Field Notes: Exploring Glenlude

Digital Communications Officer Natalia Barbour visits the Trust's site in the Scottish Borders during a busy conservation volunteer day.

Following on from my first visits to Schiehallion and Ben Nevis, the next Trust site I explored was Glenlude - a hive of volunteer activity in the Scottish Borders.

The land in our care at Glenlude covers 149 hectares on the edge of the Southern Uplands and was gifted to the Trust in 2003 by the late Sheila Bell.

The day we arrived was overcast and misty, but this in no way deterred a group of conservation volunteers who had been repairing brash hedges on the south side of the site. Using felled tree branches, they were making a kind of protective fence around newly planted trees to deter sheep and deer from eating them.

Brash hedge repairs are among the many volunteer activities undertaken at Glenlude as part of the 20 year plan the Trust has to restore this former sheep farm and conifer plantation to a mosaic of native habitats. Centuries of overgrazing had led to a monoculture of continuous cover forestry over this land and the Trust and its volunteers have managed to re-introduce some native woodland to this wild place.

Our aim at the Trust is to make the process of caring for Glenlude completely inclusive. Volunteer groups range from schools to drug and alcohol rehabilitation charities. For some Glenlude is their first experience of spending quality time in a wild place, while others are dedicated regulars. This dedication was demonstrated in the volunteers I met when I visited, some of whom travelled weekly to Glenlude from as far away as Glasgow.

After learning about the process of brash hedge repairs, I was able to spend some time at the hub at Glenlude. Volunteers have built all the infrastructure here including a tree nursery with a poly tunnel, a composting toilet and a wild camping area.

I helped with the seed propagation process that was taking place in the poly tunnel. I was shown how to crush rowan berries and rinse them in order to free their seeds (shown above). All the trees planted at this site are from locally collected seed, like the rowan. They are grown on in the tree nursery until mature enough to join the others on the hillside at Glenlude.

Our day at Glenlude ended with a late lunch of locally sourced venison burgers. As we were leaving, we saw our hardworking volunteers taking some time to rest at the hub before getting ready to go out again and plant some of the new trees from the nursery.  

Brighter later for Absolute Escapes

The following day brightened up, enabling a team of six from our corporate partners Absolute Escapes (pictured above) to spend another productive day on site - their second time taking part in a conservation workparty at Glenulude this year.

Conservation tasks they tackled on both visits include tree maintenance (pictured above), pulling up stray Sitka spruce seedlings and collecting and processing rowan berries (see below).

A huge thank you to everyone who contributes to growing Glenlude. Your cheery company and labours are much appreciated!

• Find out more about Glenlude.
• Find how to sign up for volunteering oportunites and view upcoming oportunities on our Events page.