
influenced by country sport, and within
that figure, 0.7 million hectares are
managed directly for stalking, sporting
shooting, and rod angling for trout and

salmon.
The economic contribution to
Scotland of these activities is well
documented, with 240 million
generated each year. Arguably less
well known are the wider benefits
responsible gamekeeping offers the
countryside and nature conservation.
A 2006 report by Public and

Corporate Economic Consultants
stated that 43 million annually is
spent by sporting estates on wildlife
management and improving Scotlands
habitat. This includes managing heather
moorland, creating species-rich glades,
maintaining hedgerow habitat and
woodlands, and growing cover crops,
which benefit over-wintering birds.
Responsible control of countryside
predators such as foxes, rats and
crows, not only helps game birds, it
also helps protect vulnerable groundnesting birds and song birds. By
using approved traps and snares,
under licence conditions set out
by Scottish Government through
SNH, gamekeepers undertake legal
predator control which can improve the
biodiversity of their estates.
Simon Lester, Head Gamekeeper
on the Langholm Moor Demonstration
Project a multi-partner research
project in the Scottish Borders knows
responsible keepering can have wider
positive impacts: As well as providing
an important economic contribution,
good management of all the different
habitats under keepers charge delivers
biodiversity benefits and helps the flora
and fauna of that area.
The practice of heather burning
www.snh.gov.uk
by gamekeepers on moorland
managed for grouse also assists the
breeding prospects of other upland
birds. Controlled burning, carried out
between 1st October and 15th April
in line with the governments Muirburn
Code, creates a patchwork habitat of
different shrub heights in the heather.
Red grouse feed on young heather
sprigs, topped up with a summer diet
of craneflies, and this oft-seen practice
of burning provides excellent conditions
for ground-nesting and foraging birds.
While keepers on grouse moors
attend to their rounds of daily trap
checking, heather management and the
seasonal application of medicated grit
to prevent worm infection in grouse,
others can be involved in woodland,
hedgerow or river bank preservation.
Woodland managed for country
sport produces rich habitat.
Gamekeepers, for example, will create
glades required for shooting which can
house four times as many butterflies as
woodland edge.
Similarly, it is often part of the
gamekeepers job to maintain
hedgerows. Around 300,000 miles of
hedgerows have been lost since 1950
in the UK, with sporting estates seen as
one of the last bastions. According to
the RSPB, hedgerows may support up
to 80 per cent of woodland birds, and

are a crucial refuge for small mammals
and butterflies.
On deer stalking land, the qualified
gamekeeper/stalker will skilfully remove
parts of the felled animal on the hill in
order to ensure the venison is safe for
human consumption. The deer is then
hung in a temperature-controlled larder
while the unused parts of the animal,
the gralloch, are left on the hill to
sustain the soaring eagle.
With such a say over Scotlands
land and wildlife, gamekeepers entering
the profession are required to sit
and pass numerous qualifications in
order to carry out their tasks. National
Certificate and HNC courses at North
Highland College UHI, Borders College
and Scotlands Rural College cover
aspects such as deer management,
conservation, gun safety, responsible
snare use and ecology.
The mantra of the modern
gamekeeper, quite rightly, is to leave
Scotlands land better than he or she
had found it.
Kenneth Stephen is a PR and
Communications Officer with The
Scottish Gamekeepers Association.
55
NEWS
The perfect venue
Located in the heart of Scotland and just minutes from the A9, Battleby
Conference Centre offers a unique setting for your next conference, event or
business meeting. There is ample free on-site parking, state-of-the-art conference
facilities, quality catering and friendly, experienced staff, making Battleby Centre
the perfect venue.
Battleby is the training centre for Scottish Natural Heritage, and has the
flexibility to cater for anything from small meetings to large events. The spacious
meeting rooms can be adapted in layout to suit up to 160 delegates and with
video and teleconferencing facilities your colleagues can join in without even
leaving their desks.
And an event at Battleby Centre doesnt cost the earth strong green
credentials include heating from biomass boilers, solar thermal panels and a
ground source heat pump. There are comprehensive composting and recycling
policies and support for sustainable transport; Battleby sits close to a cycle
route and cycle parking is available for staff and visitors. The historic grounds
and gardens showcase examples of good conservation practice and offer great
facilities for outdoor team building exercises or just for fresh air during breaks.
To find out more about the fabulous facilities and to browse an impressive
gallery of Battleby images visit the website under the SNH Contact Us section or
give us a call on 01738 458551 to discuss your needs.
www.snh.gov.uk/contact-us/battleby-conference-centre
56
Cathy Mayne, who works out of Scottish Natural

Heritages Fort William office, featured on BBCs
One Show recently. Normally the preserve of
celebrities, Cathy was there to shed some light on
one of our most interesting birds.
The bird in question was the dotterel, a
species that turns convention on its head. It is
polyandrous which basically means that the
female can have several male partners. And in the
case of the dotterel it is the male, rather than the
female, that does all of the raising of the chicks
and stays with the eggs and young throughout.
This enables the female to produce several broods
to different males thus increasing the youngsters
chances of survival, and there are records of
females laying clutches in both Scotland and
Norway in the same year.
As Cathys piece demonstrated, the female
is the larger bird, has the brighter plumage and
is the bolder of the two. The male, however, can
show little fear of humans and will easily sit tight
on the nest with people close by.
Cathy explained how the Cairngorms was

the perfect location in which to film as there are
only 750 or so breeding pairs in Britain, with the
Cairngorms being their UK stronghold.
An arctic rather than alpine species, the bird
used to suffer persecution as its bright feathers
were sought after for fly-fishing. And, despite
that practice now being a thing of the past,
numbers have recently gone down with work
needed to establish whether it is climate change,
loss of habitat or shortage of food, or perhaps
a combination of these that lies at the root of its
recent decline.
NEWS
Dynamic dotterel
Scottish Wildlife Trust plans for 2013

The Scottish Wildlife Trust is celebrating Year of
Natural Scotland with a range of improvements
to wildlife reserves, more research into wildlife
behaviour and the launch of a major project.
One of the Trusts flagship sites, the Falls of
Clyde at New Lanark, now has an exciting fresh
visitor experience. Upgraded self-guided trails
will encourage more people to visit the gorge,
which is part of the Clyde Valley Woodlands
NNR. The relaunch was just in time for the start
of the peregrine season. Peregrines have 24-hour
protection during the breeding season here and
experts are on hand at the peregrine watch site, a
30 minute walk through the woods, to help visitors
spot the birds and understand their behaviour.
Many of the Trusts 120 wildlife reserves will
be improved over the course of Year of Natural
Scotland. The circular boardwalk at the Red
Moss of Balerno, a rare example of a lowland
raised bog just a few miles from the centre of
Edinburgh, will open this summer. The completed
boardwalk makes the Red Moss fully accessible
to wheelchair users. A circular path will be
completed at Carron Dams, a wetland habitat
near Falkirk. This reserve has just been designated
a Local Nature Reserve.
As seasonal visitors return to the Trusts wildlife
reserves, some will still be watching a very special
guest. Donations from osprey fans at Loch of the
www.snh.gov.uk
Lowes allowed the Trust to satellite tag an osprey

chick last year. The male osprey, known by his
tag name Blue YD, was tracked on his migration
south, through Spain to West Africa. The Trust will
continue to track his progress over the summer
months and hopes to repeat the study with a new
seasons chick.
Finally a major landscape partnership project
involving North Lanarkshire Council, Forestry
Commission Scotland, and the Scottish Wildlife
Trust, aims to reinforce and create habitat
networks through and around Cumbernauld whilst
linking local communities with the nature on their
doorsteps. The ambitious project also seeks
to improve water quality, reduce flooding and
grow more local food while supporting the local
economy.
57
NEWS
Protected Places website
Looking for somewhere to go at the weekend or

to show your visitors? Then Scotlands Protected
Places website www.scotlandsprotectedplaces.
gov.uk may be the answer.
Scottish Natural Heritage and Historic
Scotland launched this new website in March to
encourage people to get out and explore the best
of our natural and historic heritage, much of which
is found in protected places. Stewart Pritchard,

SNHs Operations manager for Protected Places,
explains, This is one of the first times we have
combined the online promotion of the natural and
historic heritage. We feel it better reflects how
people, especially visitors, explore new areas.
Go to the Explore page and use the mapbased directory to find some well known
landmarks such as Calanais Standing Stones,
Lewis, and Caerlaverock National Nature Reserve,
Dumfries, and another 500 or so other places to
visit.
We hope you enjoy the website and maybe
find a few places to visit that you were previously
unaware of. If you have any comments or
suggestions wed be pleased to hear from you.
Theres a Contact us form on the website.
Were continuing to develop the service and
adding more places. To be included a place must
have a relevant designation, some provision for
visitors and a web address for further visiting
information. If you have a favourite protected area
that people enjoy visiting and which is not on the
map please let us know.
Scottish Fossil Code

The Scottish Fossil Code was the first truly
national code of its type in the world and was
produced by Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) as
a duty under the Nature Conservation (Scotland)
Act 2004. Several years after its launch, the
indications are good with the code being widely
followed.
Scotland has a remarkably rich geological
heritage that spans nearly 3 billion years of Earths
history. Part of this Earth Heritage is the record
of the evolution of life on Earth in the form of
fossils. Scotlands fossil heritage includes some of
the worlds earliest fish, amphibians and reptiles,
land plants, insects and mammals. Scotland is
also home to rarities such as the smallest dinosaur
footprints.
Fossils are an irreplaceable and finite resource
used for scientific investigation and education.
Importantly, fossil-collecting as a hobby is
an enjoyable, rewarding and popular leisure
occupation that can contribute to the science
of palaeontology. In some circumstances the
commercial exploitation of fossil resources can to
an extent be regarded as sustainable. However,
the need to prepare a Scottish Fossil Code was
a response to particularly damaging or recklessly
58
irresponsible fossil-collecting that was damaging

vulnerable fossil localities of world-class
significance.
The Code encourages all to collect in a
responsible way, and a recently conducted review
shows key elements of the Code being adhered
to, however there are still some people who
collect in a large scale and destructive manner.
On Skye, in the summer of 2011, several tonnes
of fossiliferous rock were quarried, with many fine
fossils being destroyed in an attempt to collect
only the biggest and rarest specimens.
To help prevent large scale irresponsible
collecting, SNH hopes to secure the help and
support of responsible collectors, landowners and
others including police to keep an eye open for
reckless collecting activity. The aim is to ensure
that Scotlands internationally important fossil
resources are managed appropriately to ensure
they are available for scientific research and
as a collecting resource for amateurs to enjoy
responsibly for generations ahead.
The Scottish Fossil Code can be viewed and
downloaded from: www.snh.gov.uk
In 2010 Scottish Natural Heritage worked with

researchers from the University of Stirlings School
of Education and around 20 teachers to explore
how teachers could make better use of special
places, such as our suite of National Nature
Reserves (NNRs), to create challenging and fun
learning experiences.
The idea was to combine the expertise
of natural heritage staff with the curriculum
knowledge of teachers and harness their
combined skills to make the most of our
exceptional outdoor resources for pupils across
a range of age groups.
Initially the project involved a mixture of
secondary and primary teachers from Dundee,
Fife, South Lanarkshire, Aberdeenshire, Mull and
Iona using sites that included Loch Leven NNR,
Clyde Valley Woodlands NNR, Muir of Dinnet
NNR and local designated sites in Mull and Iona.
The project has been extended in 2013 to
make use of further outdoor sites of particular
merit. SNH is now working with local authority
education staff to provide support for around
five teachers in each authority in the Central
Scotland Green Network (CSGN) to take part. An
outstanding ambition is to establish contact with
those remaining CSGN authorities that weve not
worked with so far.
www.snh.gov.uk
Like many a good idea the project is

remarkably simple. Small groups of teachers
visit the potential sites with the site manager and
discuss the opportunities unique to that particular
location. A staff and pupil visit follows and this
is shared amongst the group who discuss the
lessons learned and make a second trip to the
site. The collaborative nature of the work is a
huge benefit and encourages the teachers to
try something new and share experiences. The
benefit for reserve managers is that Teaching in
Nature allows teachers access to and experience
of the site that they can pass on without drawing
down too heavily on reserve staff time.
Many of the 2010 participants are still involved
in Teaching in Nature, some supporting the new
groups of teachers. This phase of the project will
help ensure that more teachers feel confident to
plan and deliver outdoor learning in a variety of
natural places and more children experience
the many benefits of learning outdoors. Ultimately,
we want people to connect with the outdoors
and enjoy their local natural places, which will
in turn encourage them to look after it for future
generations.
NEWS
Teaching in Nature
For further information contact

sharon.cunningham@snh.gov.uk
59
60
Sustrans
linking
communities
across Scotland
Sustrans is a UK charity helping
people to travel by foot, bike or public
transport for more of their everyday
journeys. Janice Fenny, Policy and
Media Advisor, highlights some recent
projects north of the border.
In Scotland, Sustrans Community Links Programme aims
to connect the places people live in with the places they
want to get to, such as local shops, amenities, workplaces,
schools and, indeed, neighbouring communities.
The installation of safe, convenient paths significantly
increases the number of journeys people make by bicycle
and by foot, and this active travel brings considerable
health benefits too. It also creates a more pleasant
environment in which to live, work and play whilst helping
people to save money spent on travel.
The Community Links Programme provides matchfunding to local authorities to provide cycling and walking
routes, plus infrastructure, such as cycle parking. Sustrans
staff advise on and monitor the delivery of the projects.
Sixty-three Community Links projects were completed in
2011/12 and 99 projects are underway in 2012/13.
1
National Cycle networks
provide safe travel
opportunities for all.
www.snh.gov.uk
61
An excellent example of a Community Links Programme

project is the Glen Road refurbishment. The Glen Road is an
attractive recreational route connecting Dunblane to Bridge
of Allan, and provides a safe, virtually traffic-free, alternative
to a dual carriageway and a trunk road roundabout.
It was closed to traffic in 1987 due to land slips, and a
lack of maintenance since then resulted in the accumulation
of vegetation on the surface. This reduced the working width
of the road to less than one metre and it was estimated that
in 10 years the road would be lost to cyclists and walkers.
However, a partnership between Stirling Council,
Dunblane Development Trust, Bridge of Allan Community
Council, Sustrans Volunteers, Sustrans, Scottish Natural
Heritage and local landowners refurbished the Glen Road.
The project successfully cleared vegetative matter from
the road, and trees along the edge were cut back to reduce
the chance of them falling on the road and to open up the
cycling and walking tunnel. Drains were cleared to aid
water removal and safety fencing was repaired around two
landslips. Since the work has been completed, the numbers
of users have risen from an average of 591 per week to an
average of 653 per week.
Buoyed by their success, the local groups are now
working together to form a partnership to ensure that regular
maintenance of the road continues. Unfortunately, landslips
still occur, so this community action is very necessary.
62
In addition to delivering the Community Links

Programme, Sustrans is also leading the development of a
long-distance cycling and walking route between Oban and
Fort William. This is part of the development of the National
Cycle Network and will eventually become part of Route
78, The Caledonia Way, which will run for 228 miles from
Campbeltown to Inverness.
The route is a partnership project between Sustrans,
Transport Scotland, Argyll & Bute Council and The Highland
Council. Sustrans is leading on the construction of an almost
entirely traffic-free path from Oban to Ballachulish, which will
be 33 miles long when complete.
Mainly using the route of the disused Ballachulish
Branch railway line, the path has gentle gradients and runs
along the coast with spectacular views across Loch Linnhe.
Construction is being done in phases as land negotiations
progress. To date the most significant lengths are a threemile section just north of Oban from Ganavan to Dunbeg (a
bit hilly); 13 miles from the Sea Life Sanctuary to Dalnatrat;
a couple of miles through Duror; and three miles from
Kentallen to Ballachulish, with a further three-mile link to
Glencoe village.
The aim is to create a high-quality, flagship route in
Scotland that will attract UK and international visitors, and
Scottish Natural Heritage Argyll provided initial funding to
support the development of branding and interpretation. The
design of the logo for the Caledonia Way and the distinctive
access controls along the route are based on the shape of
the Highland brlinn, the ships that were used along the west
coast by the Lords of the Isles before the introduction of
www.snh.gov.uk
roads, railways and, now, cycle routes!

The sections of path that have been built are already
proving highly popular, not only with visitors, but also
with local people who are now able to choose to walk or
cycle between communities. These were previously only
accessible by driving along the trunk road.
Unfortunately, where the path is not built, the only
alternative is the main road. The long-term plan is to build
a traffic-free path alongside the A82 from Ballachulish to
Fort William, but that is some years off and, in the interim,
Sustrans recommends that cyclists catch the Corran and
Camusangaul Ferries and use the lovely, minor road on the
west side of Loch Linnhe.
Full details of the route can be found on the Oban to Fort
William map which is available free from Visitor Information
Centres in the area, or can be ordered through the Sustrans
Online Shop.
For more information about Sustrans visit
www.sustrans.org.uk
2
The Glen Road is a
valuable recreational
route.
3
Families can cycle on a
variety of trails in the
Port Appin area.
4
The Oban to Fort
William route uses an
old railway path in
many places.
63

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Spring / Summer 2013
Discover
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Year of Natural Scotland
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Scottish Natural Heritage

Spring / Summer 2013

The Nature of Scotland

22 Cairngorms National Park

28 Islands on the edge

34 Caring for Scotlands

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Editor: Jim Jeffrey

A full list of our offices

Cover photo: A harbour seal on a windy Tentsmuir beach

Inside cover photographer: Lorne Gill/SNH

Printed by: J Thomson Colour Printers, Glasgow

Great Glen House,

Other main offices

The Nature of Scotland

The Nature of Scotland

Whats the scent of the woods today? In some,

colonise bare ground and thrive in harsh upland

Web tip: www.nnr-scotland.org.uk/muir-ofdinnet

Dance of the Ephemerons

The first adult stage, known to anglers as a

It can look like a large bat as it flits

Web tip: www.buglife.org.uk/discoverbugs/

Web tip: www.bto.org/volunteersurveys/woodcock-survey

Tigers in the sand

Some other things to look for in spring:

The Nature of Scotland

Beware the sunny trap

Charles Darwin was fascinated by sundews, and

The real seagull

The Nature of Scotland

The Scottish Wildlife Trusts Falls of Clyde

Some other things to look for in summer:

The Nature of Scotland

Join the fun!

The high flyer

The curious seadog

But, remember, they do spend more time in the water

The Nature of Scotland

The whiskered diver

With their webbed toes, a powerful tail that can act as a

The roaring monarch

And when you see no colours to speak of, save the

The Nature of Scotland

So thats our Big 5,

The tufted acrobat

more energy, weight-for-weight, than anything else in their

Throughout the Year of Natural Scotland we will be working

Celebrate John Muirs legacy

The Nature of Scotland

View from the train

It is undeniable that there is plenty to look at as you travel

The haddock (Melanogrammus aeglefinus) is known in Gaelic

The Nature of Scotland

The Nature of Scotland

Spectacular vistas and a staggering array

existence a chief focus has been to protect this unique

manage rush in a way thats beneficial for the waders.

and ripples. It will be a long process but we hope to see a

The Nature of Scotland

enables estates to work to constructive conservation management standards