Wild Land News no 68, Spring 2007

Forest Design Article

John Digney reports on further meetings with Lorne Forest District staff

The end of the ridge that forms the northern half of the Cruach Ardrain horseshoe, where access is impeded by dense forestry. FCS have undertaken to improve the situation for hillwalkers.
Photo:John Digney

In the last issue of WLN we reported on the Forestry Commission scoping meetings to which David Jarman and I had been invited following David's forestry articles in previous issues. After the Crianlarich meeting that I attended last September, a site visit was arranged for November to discuss improvements to the hillwalking route options for Cruach Ardrain and Ben More where commercial forestry has caused access problems. As well as FCS staff there were representatives from the Mountaineering Council of Scotland (MCofS) and the Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park Area Access Officer.

Cruach Ardrain

The traditional route from the Crianlarich side crosses the railway bridge just south of the village and heads for Grey Height through a fire break. This route is now in a diabolical state and has been omitted in the most recent guidebooks. We agreed that a better option is to start from the village itself at the Community Woodland car park and use a forest road that terminates below Grey Height. FCS would then construct a path across wet ground to the open hill to connect with the original path. Some tidying work would be carried out, the car park would be enlarged and the initial section of the route waymarked within the forest.

For those completing the Cruach Ardrain-Stob Garbh horseshoe, an uninterrupted line of descent to the forest road is needed, and although we did not have time to investigate the options here, FCS agreed to accommodate the most suitable route.

Ben More

In the afternoon we went over to Coire Chaoraich, where tracks through an extensive plantation give access to Ben More's north-east ridge. Traditionally the start has been on the east side of the main burn which then has to be forded to reach a forest track on the west side. This track can now be reached from the main network of forest roads on the west side, so to avoid the burn crossing which can be awkward in spate, FCS will build a car park in a disused quarry near the start of the main forest road and waymark the route. They will improve the track, particularly the upper section which has become a quagmire, and construct a path beside the Allt Coire Chlach to give a more pleasant and direct exit from the forest to open ground.

Ben Lui

Although there wasn't time for a site visit, FCS are looking at improving the western approach path from Glen Lochy that threads through a dense conifer plantation. This would be also of great benefit to walkers heading for Beinn A' Chleibh.

Beinn a'Bheithir is almost encircled by forestry, and even from its summit the hard, unnatural edges of the plantations are conspicuous. FCS now have radical proposals to restructure the forests on the northern slopes.
Photo:John Digney

Glenachulish Scoping Meeting

Prior to the Crianlarich site visit there had been a scoping meeting in Glencoe to discuss the restructuring plans for Glenachulish. This was also attended by representatives from MCofS, SNH and the local community as well as several FCS staff, although many more individuals and organizations had been invited.

The extensive planting on the northern slopes and corries of Beinn a' Bheithir has attracted criticism from many quarters, including several of the popular guidebook writers, as the trees have caused major access problems as well as changing the character of the landscape. The FCS response has been extremely positive - the proposals are for the quantity of broadleaves to be increased more than fourfold, and the sitka to be reduced to a sixth of its present levels. This is all the more laudable when the ground has proved to be very productive commercially, and the proposals were agreed enthusiastically with relatively minor suggestions. FCS have already done some path work, but in the shorter term will look at increasing the access options to the ridges and corries.