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Quarterly Newletter issued Summer 2008.
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The quarterly newsletter of Perth & Kinross Countryside Trust
www.pkct.org
Connecting CommunitiesThe completion of the new riverside path in Strathtay demonstrates how determined members of a communitycan really make a positive difference to the area inwhich they live. With help and support from a variety of landowners along the way, the project is testament to collaborative working, resulting in an improved facility tobe enjoyed by locals and visitors alike.
Pete Wishart, MP for Perth and North Perthshire, helpedAberfeldy Paths Group celebrate the opening of their fl agship project, which links Grandtully, through Aberfeldy to Kenmore. After years of consultation, planning, negotiationand fundraising, the group successfully delivered this keyroute in the Upper Tay path network.
With links to attractions and tourism businesses, the newpath provides a route through Strathtay for many types of recreational users, and opens economic opportunities for the business community.
Mr Wishart said: “The Upper Tay Paths Group has done a fantastic job developing this path and should becommended for their efforts. It is vital that we encourage people to get out and take exercise. We are very lucky in Highland Perthshire to have such beautiful countryside, which should be enjoyed by all.”
The eastern end of this scenic route follows the line of the oldrailway, continuing along the riverbank for most of its length.It crosses Wade’s Bridge at Aberfeldy, and Comrie Bridge
Edition 4: Summer 2008
on the River Lyon before emerging at the bridge in Kenmore.
Communitylinks were a key element in the preparationof this route,and the fi rst benefi ts are alChildren from Dull and Camserney have abandoned their old habits of leaving bikes at the bus shelter, and now cycle all theway to school in Aberfeldy.
The community, landowners and public bodies workedtogether to deliver the project, with funding for the routefrom: Forestry Commission Scotland; Quality of Life Trust; TheEnvironmental Justice Fund; and the Trust – which also helped fund the development of this, and other projects in the area, by supporting the work of project offi cer Sally Murray.
Contact Robbie Gordon
T: 01738 475348
ready evident.Dull and Camserney have abandoned their old
All
phot
os ©
PK
CT
Pete Wishart MP after the offi cial opening
Couple try out the new easy-to-use gates
Children cycling along the path
on the way to school
Horseriders enjoying the new route
Projects on the go...
Interest in the Carse of Gowrie orchards is blossoming. The Historic Orchards Forum (HOF) brings together land owners, members of the community and interested agencies such as the Trust. Working as a sub group of the Carse of Gowrie Group (CoGG), the forum meets almost on a monthly basis to take ideas forward.
There is a pressing need to save these old trees and the forum is gathering funds to commission a programme of tree surgery and remedial works following this year’s harvest. At the same time a survey of the many varieties of individual trees in the remaining orchards is to be carried out. Just how many Bloody Ploughmen are left in the Carse? How
lonely is the Lass of Gowrie? Both are varieties of apple specifi c to the Carse.
To fi nd out more about HOF, visit the Perthshire Food Festival in early September.
Interest in the Carse of Gowrie orchards is blossoming The
Fruits of labour
lonely is the Lass of Gowrie? Both are
Walking holidays come out on topTrust Chairman, Bob Ellis, with help from a Cateran and friends, journeyed down to Birmingham NEC to help promote BTC at the 2008 Ordnance Survey Outdoors Show. Sharing a stand with Outdoor Angus, the staff worked hard to ensure that everyone who visited the stand left with an increased awareness of all that Perthshire has to offer.
Visitors to the stand were asked to complete a short survey in order to fi nd out the level of interest in walking and activity holidays, particularly in Perthshire and Angus. And the results overwhelmingly refl ected the interest in walking with two thirds saying they will be taking such a holiday in the coming year – a fantastic result for BTC as it boasts two already established walking festivals, as well as the Cateran Trail.
Almost half of those visiting the stand said they had done so because they were looking for information on walking, and 61% claimed they would be more likely to consider Perthshire or Angus as a possible destination after seeing what they had to offer.
and Wildlife Reserve near Dunkeldattracts 30,000 visitors, all eagerfor a glimpse into the lives of theresident ospreys. Thanks to new developments at the site, visitors can expect even better views of the feathered attractions, as well asenjoying a leisurely walk to the visitorcentre from Dunkeld. As staff waited anxiously for the 50thegg by the current female to hatch, the popular osprey camera was offi cially switched on by funding partners Chevron Upstream Europe and SWT’s Chairman Dennis Dick. Afterwards, visitors were able enjoy a woodland walk through the SWT site funded byShell UK. The new path leads to the start of the Fungarth Walk, a 2.6 km link to Dunkeld,
upgraded with the support of an £8,000grant from the Trust.Representing the Trust, Bob Ellis said: “In Perthshire we are very fortunate to have an abundance of all things natural.We have many paths to explore, hills to climb and animals and rare birds to watch. To allow this we need to provide proper access for people of all abilities,which is why improving access to the countryside is so important. Like our ospreys, we want the visitors to comeback year after year.” su
fatwfe
Astth
year after year.
Contact Robbie Gordon
T: 01738 475348
The Scottish Wildlife Trust (SWT) Loch of the Lowes Visitor Centre
Egg-spectant visitors walk to Loch ofthe Lowes
d d ith th t f £8 000
Contact Paul McLennan
T: 01738 475255E: [email protected] tntactt PPa lul M M LcLennan
ber.
Contact Paul McLennan
T: 01738 475255E: [email protected]
j ( )continues apace bringing big changes to key sites across Perthshire. Two of the largestprojects include the creation of a new access path to Queen’s View, and the proposal to create a bespooak frame shelter on a cliff topviewing point in Craigvinean forest.
The new Queen’s View path was challenging, taking over a month to complete. The work involved the useof heavy machinery to break throughtonnes of solid rock to reach theviewpoint. The new path follows a gentler contour providing moresuitable access to one of the best views in the area for the less able. In addition, the viewpoint supports a branew handrail, which is to be capped withoak and hand-carved as part of the BigTree Country Interpretation strategy.
One of Scotland’s oldest managed forests, Craigvinean was created by the third Duke of Atholl in the 18th century. The forest was a fi rm favourite during the Victorian era, when visitors enjoyed the many trails, some leading tofollies and dramatic viewpoints. Equallypopular today, visitors to Craigvineanenjoy the diverse wildlife includinggood populations of red squirrels and capercaillie, whilst the more adventurous make the most of the downhill mountainbiking trails.
Thanks to the BTC HAAP, an old track, unused for decades, is being developed. The route, clearly visible on OrdnanceSurvey maps of 1867, links two main forest rides and leads visitors to anearby viewpoint. A new oak framebuilding, with a larch shingle roof, will be built using traditional methods. Whencomplete, the structure will offer shelter and provide an insight into the history of the forest.
As part of the Woodland Trust’s Ancient Tree Hunt, we’re being invited to take part in their Summer of Hugs. One of the easiest ways to fi nd out whether a tree is very old, is simply to hug it! In other words, fi nd the narrowest point of the tree’s trunk and measure how many people it takes to go all the way around it, fi nger tip to fi nger tip … if it’s fat it’s likely to be old. The Woodland Trust is aiming to record 100,000 ancient or veteran trees over the duration of its fi ve year project, and is asking for as much help in doing this as possible.For more information visit:www.ancienttreehunt.org.uk
oke
As part of the Woodland Trust’s Ancient Tree Hunt, we’re being invitedto take part in their Summer of Hugs One of the easiest ways to find
Get out, get hugging A dualcelebrationOur new DVD, showcasing the stunning scenery of stunning scenery ofPerthshire Big TreeCountry from the air, was premieredearlier this year at the BirnamInstitute.
Trust Chairman, Councillor BobEllis said: “The DVD offers a uniquepreview of all that Perthshire BigTree Country has to offer. What’s particularly amazing is that the countryside we enjoy today didn’t just happen by accident but is the result of a few adventurous Scots who travelled the globe looking for new plants to send back to the UK.”
Jeremy Hewitt, head of production atSpeakeasy, the company responsible for the DVD, added: “The Big TreeCountry programme has been an
xciting and rewarding project towork on. Everyone involved felt eally passionately about it – bothn terms of the use of the very latest echnology and the landscape we
were fi lming, which is right on our oorstep. We’re very proud of theesult which is a stunning showcase of he Perthshire countryside looking at s absolute best across the seasons.”
ollowing the showing of the DVD,Patrick Elsmie, Managing Directorof The Gleneagles Hotel, offi ciallylaunched a new guest contributionscheme. Supporting Big Tree Countryis an innovative partnership betweenGleneagles Hotel and the Trust that helps uphold the vision of preserving and enhancing the area for theenjoyment and appreciation of futuregenerations. Guests at the hotel areencouraged to invest in the area through a voluntary opt-out levy that is added to their bill at the end of their stay.
Contact Angela Hughes
T: 01738 475256E: [email protected]
Contact Angela Hughes
T: 01738 475256E: [email protected]
The Big Tree Country Heritageand Access Project (BTC HAAP)
Enjoythe view
Contact Andrew BarrieT: 01738 475239E: [email protected]
and i h
e Cexwreintewdrethits
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Computer generated impression of new shelter at Craigvinean
And there’s more...
A free 22 page guide featuring eight fantastic combinations of walks and bus journeys throughout Big Tree Country is now available.
Take the Bus for a Walk details routes that are all clearly waymarked and have been test-walked by the council’s countryside rangers. Each walk is graded and route descriptions, outline maps and recommended bus times are included.
Fiona Meikle, VisitScotland said: “All the walks included in the new guide are enhanced by using a bus, usually for one leg of the journey, opening up new possibilities for exploring the many corners of the Perthshire landscape.”
And that’s not all. You could even win a fantastic two night stay for two at the four star Atholl Palace Hotel & Spa in Pitlochry, simply by providing feedback – details are in the guide.
Copies of the guide can be downloaded from the Trust website or you can pick up a copy at any Perthshire Tourist Information Centre or local library.
The lastword …
Hot off the press• BTC comes to Crieff & Strathearn –
an extension of the BTC HAAP willsee improvements to interpretationthroughout the area. This includes
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replacing six interpretative panelsand designing a brand new leafl et
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detailing the Crieff path network.g gg g
• New path for Dunning – at the last meeting of the Trust Executive,
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Dunning Community Trust was awarded a grant of £7,000 towards
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the creation of a new circular path gg
in Kincladie Wood, Dunning. The pp
wood is popular with the communityand the path will be a welcome
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addition to existing routes in andpp
Blairgowrie & East Perthshire Walking FestivalFriday 3 October – Thursday 9 October www.walkingfestival.org
Crieff & Strathearn Drover’s TrystSaturday 11 October – Saturday 18 October www.droverstryst.co.uk
Just a quick reminder:
Dates for your diary
Keep an eye out for more about the following
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projects which are in the early stages of
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development:
garound the area.
Contact Robbie Gordon
T: 01738 475348
Contact Andrew BarrieT: 01738 475239E: [email protected]
At PKCT we takepreat pride in what
we do. Since theast newsletterur grants haveelped put thenishing touches to path connectingrandtully to eyond Aberfeldy,nd have ontributed to the
Crieff Drover’s Tryst and Blairgowrie &East Perthshire walking festivals.
The Trust was the major funder for a group from Crieff and Blairgowrie toattend the Outdoor Show in Birminghamw– one of the biggest in the UK. Over threedays, staff showcased the best of Big TreeCountry, using stunning photographsand the BTC DVD to encourage walkingenthusiasts to visit the area.
At the last executive meeting, two working groups were formed. Following on fromthe last year’s success, the fi rst group will organise this year’s Perthshire Big TreeCountry Awards. The second will look at developing a series of walking booklets covering different areas of Perth & Kinross. With a multitude of paths covering thearea, and with the draft Core Path Planalmost complete, it’s a good time to laythe groundwork for this project.
Since our last newsletter we havesaid goodbye to some membersof our executive: Ian Reynolds,Scottish Enterprise Tayside (SET); Barrie Andrian, Scottish Crannog Centre who represented tourism; andMichael Almond, Carse of Gowrie whorepresented community councils. Mythanks to them for their invaluable input to the Trust over the years.
In their place we are delighted to have Stephen Baillie from SE, and Andrew Donaldson, Comrie Croft representing tourism.
Have a good summer.Have a good summme
Aggwlaohefi na Gbeanco
