Countryside Section News, Issues & Projects
New Eco-Visitor Centre Planned for Beecraigs Country Park
Construction will soon be underway on the construction of the innovative, new, eco-centre being built at Beecraigs Country Park. The new Visitor Centre has been designed by EKJN architects and will include a new, more convenient entrance to the Park. The project has a host of eco-friendly features designed to make the building completely carbon neutral and include more conventional ground source heat pumps, solar powered roof panels, a wind turbine and rainwater harvesting. traditional and local materials will be employed wherever possible. All attempts will be made to keep disruption to Park users to a minimum during the construction phase.
During preparation of the site, archaeological remains were recently uncovered and the features are assumed to be prehistoric, perhaps dating to the Bronze Age. Further information on this can be found at www.armadale.org.uk/beecraigs.htm and www.wosas.net/news/beecraigs.html
Events Programmes for 2010
The Ranger Service annual events programme is available by following the link to the Ranger Service. Leaflets shall also be available from all three of West Lothian's Country Parks' Visitor Centres.
The programme for activities with the Beecraigs Outdoor Activity Centre is available by following the link to the Outdoor Pursuits. Leaflets also available from Beecraigs Visitor Centre.
"GO APE" comes to Beecraigs for 2010
Go Ape high wire forest adventure received planning permission for their proposed ropes course attraction within Beecraigs Country Park. This new opportunity provides a further attraction to the already successful range of activities at Beecraigs Country Park and hopefully attract new visitors to West Lothian. Go Ape is now open. Check out the Go Ape web site for further information or telephone 0845 094 8792.
Take to the trees and experience an exhilarating course of rope bridges, Tarzan Swings and zip slides up to 12 metres above the forest floor. Go Ape is now at Beecraigs Country Park and will operate daily until the end of October, opening weekends in November.
Share memorable hours of fun and adventure. With the longest zip of 266metres and total length of crossings 811.3metres, you'll be talking about your experience for days. Minimum age 10 yrs. Minimum height 1.4m. Under 18s must be accompanied by a participating adult.
Get more information, watch people Go Ape and book online at www.goape.co.uk
World Record Planting Bid Takes Root!
On Saturday 5th. December '09 more than 160 people came together to try to play their part in breaking a world record for the greatest number of tress planted in under one hour. The event marked the end of National Tree Week and was part of the BBC Breathing Places "Tree O'Clock" bid to smash the existing record of 653,143 trees. The event was a real team effort involving the 4th., 6th. and 17th. West Lothian Scout divisions, Oatridge College, BTCV's green gym co-ordinator, the public and staff from Countryside Section. Provost Tom Kerr and Councillor Conn officiated and also managed to plant a few trees.
Volunteers at Beecraigs Country Park planted 1,390 trees in just 29 minutes 40 seconds. Tree species planted included oak, ash, birch, willow, rowan, hazel and holly. The new native woodland also includes open spaces which will be seeded with wildflowers in the future. In future the woodland will provide valuable wildlife habitat and will make the area much more pleasant to walk by. To say thanks for all their hard work, the volunteers were invited to share soup, mince pies and mulled wine whilst listening to the Linlithgow Ladies Rugby Club Choir singing Christmas carols.
Almondell & Calderwood Country Park also hosted their Tree O'Clock event and planted 50 trees with help from the LOOK Group and East Calder Scouts. Councillor Graeme Morrice acted as official witness.
The efforts of everyone were filmed for the BBC's Landward programme and it was great to be able to demonstrate how well people can come together to improve their environment.
The national tally was nearly half a million trees but unfortunately was not enough to break the record. The UK total will however go towards the United Nations Environment Programme "Billion Trees" campaign.
Strathbrock Volunteers at Almondell & Calderwood Country Park
West Lothian's Countryside Ranger Service are enjoy working with a wide range of volunteer groups from all sections of the community, helping them to take an active role in conservation and improving the accessibility of the countryside for all. Particularly successful has been the partnership with a great team of clients from the Strathbrock Mental Health Resource Centre. This group of 8-10 very keen, hardworking people have carried out a variety of tasks such as cutting and burning invasive rhododendrons, opening-up a long stretch of riverside to allow views across the river and improve visibility for walkers in this area. They have also resurfaced steps and paths, created woodland habitats for wildlife and much, much more. Excellent team effort by all the volunteers!
Improvements Underway at Beecraigs Caravan & Camping Site
Work started in April 2009 on progressing improvements to the site which shall benefit all future customers. Customer feedback supported the call by Countryside Section that the mature conifers, shading the site, were no longer appropriate and that today's caravanners require more space than currently provided in our individual bays. Step one was taken to acquire a tree felling licence and, once received, the specialised contractors began their work. All tree felling has now been completed and the site is now bathed in sunlight (when the sun comes out!). All the timber and the brashings from the trees will be recycled. In partnership with the BBC Breathing Places Tree O'Clock event, over 160 volunteers met in December 2009 to plant over 1,000 mixed broadleaf trees and shrubs. Work shall now focus on improvements to the layout of service points, site drainage, provision of larger pitches for customers and renewed landscaping on the site. In addition the ablution block located by the camping ground has been refitted for 2010 and offers individual shower rooms with disabled provision.
"Scotland looks cool from under canvas"
(source The Sunday Post, Travel 27/07/08)
Beecraigs camping site is just one of the sites recommended in Robin McKelvie's book "Cool Camping: Scotland". This book "...eulogises the joys of camping in some really characterful and stunning places...scenic locations, welcoming owners and little quirks are marked higher than ultra-modern facilities...Beecraigs, less than an hour's drive from Edinburgh, is a great wee escape. The site is set right amongst the trees and is ideal for families as there's a deer farm and trout farm to explore in the surrounding Beecraigs Country Park. There's also a reservoir to stroll around ...a fitness course if you want to work off some excess pounds on your holiday. You can also rent a proper barbecue area and enjoy some alfresco living in the woods or pop into their restaurant".
For more information on this book check out www.robinmckelvie.com
Easter Inch Moss
Easter Inch Moss, to the north of Seafield and the east of Blackburn, was part of a 200 acre bog that was worked for peat. Now an area of land protected for the public and designated a local nature reserve (LNR), it is important for its wildlife interest, educational value and recreational use, where people can walk and enjoy the open air.Owned by West Lothian Council, but managed in partnership with a local Management Group, to have a say in how the site will be looked after, and maintained in the future. The Group is working to a 5year management plan and involves the Countryside Ranger Service, as well as other Council staff, and members of the local communities.
If you would like further information on this site, or would like to be involved in the Management Group please contact John Bennie, Secretary of the Easter Inch Moss & Seafield Law Management Group on Tel: 01506 631292 or the Ranger on Tel: 01501 743905 or 07771911108 (mobile) or hugh.ilgunas@westlothian.gov.uk