During a very busy time for us as we lurch towards retirement it is always a good idea to have a day away. We often tie in our R&R with Rona things such as collecting supplies, taking things for repair or meetings. Last week was one of these times but we were so ‘frazzled’ we decided to take an extra day out and visit friends in Shieldaig.

Every morning when we are away I go for an early morning walk 30 minutes to one hour. With the weather being so calm and sunny I was drawn to visit the Ben Damph side of Ben Shieldaig. I wanted to walk the road to nowhere and have a look around their latest plantation that some found questionable.

Perhaps it is because I have had a connection with this area for such a long time that I am interested, especially in the ’90s when I was carrying out Forestry work for Scottish Woodlands Ltd here. So it was that I had an interest last year whilst driving through Glen Shieldaig spotting a Scottish Woodlands sign, I was intrigued. I wondered why there was a major fencing project taking place and on hearing about the new road alongside the West side of Loch Damph by local observers who wondered why it was there, where it was going and what was it for, I went for a look?

I did post last year about this scheme, then I wondered why the Woodland Trust felt the need to plant up this boulderfield and then up the side of the East facing Ben Shieldaig. With trees on the road leading from the West to this area, clearly there was a seed source but given my first walk over the area, it was plain why regeneration had not appeared. This poor quality compacted soil. Sheep and deer for sure ran on this ground but lately there is not a great weight of deer here and the sheep are gone. But decades of constant rain would very much add to the reasons. Why are the trees not regenerating?

The previous evening I had a walk out to the point at Ardheslaig, the crofter there runs a few hundred sheep on this headland and in the surrounding area. I was surprised to see vigorous Birch regen’ here with sheep grazing right through it. Why would that be, there are few deer here having been fenced out but I did see a good hind when leaving on Wednesday morning right beside the road at Kinloch, grazing quite happily.

Back to my walk, just inside the gate I wondered why the owners of this property would want to plant out this view of the ‘boulders’ left behind when the glaciers retreated, if (and it is a big if) these trees come to anything this will not be seen from the track/walk, in fact nor will Ben Shieldaig. What I like to see and celebrate in the Highlands is the vast open space, the views and these views are becoming less visible especially along roadsides where regeneration is rampant. I am thinking about the drive from Spean Bridge to Laggan, now only glimpses of the hills as the roadside regen’ reaches maturity, what next for these trees?

Walking through the mounding quite a percentage were planted on peat which begs the question, who checks this? Are there repercussions, I doubt it. The ground was very thin with no great depth and plastic Vole Guards seemed to be all over the site, a few perches for raptors would be a good idea but I suspect the raptors are doing very well where the trees are already established across the road.

I kept thinking to myself, ‘Why would you want to plant this”? Across the valley a previous commercially planted scheme looks very unnatural in the landscape with many of the trees struggling for want of some fertliser, for sure there are much better trees across the main road but that is another story.

Getting a bit bored and frutrated at seeing no wildlife apart from a couple of Meadow Pipits I went through the gate to the beach at the North end of Loch Damph.

Immediately my spirits lifted when two Sandpipers told me off for disturbing them, obviously there was a nest so I beat a hasty retreat away from where the path had led me to the beach. But not before I spotted human tracks, (many). A mountain bike track, (interesting) and at last the mark of one solitary stag.

I had my binoculars and spent some time spying the hills for deer but not a sign did I see. I wonder what the deer count is for this area? Heading back through the gate I went up to the track and quickly came upon a plant at the track edge which I was pretty sure was Willow Herb. It may be common in the area but it never ceases to amaze me how this type of plant finds its way into forests. I remember working in a forest around Huntly in the 90’s where Willow Herb had established, it was a battle for the trees to get above it, so thick it was, its stems are like wire, great for hiding deer too.

Maybe I am mistaken but if it is it will add to the other non native which is doing too well along the road, Rhododendron!!

I was a wee bit hasty when I said there were no trees growing in the immediate area. On the top side of the road there was a Rowan, planted by the Blackbird no doubt. Doing very well. It has a lot of work to do!!!!!

Finally as I approached the gate a thought came to me, how much did this cost? Who paid for it? How wealthy is the Woodland Trust? Did they fund this themselves? Is this tax payers money? Who knows, who cares?

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Later in the day there was mention of a walk along Loch Torridon from the Torridon Hotel running West. Around midday we arrived and set off along the track which was in its day the ‘private’ road for the local Lairds.

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Along the track we met up with other walkers and mountain bikers, we were not going far just a half hour along the well maintained track then back for a welcome coffee in the bar at the Torridon Hotel. As we walked along we talked about the past Rhododendron project that was supposed to clear the invasive plant. This was quite an event here a few years back I think it started in 2013, well funded by the Scottish Rural Development Programme, lots of noise, folk and smoke.

As we walked it became clear that the Rhodos’ were back, vigorous as ever and I suspect a real challenge to get on top of them again. I have a little experience of this type of work during my Forestry business. A horrible, difficult and dirty job. Not very environmentally friendly as the burning of the plant gives of toxic smoke and the only way to eradicate it (if that is possible at all) is to Glyphosphate the stumps after cutting and clearing. We used tubs of the weedkiller and paintbrushes. Then return year after year and for at least 5.

Sadly Foresters who run these projects forget the maintenance plan and despite numerous reminders when I was looking for work, back in the day, to return to the jobs we had done in previous years it was disappointing to be sent elsewhere. I see this all over the country (from an ex contractors perspective) especially jobs where Tully Tubes have been used to protect trees.

As we continued walking I wondered how much this project cost and what was the plan for monitoring growth in the following years. There is a huge difference looking back on the days when driving along the road above this forest, the Rhodos’ were hard up against the fence. BUT the Rhodos’ were going nowhere and I guess the Estate has its work cut out to keep up the control. Hopefully there will be a push this year to carry on with the work, perhaps there is ongoing funding to support it. I would imagine there is a lot of head scratching going on at Nature Scot on how to deal with this and the many other ‘non natives’ all over Scotland. Perhaps some of the grant funding that may have been given along the road at Ben Shieldaig should have been used here to complete this project first. Because the disturbance of the ground over there will be an easy bed for windblown Rhodos’ seed to establish!!!!! Thankfully the prevailing wind is going in the other direction but it only needs one blast from the wrong direction and the right time.

We carried on musing, my guide now regaling me with the history of the area, very interesting, espec ially the track we were on and how it was built for the Estate owners not the locals!!!! But everyone is welcome nowadays. We were half way along, the regen’, Rhodos’ got thicker and as we reached the turning point, we spotted a good hind feeding away not interested in the many walkers that day. It is always nice to see ‘some’ deer in the forest and I wished her and her soon to be calf well, I hope she escapes the bullet. The sea end was pretty useless so I guess she can leave at will.

Our turning point came when we reached this intrigueing house, an artists I was told and for the life of me I cannot remember her name, but what a house and what a location. At this point as we look to leave Rona and are looking for a new house, I had ‘House Envy’ for sure. Off grid and remotish I can imagine the building contract, impressive. Back we went to the pub, the best bit of the walk they say. But just for coffee.

That evening we went out in the boat for a tour, it was a cracking night and although I have been in and out of Shieldaig many times it was nice to get along the shore. To see the Red Roofed House from the sea, the spectacular houses perched above the shore, the regeneration there that I was told has really taken off. How? I aim to find out. The FishFarm was busy moving fish the previous evening but some of the cages were still full of fish.

I was told that 40 yerars ago from the sea the road and houses were easily picked out and in cerain areas where there were hardly any trees there are now thick forests, but as ever further up the hill the trees have struggled to establish, it is strange why some areas readily regenerate where others just don’t. There are many reasons I guess but it is good to see open ground for whatever reason and it is not entirely the fault of sheep and deer.

On leaving the next day early in the morning it was good to see my second deer of the trip, grazing contentedly not 20 metres off the road just along the road from this house. Another fat hind soon to calf, again I hope she escapes the bullet, forests need deer.

I look forward to my next visit.