Glen Dye Moor Update

Dave Windle

The project website is available at glendyemoor.com, which has a lot of information including some useful maps.

• The EIA is due in 2025.
• Work is ongoing on peatland restoration. So far, this is turning some of the most degraded peat bog in the country into a functioning ecosystem and restarting carbon capture.
• Forest ground preparation is expected to start in 2025 following FLS approval of the forest plan. Thereafter, planting will start and is expected to continue for many years.
• The recreational addendum (available from the above website) reiterates their commitment to
  • providing good public access,
  • maintaining Charr Bothy as it is,
  • expanding the car parking at the Spittal Burn entrance, and
  • installing signage; fingerposts at low level, and less obtrusive bollards at high level.
• The recreational addendum also refers to the poor state of the "tourist route" up Clachnaben. With NEMT and Club members, OATS have done some work to stop further deterioration, but much of the path needs a complete rebuild. The big question is whether the landowner, Aviva the insurance giant, will stump up the money for the urgently needed repairs.

Finally, there is much that is good here, particularly if Aviva find the money for the Clachnaben path repairs. However, it could have been so much better, if, instead of mass planting, more focus was placed on natural forest regeneration. The Scottish Government needs to instruct FLS to revise their grant system to stop discriminating against natural regeneration.

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