Roots of Arran Community Woodland open new paths

On Sunday 12th June there was an opening ceremony for the paths created by Roots of Arran in their Community Woodland on Brodick Hill. Murray Boal and his digger did the toughest work, but there has been a lot more chopping and lopping by hand since then, and the path is now officially in use.

The celebration was a three-generations-born-on-Arran affair with octogenarian Mrs Mary Matchett (nee Buchanan) officiating with the loppers. She was joined by son Keith and grandson Eden Robertson and flanked by Devi and Shri, Kadampan, Buddhist nuns.
 

Roots of Arran volunteer Juliette Walsh said, ‘It was great to have the nuns visit and bless the path alongside Keith Robertson’s mum, who lopped it open with royal determination.’ The new path gives access to the orchard from the beech grove, making the site easier to get at for the volunteers who maintain it and the schoolchildren who can use it as an educational resource.

On the Monday after the opening ceremony, children from Whiting Bay School came to the community woodland to work for their John Muir Award. This involved lopping back unwanted undergrowth in the orchard, measuring the age of beech trees (the oldest was found to be 265 years old), planting ash saplings and carrying out a flora and fauna survey. On the bus home the children said they enjoyed climbing and playing in the beech grove the most!