Tuesday, 30 April 2019
The creation of new agencies, Scottish Forestry and Forestry and Land Scotland, represents the start of a new chapter for forestry in Scotland. It’s a pivotal time in forestry and an exciting one now that forestry is fully devolved to Scottish Ministers and the Scottish Parliament and two new forestry agencies have been created.
Thursday, 25 April 2019
A few weeks back, we ran a short story competition inspired by the Neolithic carvings at Achnabreac. These stunning examples of ‘cup and ring’ marks, carved thousands of years ago by our prehistoric ancestors, have always been something of a mystery. We thought we’d ask you, our readers, to provide a few theories about their origins. Well, we weren’t disappointed with the results! With ...
Thursday, 25 April 2019
Our bird blogs are back in action for 2019! Things are already getting interesting, with two eggs delivered by regular Tweed Valley resident osprey Mrs O. and her partner SS, while our beloved Aberfoyle osprey Clarach has also been seen mating with her partner - we’re sharing news from that nesting site on The Lodge’s Facebook page. The mating season is now in full swing, so we can expect mo...
Wednesday, 24 April 2019
Mrs O with her 'Easter egg' Towards the end of last week, it was becoming clear that Mrs O was due to lay an egg at the main nest. Since her arrival back to the territory, she had been with her partner, regularly mating in the nest. A concerted team effort saw them build the nest up in readiness for the new arrivals, and then line it with copious, comfortable-looking, soft, dried moss. Come Ea...
Tuesday, 23 April 2019
Last week the John Muir Way, the long distance route running from Dunbar in East to Helensburgh in the West, celebrated its fifth birthday. The lengthy, winding route is named after John Muir, a pioneer of conservation who emigrated from Scotland to America in 1848, aged 10. Muir was part of a group of activists that fought to protect Yosemite Valley in California, and helped to create the world...
Friday, 19 April 2019
Mrs O and SS are displaying real signs of togetherness and pair bonding in 2019 Since arriving last week, our main nest pair have settled in at their familiar territory and begun the serious business of making their nest secure and structurally tight. On Wednesday 10 April, SS brought in a large, lichen-covered stick for the nest. He placed it up at the top end but was clearly not happy with it...
Thursday, 18 April 2019
SS in the mist, back at the main nest… The Tweed Valley Osprey Project has had a very happy start to the 2019 season. Both the distinctive white leg of SS and his partner Mrs O have been spotted, and they have safely returned from their migration to their nest site. Both arrived on Saturday 6 April, and by Sunday, they had begun mating. They seem to be ready for a season together again. SS h...
Monday, 08 April 2019
'The First Foresters' is a free-to-access learning resource combining an inspirational blend of archaeological discussion, creative indoor activities and practical outdoor learning. The beautifully illustrated booklet links today’s native woodlands, the ancient wildwood of the past and the Neolithic pioneers who ventured into it over 6000 years ago.