Discuss the effects of Phytophthora ramorum on larch. Planning for the future & alternative restock species.

Meet 10a.m. Castle Library, PH18 5TH

The final South West and Northern Ireland meeting of the year will take place in Ayrshire on 1^st October.

In the morning we will visit Blackthorn Salt in the Port of Ayr and hear how their timber tower, packed with blackthorn, is used to produce salt for domestic purposes.

Archie McConnel will also be on hand to describe how the salt tower was constructed and the timber used. We will go inside the tower and up to the top where the views are fabulous. 

In the afternoon we be visiting Shewalton Wood, a Scottish Wildlife Trust (SWT) Greenspace Reserve by Irvine. 

We will be guided round by Gill Smart, SWT Reserve Manager for Ayrshire and Renfrewshire. This wet woodland, has miles of made paths and typical urban fringe issues.

All RSFS events must be pre-booked due to COVID-19 restrictions.  Any person not booked will not be permitted access.

Welcome to the Cashel Bash Autumn Festival:

• Craft stalls
• Herbal Homestead foraging walk
• Forest bathing info and tasters
• Loads'n'loads of games
• Nature walks
• Bat walk
• Glow worm talk
• Presentation on Cashel
• National Park Information Trailer

Music provided by Plaid Song, from 6:30pm at the visitor centre, entry by donation on the night (recommendation £10).

Book using Paypal or "offline payment" (book event then pay using one of the methods below) using your surname and CB2021 as your reference.

Joint Northern/NE Region Event

AM: Cawdor Forestry - Ardersier and Nairn Continuous Cover woodlands

PM: Nearby Moray Estates, Darnaway

Directions to meeting point - Grid ref NH815565. Turn north off A96 four miles west of Nairn towards Whiteness Head. Turn next left at barriers on to B9092, and then next right on to unclassified road.. Follow this single track road for one and a quarter miles. Meeting point is second large lay-by on left.

At Cawdor Estate we will see recently established strip regeneration of mature Scots Pine and at the second site regeneration in a group system showing various stages of growth. 

The afternoon will be focussed on Darnaway Estate where we will look at 30 yr old Douglas fir, thinned with a view to converting to CCF systems, plus regeneration and planting of oak after freeing mature oak from  dominating beech.

All RSFS events must be pre-booked due to COVID-19 restrictions.  Any person not booked will not be permitted access.

Topics will centre on management of historic designed landscapes and productive plantations in a very high public footfall setting.

Courtesy of The Duke of Buccleuch.                                                                                                                                

RV – 10am, Dalkeith Palace Restoration Yard lower car park. Enter by Kings Gate EH22 1ST                             

Car park is at NT338682                       

All RSFS events must be pre-booked due to COVID-19 restrictions.  Any person not booked will not be permitted access.