Bi-annual newsletter of the Pentland Hills Regional Park / Issue 46
Autumn / Winter 2016
In this issue
Contentspage
3
Pentland Hill’s Regional
Park Donation Scheme
9
Raptors and
Responsible Access
4
The Buzzing
Blaeberry Bumblebee
10
Cows and Access
5
6-7
Dragons and Damsels
11
12
Electric Bikes
Erosion in the
Pentland Hills
SNH Scottish Wild
Mushroom Code
13
Tweed Valley Mountain
Rescue Team
19
14
Pentland Inspirations
Alpacas at Bonaly
8
Friends of the Pentlands
Area Reports
page 2
Pentland Hills Regional Park
Donation Scheme
The Pentland Hills Regional Park
covers an area of 10,000 hectares
with over 100km (62 miles) of
paths. Approximately 500,000
people enjoy recreation in the
park every year; walking, cycling,
horse riding and fishing to name
but a few of the recreational
activities.
The staff that manage the Regional
Park carry out a large number of
projects in order to increase the
visitor’s enjoyment of the Park.
These include: path construction
and maintenance; signage and
waymarking; installation of access
gates; habitat improvements
for wildlife; and improvement of
facilities at visitor centres and
other popular sites. There are
always more to do than resources
allow. That is where the Donations
Scheme can help.
The Donations Scheme is a
simple way for people to put
something back into the Regional
Park. The scheme allows people
to make a general donation for
environmental improvements in
the Park.
Completed projects:
All funds raised are used only for
new ‘added value’ projects on the
ground and not for the day to day
running of the Service.
•500 copies of the ‘Horse Riding
in the Pentland Hills Regional
Park’ leaflet (2010).
page 3
•Upgrading of steps leading
into Bonaly Country Park from
Torduff Reservoir (2012).
•A new recycled plastic seat for
the Flotterstone Glen (2011).
For more information and to
donate visit the Regional Parks
website: www.pentlandhills.org
Th
e Bu
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B
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l
y
e
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e
ee
zzing Blaeb
We know bees are important because they
pollinate our crops and wildflowers but
unfortunately their numbers have declined
significantly in the last 80 years. The
Pentland Hills Regional Park provides both
a home and regular food supply for them.
One of the rarer bumblebees
in the Regional Park is the
Blaeberry Bumblebee (Bombus
monticola).
As the name suggests you can
see it in and around blaeberry
plants but keep your eyes open
around lowland flower meadows
on the hillside where you may
also see them. This year the
species has been seen on Bells
Hill in July and in June at Bonaly
Reservoir. The active meadow
management carried out in the
Regional Park provides a year
round food source; bird’s-foot
trefoil and white clover for spring,
then in summer they feed on the
flowering heather and later in the
year they commonly use devil’s
bit scabious and ragwort.
The Blaeberry Bumblebee is
recognised by its bright orange
rear, other red tailed bumblebees
are only red or orange on the tip.
It also has two lemon stripes on
its thorax (upper body). If in doubt
take a photo and send to the
Bumblebee Conservation Trust.
As this species is rarer in the
Regional Park, we are always
grateful to receive information on
any sightings. The information
we require is a location including
a grid reference, date, and if
possible the plant it was seen
foraging on. Please send the
information to
[email protected]
Susan Dickson
Senior Natural Heritage Officer
page 4
Dragons and Damsels:
Just like in those fairytale books?
Walking in the Pentland Hills
during the summer you may
catch a glimpse of a fast flying
insect, darting around the vast
open spaces on the hills or
gleaming like jewels on leaves
near a reservoir or stream.
Dragonflies and damselflies
are incredible insects which
spend most of their lives as
larvae hunting for other insects
underwater (between four
months to five years for some
species), until they are ready
to transform into flying adults
to reproduce and lay eggs (the
average time is two to three
weeks spent as a flying adult).
What’s the difference between
the two? Well, one is quite a
The other is daintier, smaller,
a weaker flyer, holds its wings
together when resting on
vegetation and has large eyes
that do not touch: this would be a
damselfly.
gracefully amongst the flowers
and grasses of the wildflower
meadows. This would be a
male Common Blue Damselfly
(black and blue with striped and
markings on their thorax and
top of their abdomens), easily
recognized and one of our most
common damselflies in Scotland.
Females’ colours vary greatly
and you will need a guide book
to identify your species correctly.
The Park also is home to the
Large Red Damselfly but is not as
numerous as the Common Blue.
A visit to the Harlaw wildlife
garden, Bavelaw or Bonaly
Reservoir between June and
September and chances are you
will spot a “bright blue neon light”
the size of a large needle flying
A walk around Bonaly, Harlaw,
Bavelaw or Linstonshields and
you might be distracted by a
dragonfly passing by. It could
well be a Common Darter, a
small dragonfly that often returns
predator, chunky in size and a
great flyer (some species are
known to migrate from Africa to
Europe, crossing large bodies
of water), holds its wings apart
when resting and has large eyes
that touch on its head: this would
be a dragonfly.
page 5
to the same perch after being
disturbed. Depending on its
colour you might have seen a
male (red) or a female (yellow
and black).
In any case, your sightings
(species, location including
grid reference and date) should
ideally be recorded to the British
Dragonfly Society:
www.british-dragonflies.org.uk
or to our Service:
[email protected]
to assist with habitat management
and conservation priorities so that
these insects continue to enchant
children and adults alike with their
flying prowess!
Jessica Morgado
Natural Heritage Officer
Alpacas at Bonaly
In the autumn of 2015, a new species to the
Pentlands arrived. A herd of 15 alpacas were
introduced by their owners and breeders
“BobCat Alpacas”, and have been causing more
than just a little interest to passing walkers and
visitors to the Pentland Hills Regional Park.
T
o see these animals in the
field is unusual enough to
cause walkers to deviate
from the road to look at and
photograph their elegant pose,
but when their owners take
some of the young males for
a walk around Torduff Hill and
the reservoir, second glances
are common; and photographs
just have to be taken as proof to
support the tale to be told later!
What are Alpacas?
Alpacas are members of the
camel family, and originate in
South America (primarily Chile
and Peru). They were created
by crossing Llamas with Vicuna
specifically for their very fine
luxury fibre. It was classed as the
fibre to make garments for kings
– such was the quality. The fibre
has many endearing qualities. It is
warm, non-allergenic, strong, and
page 6
with a very low “itch-factor” which
makes it very comfortable to wear.
Their fleece comes in 16 naturally
occurring shades.
Are they kept just for
their fleece?
Primarily that is our purpose for
keeping and breeding them; and
for the females, growing fleece
while looking after young (cria)
and an 11½ month pregnancy
does constitute a full-time job!
However, the young males are
equally good fleece producers,
and can have multiple roles
too; they are very effective flock
guards that can be leased to
sheep farmers during lambing,
or can guard chickens or turkeys.
They are alert and are quick to
spot foxes, and will face up to
them and either chase or attack
Continue to next page
Alpacas at Bonaly continued
them if they come too close to
the flock. Recent studies have
indicated that a couple of male
alpacas as guards can reduce the
number of losses to fox attack by
up to 80%!
We are developing links to
schools. Alpacas provide a
wonderful resource to stimulate
educational activities in many
aspects of the curriculum.
Alpacas are very calm and
calming animals. They can be
very effective in reducing stress,
so can be used as therapy aids.
They are also valuable in work
with children with some learning
difficulties, and have shown great
benefits when used to support
learning with individuals on the
autistic spectrum.
Already we have had many
international groups coming to
see and walk the alpacas while
they are visiting Scotland. We see
this as a potential tourism benefit,
and look forward to developing
and expanding this aspect of our
work in the future.
How will the herd develop?
Already the herd has increased
from the initial 15. In the summer
of 2016, five new cria were
born – a step in the direction of
increasing the herd strength to a
target of about 40 animals. Our
current breeding programme
would suggest that this target
may be reached by 2019.
The emphasis of our breeding
programme is on quality of
progeny, and we are actively
selecting the correct stud male
for each of our breeding females
to ensure (as far as possible)
that each successive generation
improves in quality of fleece. This
is not an easy option to pursue as
the initial herd currently exhibits
fine qualities.
How does this enterprise link
to the local environment?
We are already integrating into
the community with visit links
to (or from) youth organisations
(Scouts, Cubs, Beavers, Guides
and Brownies being the most
frequent visitors in this category),
with Nursery groups and
Childminders also regulars.
page 7
We are happy to take some of our
alpacas to local fairs and events;
and also to work with disability
charities and hospices.
Initially, we were delighted
that local residents, walkers
and Park users were able to
experience encounters and visits
to our alpacas – and those visits
continue. Now, we are equally
delighted that, as our visibility
on internet search engines
improves; and through social
media exposure and TripAdvisor
rankings; we are now in a position
of introducing some of our
visitors to the joys of exploring the
Pentland Hills Regional Park, and
enjoying this valuable resource.
Bob Crosbie
BobCat Alpacas
SNH Scottish Wild Mushroom Code
The Pentland Hills Regional Park
is a working landscape so please
be aware of safety and follow
the Scottish Outdoor Access
Code and other access codes.
In accordance with these codes,
and as a matter of courtesy, you
are advised to ask for permission
before you pick mushrooms.
By respecting the natural
environment you can help to
manage and conserve the
countryside. When picking
mushrooms for any purpose,
please consider the following
points:
•wildlife, especially insects, need
mushrooms too, so only pick
what you will use
•do not pick mushrooms until the
cap has opened out and leave
those that are past their best
•the main part of the mushroom
is below the surface, take care
not to damage or trample it, and
not to disturb its surroundings
•scatter trimmings discreetly
in the same area as the
mushrooms came from
•some mushrooms are
poisonous and others rare and
page 8
should not be picked – only
pick what you know and take a
field guide with you to identify
mushrooms where you find
them.
If you wish to run a foray or
collect for scientific purposes
remember to:
•ensure the safety of your party,
obtain permission in writing
•give a record of what you
have found to the Regional
Park Service and explain the
significance of your findings.
This code was created by
the Scottish Wild Mushroom
Forum, a group consisting of
representatives of conservation
organisations, landowners, public
landowning bodies, mushroom
buyers and mushroom pickers.
The creation of the Forum and
the Code was funded by Scottish
Natural Heritage, The Millennium
Forest for Scotland Trust and
Moray, Badenoch and Strathspey
Enterprise.
http://www.snh.org.uk/
publications/on-line/
NaturallyScottish/fungi/
wildmushroom.asp
Raptors and
Responsible Access
T
he Pentland Hills Regional
Park and surrounding areas
is host to many different
kinds of birds of prey or raptors.
These are birds that essentially
feed on other animals and are
characterised by expert vision
and powerful beaks and talons.
Some of these birds are relatively
common such as the buzzard
and others less so such as the
occasional report of osprey,
usually stopping for a bite to
eat when passing through on
migration. There have been recent
sightings of red kite and even sea
eagles on the northern fringes of
the park. The habitat is ideal for
hen harriers however recorded
sightings are low. Kestrel, once
very abundant in the Park has
been in serious decline of late.
The landscape in the park
is a working one where land
management practices such as
sheep grazing, grouse moorland
management and large scale
events can all have an effect on
populations.
Moorland management often
receives bad press when
discussed in conjunction with
raptors as they can often conflict.
Through engagement and good
established relationships with
landowners and farmers in the
Park, this is not an issue here.
Indeed, landowners and farmers
give permission to the Regional
Park Service and other specialist
bird agencies and organisations
to provide additional nesting
opportunities through species
specific nest box provision.
The nest boxes provided are
mostly always placed in trees at
height, are tailored to the type
of bird targeted and are usually
reasonably discreet. On occasion
and in no way hugely detrimental
to breeding success, people
have camped or lit fires in very
close proximity to such nest
box provision sites. Due to the
effort involved with determining
a suitable site, transporting
materials and erecting such
sizable nesting boxes, when
breeding pairs are disturbed it
can be very disappointing for
those involved.
If you’re out camping or
thinking of lighting a camp
fire in the Regional Park,
please ensure you choose a
suitable location and leave
no evidence after you have gone.
If possible, have a small walk
round where you intend to camp
and look up for any nest boxes or
actual nests – most raptor nests
in trees tend to look like dense
masses of sticks tightly packed
together. You may also see bird
droppings at the base of
the tree. If there is a box or
nest apparent, moving a
reasonable distance away is
the responsible thing to do.
David Kyles
Natural Heritage Officer
page 9
Cows and Access
T
he Pentland Hills
Regional Park is a living
working landscape. Many
landowners and farmers rely
on the Pentlands for their living
whether it be crops or livestock.
The hills are also to be enjoyed
by all for recreational activities
including walking, cycling and
horse riding. The Park has
100km of waymarked paths
which help the landowners and
farmers manage their land.
If you have read previous
editions of the Pentland Beacon
you will be aware that sheep
farming is the main land use
in the Park. There have been
articles on sheep worrying
raising the awareness of these
animals, the problems which
can occur and how to behave
when visiting an area where
there is sheep lambing. But
what about cows?
Various breeds of cows are
kept within certain areas of the
Regional Park including dairy
cows, beef cows and highland
cows. It can be daunting to walk
through an area where cows
are roaming and in addition
cows can be inquisitive beasts.
Many people like to see cows
in the Pentlands, especially the
iconic highland cows which
can currently be found in the
Swanston/Caerketton/Allermuir
area. These creatures, as
lovely as they are, are not to
be confused as cute, cuddly
animals. Visiting areas with
cows is not a problem nor is
taking a photo or two, all we
ask is that visitors behave in
a responsible manner. Some
readers may not understand
the best course of action to take
when near cows.
Cows are generally fairly docile
creatures and if you leave
them alone they will most often
leave you alone. However,
in some instances cows can
react aggressively towards
people. The adult females are
very protective of their young
so please make sure you don’t
walk between a mum and her
calf. If you come across a field
of cows, before entering check
to see if there is an alternative
route. If there is then please use
it. If the path goes into the field
do follow it leaving all gates as
you find them – if you open a
gate to gain access ensure you
close it behind you, if the gate is
already open, leave it open as
the land manager may be in the
process of moving livestock. If
there is not an alternative and
you find yourself in an area with
cows, keep a safe distance,
watch them carefully and calmly
walk past. If you have a dog
ensure it is kept under close
control at all times, do not let
it worry or attack livestock
and do not take it into fields
where there are calves. If in the
unlikely event that a cow turns
to chase you should leave the
field as quickly and as calmly as
page 10
possible, if you have a dog let it
off the lead – the cow will likely
chase your dog not you, giving
you time to get out the field and
your dog will most likely out run
the cow, finding its own way out
the field and back to you.
Please do enjoy visiting the
Pentlands, but remember it is a
working landscape and act in a
responsible manner at all times.
Caroline Paterson
Natural Heritage Officer
Electric Bikes T
he Regional Park
Service has received a
few enquiries recently
regarding the legalities of using
electric bikes on paths in the
Pentlands. With prices dropping
and strong signs that they are
becoming increasing popular,
I felt it would be interesting to
consider their use from the
perspective of the Land Reform
(Scotland) Act 2003 (LRSA).
At first glance it would appear
that the legislation governing
the definition of electric bikes
(electrically assisted pedal
cycles (EAPC), ebike or Pedelec
as they are sometimes called)
could be a bit of a minefield.
Thankfully EU and UK legislation
is harmonised and what can –
and what cannot – be defined
as an EPAC is quite clear – even
though the bikes themselves
come in all sorts of different
shapes and sizes. If the bike has
pedals to propel it; no assistance
from the electric motor above
15.5mph (25km/h); and the
motor output doesn’t exceed 200
Watts (250 Watts on a tandem
or tricycle); weighs no more
than 40kg (60kg if a tandem or
tricycle); bears a plate showing
the manufacturer, the nominal
voltage of the battery, and the
motor’s power output then it is
page 11
an EAPC. In the UK you must
be over 14 years old to ride an
electric bike but you don’t need
a licence, nor do you need to
register it or pay vehicle tax.
Section 9 of LRSA (Conduct
excluded from access rights)
states – (f) being on or crossing
land in or with a motorised
vehicle or vessel (other than a
vehicle or vessel which has been
constructed or adapted for use
by a person who has a disability
and which is being used by such
a person).
Under roads legislation an
EAPC meeting the above
criteria is not treated as being
a “motor vehicle” and similarly,
if the criteria are met it is not a
“motorised vehicle” under LRSA.
Therefore if ridden responsibly
there is no legal basis preventing
the use of EAPC’s on off road
paths and tracks. Heavier and
faster electric bikes are available
and I imagine these may well
lead to problems and conflict;
these are however not true
EAPC’s and therefore they have
no right of access under LRSA.
Martin Duncan
Natural Heritage Officer/CEC
Access Officer
n
o
i
s
ero
in the Pentland Hills
Who‘s to Blame?
A
nyone who has visited the
Regional Park for several
years will have noticed the
increase in the number of muddy
or eroded paths. This is caused
by a combination of over half a
million visitors a year and the
weather. Path erosion can lead
to ugly scars on hillsides, loss of
habitat and soil washing into our
reservoirs.
paths, but the truth is we are all
to blame. It is true cyclists tend
to go through wet areas making
them deeper, but walkers tend
to go around wet areas killing
the vegetation and making the
erosion wider. I remember walking
the path up Carnethy Hill from
Turnhouse in 1994 and measuring
the width of the erosion scar – 18
metres, that is nearly as wide the
six lanes on a motorway! That
erosion was not caused by cycles.
There are signs that Climate
Change is increasing erosion
– more frequent rainstorms
washing paths away and the
milder winters mean less frosty
days, when the ground is harder
and can withstand boots, wheels
and hoofs.
One way of reducing erosion is by
creating drained, surfaced paths.
Over the years the Regional Park
has managed to gain funding to
build paths for example on the
east slope of Carnethy Hill, northeast slope of Scald Law, Green
Cleugh, Maiden’s Cleugh and the
circuit around Harlaw Reservoir.
Unlike some other hills in
Scotland, visitors come to the
Pentland Hills just as much in
winter as in summer; walking,
running, cycling and riding on
the ground when it is at its most
vulnerable. Walkers often blame
mountain bikes, pointing-out
tyre tracks in muddy sections of
Because visitors use the surfaced
paths it gives nature a chance to
repair the erosion scars and the
motorway on Carnethy Hill can
hardly be seen now. In recent
years, funding has been hard to
come by and the path repairs
from 2013 to the present (Redford
Wood, Dog leg path at Threipmuir
page 12
Reservoir, Bonaly Country Park
Car Park to Torduff Reservoir,
Bonaly Reservoir track, Bonaly
to Dreghorn path step repairs,
Woodland Walk from Harlaw
Car Park to the visitor centre,
pot hole filling around Harlaw
Reservoir, Cock Rigg and bridge
installation at the Howe) have
been paid for through the City
of Edinburgh Council Off-Road
Cycling Fund. A full list with detail
of the path works can be found
on the Regional Park website,
in the news section under Path
Improvements 2016.
The Regional Park has a donation
scheme where visitors can
donate money to help support
the Park. All money is ring fenced
to the Park and is used for
environmental improvements, not
for the day to day running of the
Service.
We can all do our bit by keeping
to surfaced paths during periods
of wet weather, if you do find
yourself on a muddy path, do
not walk on the vegetation at the
side and make the path wider, or
chose an alternative route when
paths are extremely muddy. We
have to remember it is not just
us visiting the hills but over half a
million visitors a year.
Victor Partridge
Natural Heritage Officer
Tweed Valley Mountain Rescue Team
of people who are lost, missing
or injured. The Team count on
donations from members of the
Public in order to carry out our
work.
T
A key part of our activity is
training and we are often seen in
the Pentland Hills doing simulated
training exercises. As the busiest
walking area in our patch we are
ready to respond in any situation
to users of the park.
The team is a Charity and all the
members are volunteers who are
on call 24 hours a day, 365 days
a year to go to the assistance
As well as the Pentlands our
area covers the highest hills of
the Southern Uplands including
Broad Law (840m), the Moorfoot,
Tweedsmuir and Eildon Hills,
and some of the best and most
popular mountain biking areas
in Scotland at Glentress and
Innerleithen.
weed Valley Mountain
Rescue Team is based in
the Scottish Borders. It is
part of the network of Mountain
Rescue Teams affiliated to
Scottish Mountain Rescue which
represents Mountain Rescue
Teams across the whole of the
country.
As well as the wild uplands,
our area also covers significant
population in Edinburgh and we
are often called to assist Police
Scotland in searching rough
low-level ground in less remote
locations.
It’s important to remember that if
you have an accident in the hills
or mountains which requires the
assistance of Mountain Rescue
then you should dial 999, ask for
the Police and pass on the details
of incident.
If you’d like to know more about
the work we do then please visit
our Facebook or Twitter pages.
We are also able to carry out a
limited number of visits to school
and community groups to give an
insight into our work.
page 13
If you would like further
information then please send us a
message on Facebook or email:
[email protected]
Funding
The team is a charity and has to
raise most of the funds it requires
itself. It currently takes about
£30,000 to cover the team’s
operating expenses for one year.
Over the last six years, Mountain
Rescue Teams across Scotland
have received some support
from the Scottish Government,
although this in not sufficient
to cover all of the expenses of
running the team and is not
guaranteed for the future.
Find out more about our work and
donation scheme via our website:
http://www.tweedvalleymrt.org.uk
Pentland Inspirations
Art and Photographic Competition 2016
By the time that this issue of the
Pentland Beacon is out, the 2016
Pentland Inspirations Art and
Photographic Competition will
have closed and the judging will
have taken place to choose the
winners.
As many of you will be aware,
the competition runs every two
years and this is our seventh
competition! The categories
are landscape, activity
and biodiversity. So far the
biodiversity category is proving
to the most popular which in
my opinion shows that people
are realising that the Pentland
Hills has more to offer than its
fantastic landscape, there are
lots of wonderful plants and
animals too. The sponsors of this
year’s competition are Cicerone
and Mount Parnassus Picture
Framing.
The venues for the exhibition
have been decided and will
run in the following order from
December to May:
As usual, the competition will
be displayed as an exhibition, in
the form of exhibition banners.
The banners were used for the
last exhibition and in general
were received positively. We
appreciate that they are not to
everyone’s taste but they are far
most cost effective and less time
consuming than the previous
method of mounting every image
and hanging them on display
boards. It is means there is no
cost to entrants as they send
photographs digitally rather than
paying for them to be printed.
•PHRP HQ – Hermitage of Braid
•Harlaw House Visitor Centre
•Water of Leith Visitor Centre
•Colinton Parish Church
•Colinton Library
•Flotterstone Information Centre
•Dalkeith Library
•Penicuik Library
•Winchburgh Community Centre
•Broxburn Library
•East Calder Library
•Lanthorn Library
•West Calder Community Centre
•Fauldhouse Partnership Centre
•Whitburn Library
page 14
Publicity for the venues, including
dates will be advertised from
October on the Regional Park
website, Edinburgh Outdoors
(Twitter and Facebook) and as
posters within the venues.
I do hope you all get a chance to
view the exhibition as it is always
very inspiring and can make you
view the Pentlands in a way you
have never seen before
(The image shown is the overall
winner from the 2014 competition,
Stuart MacFarlane – On a cold
and frosty morning).
Paula Newton
Natural Heritage Officer
Area
report
South Pentlands
On a misty summer’s morning,
a group of hardy volunteers who
work for the Lloyds Banking
Group based at their Edinburgh
Sighthill office began ascending
Turnhouse Hill with a view to
reaching the Carnethy Hill ascent
where all the stone cross drains,
water bars and side ditches were
cleared. A couple of drainage
features were also rebuilt. The
efforts by all individuals involved
were greatly appreciated by all.
The feedback received from the
group highlights what volunteers
get from working with the Park
Service:
“A fantastic day
(you really came
good with those
weather wishes)
that offered us the
chance to contribute
to a worthwhile
community cause
whilst challenging
ourselves in a
spectacular setting
and giving us a real
sense of achievement
at the end of the day.”
The Spartan Race was again
run in the southern part of the
Regional Park in July this year.
The event uses areas of land
with fantastic scenery, is well
organised and expertly run and
takes into account the relative
sensitive nature of the landscape
when defining the routes the
competitors use.
Some minor maintenance of the
Marty’s Memorial at Rullion Green
has been undertaken ahead of
the 350th anniversary later this
year. A further maintenance
session is planned before the
28th of November.
David Kyles
Natural Heritage Service
page 15
Area
report
Harlaw / Bonaly / Dreghorn / Castlelaw areas
The Regional Park Service
is responsible for the 100km
network of Pentland Paths; this
includes maintaining most of the
gates visitors use. The wooden
kissing gate that leads from the
Glen Road at Flotterstone up to
Castlelaw (known locally as the
Buckie Brae path) was replaced
in spring with a metal kissing
gate. Ideally we try to install
metal self closing gates as these
are more accessible for users,
but Buckie Brae is one of the
locations where these gates are
not suitable.
The field here is either used for
grazing cattle or sheep which like
to drink from the natural spring
that runs by the path. This means
that if a self closing gate was
installed it would be likely that
if not closed properly livestock
would get out onto the Glen
Road (which connects up to the
A702), so we use kissing gates
which cows and sheep cannot
squeeze through.
The muirburn season in Scotland
runs from 1st October – 14 April
each year. The Park is responsible
for Bonaly Country Park and
historically the Ranger Service
carried out the annual burning
of the heather. For the 2015/16
season, we hired a contractor to
carry out the work, which meant
that the 2.5 hectares a year that
is to be burnt was burnt. When
the Ranger Service did it, we
very rarely burnt the full quota
due to juggling all the Parks
responsibilities and you can only
carry out the burning when it is
dry and not too windy. This really
restricted staff availability.
Increasing biodiversity in the
Regional Park is one of our
priorities as a Service. In Spring I
tried to establish a new wildflower
meadow along the access
track from Harlaw Car Park to
Harlaw House Visitor Centre.
The ground was sprayed to kill
the rank vegetation, rotovated
and a Pentland Hills specific
wildflower seed mix was sown.
Unfortunately the meadow did not
establish but there are plans in
place for next spring to try again
with plug plants.
Finding funding to carry our
projects in the Park is always a
difficult challenge so we work
with organisations to help access
these funds. In partnership with
the Friends of the Pentlands, a
large scale biodiversity project
for Harlaw has secured funding
from the Tesco Bag Scheme,
£8000! The money will be spent
on various projects including
establishing two wildflower
meadows, planting fruit trees, a
new willow arbour, composting
bays, hazel fencing work shop
and interpretation. Not only will
the Friends of the Pentlands
be heavily involved, but many
community groups from the local
area and Dean Park Primary. Work
will start in winter 2016 and will be
completed by summer 2017.
but there are instances each year
where Police Scotland is called in
to investigate what we suspect to
be wildlife crime. This summer a
member of the public reported that
they found two badger cubs which
looked to have been skinned. The
Regional Park Service contacted
Police Scotland who investigated
and had a post-mortem carried out
on the badgers and unfortunately
the results proved that the two
cubs had been skinned. Badgers
and their setts are protected by
law. The setts within the Regional
Park are monitored by us as well
as local badger groups but if you
know where a sett is and notice
anything unusual please contact
Scottish Badgers, Police Scotland
or ourselves and report your
concerns.
Wildlife Crime in the Regional Park
fortunately is not a major problem
Paula Newton
Natural Heritage Officer
page 16
Area
report
Threipmuir / Hillend / Harperrig areas
We were happy to provide the
Conservation Volunteers with a
location to hold a two-day drystane dyking training course
at Harperrig Reservoir. The
landowner supplied the stone
and approximately 15 metres of
wall was repaired. The wall will
help keep sheep out of a Scots
pine woodland, which hosts one
of the Friends of the Pentlands’
Arboreta.
As part of the plan to designate
Harperrig Reservoir as a
Local Nature Reserve, West
Lothian Council worked with
the landowner and Kirknewton
Community Development Trust
to gain a grant to carry out
some major improvements to
the car park at the west end of
the reservoir. The car park now
has 12 spaces with trees planted
around the edge.
We had a keen group of Ramblers
repairing a flight of steps and two
stiles at Hillend Country Park.
Also at Hillend we continued to
make access easier for all by
taking out a stile and replacing it
with a metal self-closing gate on
the Hillend to Boghall path.
Eleven workers from Lloyds
Bank spent a day at Boghall
Farm carrying out some general
improvements including repairing
steps and a bridge, clearing mud
from the car park and cutting
back vegetation from the paths.
Victor Partridge
Natural Heritage Officer
page 17
Area
report
Flotterstone Glen area
This summer Flotterstone
Information Centre received 4
star rating from Visit Scotland
using their Quality Assurance
criteria for Visitor Attractions.
There have been a number
of incremental improvements
made for visitors at the busy
entrance point at Flotterstone
over the past year, including
refurbishment of the car
parking bays, improvements
to toilets and buildings, hard
and soft landscaping, planting
, refurbishment of furniture and
improved interpretation. The
Flotterstone access point was
scored using Visit Scotland’s
nationally recognised standards
to establish the star rating.
A two day corporate volunteering
event where Lloyds Banking
Group came and made a huge
difference to the site assisted
by the organisation Employee
Volunteering and the Pentland
Hills Regional Park Service. 30
Lloyds’s staff each day worked
tirelessly on practical activities.
Along with the Lloyds staff, we
also had an additional 15 young
people from Penicuik Schools
each day helping us on a range
of tasks including; painting
timber benches and gates, a
pathway created and surfaced
for improved access into the
picnic bench location, planting of
250 native woodland understory
plants including cowslip,
primrose, ramsons and bog
myrtle, installation of two new
cycle racks, woodland pruning
and a range of other tasks that
have really helped keep the area
tidy and well managed.
Velda Weir
Natural Heritage Officer
page 18
Friends of the Pentlands is a Scottish
Charitable Incorporated Organisation.
Registered in Scotland No: SC035514
The Pentland Way
The Pentland Way, running almost
the whole length of the Pentland
Hills, from Swanston to Dunsyre,
was officially inaugurated late
last year. The western section
(outside the boundaries of the
Regional Park) is relatively flat
and often follows well-defined
tracks. But within the park the
Way takes to the tops, ascending
from Swanston to the summit of
Allermuir Hill before dropping
down into Glencorse and then
re-ascending to follow the
main ridge over Turnhouse and
Carnethy Hills, Scald Law and the
two Kips.
The descent from Allermuir Hill
goes around the west side of
Castlelaw Hill along a quiet and
infamously boggy path. One
frustrated walker commented
that ‘You really need a scubadiving outfit to tackle that route’.
So the Friends of the Pentlands’
big project for the summer has
been to make improvements in
this area. New ditches have been
dug, old ones cleared out and
several pipe drains installed. The
main effort has gone into building
eleven wooden crossings or minibridges, many completed with the
assistance of corporate volunteers
from Scottish Widows. Ironically,
though we have had a ‘bad’
summer, the ground has not been
all that wet and we will have to
wait for some really bad weather
to see if we have captured all the
problem spots.
We have also coined a new name,
with historic overtones. The name
Phantom’s Cleugh, created to
describe the next cleugh to the
west (in honour of the anonymous
volunteer who used to dig ditches
there but vanished if approached)
now appears on many maps.
When we struggled to identify our
work site succinctly one volunteer
came up with ‘Kirk Burn path’
referencing the Kirk Burn nearby.
This of course revives memories
page 19
of the old kirk now submerged
below the waters of Glencorse
Reservoir.
Evoking another site of memory,
the FoP have recently erected
a new information board next
to the Tytler Memorial, with
its superb views across East
Lothian. Not many years ago this
striking Celtic cross was almost
impossible to locate, submerged
in rhododendrons; now it lies on a
well-marked path between Boghall
and Castlelaw. The board gives a
brief history of the multi-talented
Tytler family and their country
home at Woodhouselee, which is
now completely demolished.
You can get this document on tape, in Braille, large print
and various computer formats if you ask us. Please
contact the Interpretation and Translation Service (ITS) on
0131 242 8181 and quote reference number 16-0758. The
ITS can also give information on community language
translations. You can get more copies of this document by
calling 0131 529 2401.
We hope that you have enjoyed
the articles in this publication. If
you encounter any difficulties or
disappointment, please do not
hesitate to contact a member
of the Park staff, or ask them for
a copy of the City of Edinburgh
Council’s ‘Make Contact’ form (for
complaints and suggestions).
After you have gone through the
Council’s complaints process, if
you are still not happy, you have
the right to take your complaint
to the Scottish Public Services
Ombudsman, 23 Walker Street,
Edinburgh, EH3 7HX. Telephone
0870 011 5378. Generally, if you
want to do this, you must contact
the Ombudsman within one year.
The Pentland Beacon is
produced by the Pentland Hills
Regional Park Service and
designed and printed by the City
of Edinburgh Council.
Letters or articles for inclusion
can be sent to Paula Newton at:
Pentland Hills Regional Park
Hermitage of Braid
69a Braid Road
Edinburgh
EH10 6JF
The Service is supported by
the City of Edinburgh Council,
Midlothian Council, West Lothian
Council and Scottish Water.
Contact us:
Pentland Hills Regional Park
Hermitage of Braid
69a Braid Road
Edinburgh
EH10 6JF
T: 0131 529 2401
E: [email protected].
www.pentlandhills.org.
All images used in the Pentland Hills Regional Park
Newsletter are copyrighted to the following
photographers, artists and organisations:
David Buchanan, Steve Chambers, Ela Dzimitko,
Alan Laughlin, Victor Partridge and Think Stock.
Designed by the City of Edinburgh Council. Chief Executive
16.118/CE/SG/October 2016.
Supported by: