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Issue 15 February 2010
News from the Holyrood & Linlithgow Parks Ranger Service
An apple a day
The Historic Scotland Ranger Service support activities at more locations than just Holyrood Park and
Linlithgow Peel. Christine Stevenson, Volunteer Ranger, tells us about a day out at Elcho Castle.
‘Apples are a fruit I’ve tended to take for granted, mainly seeing
them as handy for packed lunches and as a healthy snack. However,
my view of this staple item was transformed during the day I spent at
Elcho Castle in Perthshire in October. The occasion was day two of
the Castle’s Family Fruit Weekend, which was part of the bigger
Carse of Gowrie Orchard Festival, that was taking place at different
venues that week. It was my first time at Elcho Castle and even from
a distance as we approached it, I was impressed by the remarkably
complete 16th-century tower house in its magnificent setting on the
south bank of the River Tay. The reason I was there, in the company
of Holyrood Park Rangers Rosie Wylie and Graham Checkley, was to
help with the various activities which families could take part in, in
addition to all the fruit-centred events. Mini-beast hunting, artwork
and a mammal trail were our main focus, and very popular they
were. The excitement and enthusiasm on young, and indeed not-so-
young, faces as they found bugs galore and even tiny toads among the fallen leaves and under rocks were a joy to see.
But back to the apples. We saw them being pulped and pressed into the most delicious, freshest possible apple juice – and
sampled some of it. We saw the many varieties of apple, and some pear varieties too, that grow in Elcho Castle’s orchard. If
we’d had time we could have picked some, as many families did. We saw them going home laden with plenty for an apple
pie, a crumble or even parsnip and apple soup. Experts were on hand to give advice on the planting, grafting and pruning of
apple trees, while fascinating information about the ancient orchards of the area was available. Sadly many of these
orchards, some of which originated as far back as the 12th century, have been lost or fallen
into neglect, but some remain, and with increased public
knowledge and support from both landowners and conservation
bodies it is hoped that they can be revived. In this
Apparently scores of varieties of tree fruit (pears, plums and
apples) can be produced in Scotland. The 90 fruit trees in the
Edition
Elcho Castle orchard come in 37 varieties, and some of the apples
have wonderful names such as Red Devil, Scotch Dumpling, Volunteering
Limelight and the aptly named Scrumptious. In addition,
traditional orchards, that is, ones where decaying wood is Bridges project
retained, thus providing important wildlife habitats, and where
chemical use is avoided, are beneficial to many species. For Bat boxing
Apple picking (above) at the Family example, windfall fruit provides a rich natural larder for some
Fruit Weekend at Elcho castle (below) Greylags at the Peel
species of birds, mammals, butterflies, moths and bees, and it
can help to ensure their survival.
Did you know?
What I learned at the Fruit Weekend certainly increased my
awareness and appreciation of my ‘ordinary’ apple a day. I now Enjoying the fresh air
know that buying locally sourced fruit not only gives the
satisfaction of lower food miles and is good for wildlife, but they Outdoor events
also taste ….well, scrumptious.’
Get in touch
Volunteer profiles
The Historic Scotland Ranger Service has a team of Volunteer Rangers who
help with patrols, events and biodiversity conservation at Holyrood Park and
Linlithgow Peel. In this issue we meet one of our longest serving volunteers,
Heather Richard.
‘I am based at Holyrood Park Education Centre and feel very privileged to be able to help
in the care and preservation of Arthur's Seat. With the city not even visible at times it’s a
very special place where people can wander and relax. I’ve been a Volunteer Ranger
since July 2001, and in this time I’ve had a wide range of training within the park;
learning the park rules and regulations, getting to know the hill's principal landmarks as
well as the myriad of paths, lochs, and hidden places necessary if a search and rescue is
in progress. Heather Richard
The Rangers have treated me wonderfully, sharing their time and knowledge to enable
me to learn all about the hill's fascinating archaeology, geology, history and wildlife. Knowledge which I have put to good
use by, for example, helping to survey the plant life on the hill.
A harebell in the snow, light on the hill and wind in the long grasses are all magic moments for me. Even engaging in
challenging projects like clearing the invading bracken can be exhilarating. My most memorable moment so far was sitting
one day watching a hare, which are rare, race about on the hill. A wonderful sight.’
Volunteer Awards
To celebrate the hard work and dedication all of our volunteers put into their roles, we recently held an awards ceremony
at the Holyrood Education centre. David Stevenson and Christine Stevenson were awarded a silver certificate which marks
four years of service and Heather Richard and Roger Phillips were awarded a gold certificate which marks six years of
service. Well done and thank you to all our volunteers. For more information about volunteering please get in touch with
us by using the contact details on the back page.
Bridges project.
The Bridges Project is a voluntary organisation operating in East Lothian and Midlothian which aims to tackle youth
poverty, homelessness and exclusion. Rosie Wylie, Community Ranger, has just led a bridges group through their John Muir
Discoverer award. Here we feature their pictorial view of their experiences at Holyrood.
Bat boxing
No, not tiny gloves for their wings and going ten rounds, but Rangers and Volunteers checking the special
boxes that have been erected at Holyrood and Linlithgow to provide homes for these threatened
mammals. Natalie Taylor, Conservation Ranger, tells us more.
‘Two types of boxes have been put up at Holyrood. The traditional, square wooden ones (like bird boxes but with a slit
at the bottom and no hole in the front) and the domed woodcrete ones (made from a mixture of concrete and
sawdust). The first boxes were erected by St Margaret’s Loch and near Dynamic Earth in the summer of 2002, with
further boxes added at both these locations the following spring. Another four boxes were erected in the palace
gardens in April of 2004, giving a total of 16.
Bats require different roosting conditions at different times of the year. Bat boxes appear to be used mainly in spring
and autumn as transitory roosts and as mating roosts by males in the autumn who set up a territory around the box
and fly about ‘singing’ to attract in females. Like most of the bat boxes in The Lothians, our boxes have only been used
by Pipistrelle bats; however we have recorded both Soprano and bandit Pipistrelles in the boxes.
Evidence shows that the time taken for the boxes to be used for the first time
can vary greatly, which was proved by the boxes here at Holyrood. One of the
woodcrete boxes at St Margaret’s was used within a year of being erected, but
others have taken up to seven years for the bats to move in. To date eight of
the nine woodcrete boxes have been used, but none of the wooden ones.
Statistics show that once that bats have started using a box they tend to
continue to do so year after year.
The total number of boxes that have been used at one time or another is
increasing every year, as is the number of boxes being used in individual years.
Last year amongst the six boxes being used, were two in the palace gardens
that had not been used before. The choices made by the bats in their selection
of the boxes shows a distinct preference for the woodcrete style. This is
probably less to do with shape and more to do with the woodcrete material
being more insulated and therefore maintaining a more constant
environment.’
Anyone who is interested in coming along to help with checking the boxes
keep an eye on the survey programme for next September should contact
Jan finds the first bat of the day Natalie at the Holyrood Centre. Details can be found on the back page.
Greylags at the Peel
You might think that since the nights are long and the days are cold that
the bird survey work is finished for the year. Fraser Abernethy,
Countryside Ranger at Linlithgow, tells us a different story.
‘During the year Linlithgow Loch has a hand-full of Graylag Geese (Anser anser), but
come winter the numbers can rise to over 200. Where do they come from you
might ask, do they come from Iceland or further afield? Be prepared for a
surprise… they are local birds.
The Greylags that use the loch are all thought to originate from birds released
there or from neighbouring estates in West Lothian, during the early to mid-1990s.
Nonetheless it’s also possible that truly wild birds use the Loch on occasion.
From October onwards the Ranger Service count the geese, and this information gets passed on to the Goose monitoring
programme. They gather information from all over Scotland and use this to see how well the population is doing. There is
also a goose census which records all the established birds before the arrival of any Icelandic geese.
The wild population are mainly found in north and northeast Scotland and Orkney. During the 2008/09 winter their
numbers reached 110,000, arriving from mid-October and leaving by mid-April. Some of the birds have been fitted with
numbered orange neck collars so people counting the geese can record the number and then track where these birds have
been.
So next time you are walking around the loch look out for the Graylags and see if any of them have an orange neck collar. If
they have, please record the number and pass it on to us if you can.’
Did you know…?
That Hunter’s Bog in Holyrood Park was once the setting for a naval pageant?
In 1564, three years after her arrival in Edinburgh, Mary Queen of Scots
ordered that Hunter’s Bog be dammed to form an artificial loch. A banquet
was laid out beside it to celebrate the marriage of two of her courtiers, John,
Fifth Lord Fleming, Lord High Chamberlain, and Elizabeth, the only daughter
and heiress of Robert, Master of Ross. For entertainment they were treated to
a re-enactment of a naval engagement that took place during the siege of
Leith. You can still see the remains of the dam near the north end of the bog
today.
Hunter’s Bog
Hunter’s Bog is also mooted to have been a significant spot for another
member of the Stuart dynasty, in this case Bonnie Prince Charlie. In 1745 the Highland army, fearful of artillery
bombardment from Edinburgh Castle, advanced into Edinburgh around the south side of the city. In order to reach
Holyrood Palace it’s said that he rode down through Hunter’s Bog, and paused in an emotional moment as he finally set his
eyes on the ancient family home. His arrival in Edinburgh was not entirely unpopular. During a visit to Grange House he
was presented with a white rose, a Jacobite symbol, and in return presented a thistle from his bonnet to the ladies. The
thistle, now sealed in a glass bell jar, is an heirloom of the Dick-Lauder family. Closer to home he was entertained at
Prestonfield House by Sir Alexander Dick, who gave him the sum of £100 to assist him with his campaign. As well as
receiving entertainment and gifts, Bonnie Prince Charlie spent many nights wrapped in his plaid near Duddingston Loch.
Part of his army was based in the area now occupied by Duddingston golf course and he was very much involved with their
training. Early 19th-century maps also show some of his troops stationed near Dunsapie Crag, a place that gave them an
eagle’s eye view of the troop movements leading up to the battle of Prestonpans.
Enjoying the fresh air
Autumn saw another successful archaeology month at Holyrood Park. Jan
Tapson, Park Ranger, tells us more.
‘As well as causing leaves to turn to orange and red, autumn also inspires Rangers to
dress in rustic garments in order to encourage groups of small children to travel back
in time to the Iron Age. Archaeology Month recently transformed the Education
Centre into an Iron Age enclave with a straw filled round-house, an iron age kitchen,
bow drills, wattle fences and piles of woollen gowns, belts and the all-pervading smell
of willow soaking.
Each child went home having discovered a very different existence of people around
2,500 years ago. They learned how important it was to be able to drill holes in wood
and bone, make fences for stockades, hunt for meat, gather fruit, cultivate grain and
vegetables, trade with ‘foreigners’ for flint, snuggle into furs to keep warm, tell stories
and to look after each other. They had the chance to act out a scenario related to the
‘real life’ of the time and venture off into the Park with a druid to encounter a hunter,
a Roman soldier and a farmer. Everyone left will have some idea of what life must Ranger Graham Checkley as a Roman soldier
have been before computers, phones, electricity, hot running water or the local shop.
A great time was had by everyone, especially as this year the weather was good to us, and it Outdoor events
was a delight to be out in the Park. Look out in the Crag and Peel for details of more events www.outdoor-diary.info is a
new website that’s packed full
of ideas for activities including
Get in Touch the ones we run. Ours are
We are always on the lookout for more volunteers, suggestions or marked with the code HSRS
ideas. If you would like more details about our range of the (E) for Edinburgh or (L) for
educational services or any aspect of our volunteer or Linlithgow.
conservation work please contact us. We look forward to hearing
If you’re not online there’s a
from you.
print version available by
Historic Scotland Ranger Service Historic Scotland Ranger Service calling 0845 367 3787
Linlithgow Peel Kirkgate Linlithgow Holyrood Park Education Centre (Edinburgh) or 01835 830 281
West Lothian EH49 7AL 1 Queens Drive Holyrood Park Edinburgh EH8 8HG (Borders). Large print versions
Tel/fax: 01506 842065 Tel: 0131 652 8150 Fax: 0131 652 8151 are also available from the
email:hs.rangers@scotland.gsi.gov.uk email:hs.rangers@scotland.gsi.gov.uk Edinburgh number.
