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November Inner Forth Futures e-newsletter
In this issue:
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IFLI project shortlisted for Nature of Scotland Award
We are excited to report that one of the Inner Forth Landscape Initiative's most ambitious projects, RSPB Scotland Skinflats Managed Realignment, has been shortlisted for the Nature of Scotland Coasts and Waters Award. To mark the upcoming Year of Coasts and Waters 2020, this special award will recognise outstanding contributions that are helping nature thrive in Scottish marine and freshwater habitats. We'll have to wait until 4 December to find out whether it has won, and we're up against stiff competition from some other fantastic projects. However we are delighted that the hard work of the RSPB staff and the foresight of the Partnership, in helping to make the project a reality, have been recognised in this way.
The project created 10 hectares of new inter-tidal habitat, providing vital new feeding areas for a host of waders and wildfowl in a part of the estuary where much has been lost over the past two hundred years. If you'd like to find out more you can read about the project on our website. Watch this space to find out if we have won! |
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Enjoying part of the Fife Thirty-Five Trail.
Eight new day-long walks and cycles exploring the unique landscape and heritage of the Inner Forth, plus a mega Round the Forth route, are now all live and available on our website for everyone to use.
The trails, called the Inner Forth Wanderings and Windings, range from 11-mile rambles to a challenging 76-mile long cycle. They use existing paths and tracks to encourage local people and visitors to the area to explore the landscape and discover some of the many hidden gems to be found around the Inner Forth. The routes include nature hotspots, historic buildings, riverside views, cultural landmarks and simply places to escape from the bustle of urban life.
Trail guides for all the routes, plus the round the Forth ninth route, incorporating elements from all the trails, are available to download free from the www.innerforthlandscape.co.uk website, along with GPX files to help people navigate the routes from their smart phone or GPS devices.
The Wanderings and Windings project has been funded through a £47,000 award from the National Lottery Heritage Fund, with an overall value of £67,000, the balance coming from our Partners. We appointed Ian White Associates Landscape Architects to develop and deliver the trails. They ran 12 co-design workshops to work with local communities to design the routes and identify the key points of interest along the way.
If you would like to get more involved, IFF have a Facebook Group called Inner Forth Wanderings and Windings, which you can request to join. For more information please contact the Inner Forth Futures team, info@innerforthlandscape.co.uk, telephone 01324 831 568.
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IFF serves up a great menu of walks and cycles, cakes and cuppas, to celebrate the launch
Cyclists after their well-earned stop at Bessies Cafe!
At the beginning of October, we were delighted to launch the ‘Wanderings and Windings’ suite of nine new walking and cycling trails, highlighting the hidden heritage gems of the Inner Forth. Thanks to the way the project is funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund we have been celebrating with a mini-festival of free events.
The Forth Inches Riverside Wander on Sunday 6 October saw a group of 15 join the IFF team and Claire Martin from Scottish Wildlife Trust on a five mile walk taking in the history and wildlife of the Cambus Pools, retiring to The Tearooms at Cambus for tea and scones. It was a grey day but the great company really made it.
Looking over the Forth on our riverside wander - the inspiration for our trails
With a forecast of rain and drop in temperature, the Fife 40 Challenge on Sunday 13 October looked like it was going to be a bit of a grim ride. However, we were met with a group of smiling and happy faces at the ride start point and they were eager to get going. The group ride, lead by Dan Robertson, Kerr Sproul and Paul Rimmer from Sustrans, started in Dunfermline taking in sights all the way down to Culross and back along the coast to Charlestown and Limekilns, swinging back up towards the start point. The group stopped for a well-earned lunch at Bessie’s Tearoom at Culross and a quick photo opportunity. All keen cyclists, the group were delighted to have explored a new route that they could add to their existing knowledge of the area.
On Wednesday 16 October, we were joined in South Queensferry by Hannah Ayre, a participatory artist who delivered a fantastic cyanotype workshop. Cyanotypes are an early precursor to photography, using objects to form shadows on specially treated paper which turns from white to dark blue in daylight or UV light. Taking a walk around South Queensferry to gather inspiration and materials for their art works, the group enjoyed stunning views of the three bridges and the historic town. The group had a great morning and created some fantastic Inner Forth inspired pieces of art to take away with them, hopefully encouraging them to do more.
A fantastic selection of creative cyanotypes produced by participants at our Beneath the Three Bridges event
Starting at the Carron Dams, our Dams to Dark Horses walk took the group along the excellent Falkirk path network to the imposing Kelpies, looping back round and through the Carron Dams themselves. We were joined by Mandy Brown and Fiona Wishart from Falkirk Council, as well as IFF volunteer Lorna Swinney, who shared with us her excellent knowledge of the Carron Company and the history of the Dams. The weather and the wildlife was on our side too; with the group spotting a number of roe deer, a very relaxed sunbathing fox and some fantastic examples of fungi along the way. We were also joined by a pupil from Falkirk High School, who worked on a project with production company D Fie Foe and IFF to produce a short film capturing some of the highlights of the Wanderings and Windings trails.
A very chilled-out fox spotted by participants on our Dams to Dark Horses walk. Image courtesy of: Norman Still
After a wet start on Saturday 19 October, the sun finally shone on us at Pittencrieff Park where we were hosting the Wanderings and Windings Celebration Day. We were joined by Friends of Pittencrieff Park, The Scottish Lime Centre Trust, West Fife Woodlands, RSPB, the Dunfermline Family History group and the very popular Cycling Without Age trishaws. There were plenty of activities for the families with facepainting, storytelling, badgemaking and plastercast painting. It was a fantastic day of sharing the new trails with the local community, meeting members of the groups who came along to support us and some of the IFF team even had their face painted.
The Cycling Without Age trishaw proved very popular!
We topped off the fortnight of events with our final walk, four miles from Bo’ness to Linlithgow. The route takes in a fairly steep hill to start off, but we were rewarded with clear skies and views across over a wide section of the Forth and beyond from the top of the ridge. Gently meandering back down into Linlithgow and along the edge of Linlithgow Loch, we were treated with further views of the Palace and the impressive spire of St Michael’s kirk. Finishing off the day, the group joined us for tea and scones at The Linlithgow Burgh Halls.
A glorious autumn afternoon for our last launch event near Linlithgow
We would like to extend a huge thank you to all of those who came along to support the Wanderings and Windings launch events, we hope that you have been inspired to explore the other routes. Please do share with us where you go! And thank you to all of the organisations, groups and artists who have helped us to deliver such an enjoyable fortnight!
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High school film makers take us on a tour of the trails
Our celebratory film about our new Wanderings & Windings routes is now available to watch on You Tube! It's been created by pupils at Falkirk High School. We think it's brilliant, and gives people a real flavour of the rich variety of the routes as they wind around our amazing Inner Forth area. We hope you like it too! You can view it our You Tube channel https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kBCkRJ6K9Ws
We appointed film makers D Fie Foe in spring to deliver a collaborative arts project aimed at high school pupils within the Inner Forth landscape area. This bespoke collaboration engaged young people in heritage (natural, built and/or cultural) and allowed them to share their interpretation through creative methods.
D Fi Foe worked with Falkirk High School, where pupils got involved in the collaborative moving image education project, and produced a film in their local area. The sessions were led by the film experts to help students explore the Inner Forth local area, design micro-natural animations, develop pixillation skills and have fun outdoors! The project had a strong environmental awareness component and will also be valuable for students enthusiastic about digital production.
Over six sessions, some indoors, some on location on parts of the new Wanderings and Windings routes, the young people have learned more not only about film making, but of course about their local area. Now the film has been made we aim to work with the school to showcase it, and showed it at a number of our launch events, to help celebrate the new Wanderings and Windings routes.
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IFLI management and maintenance grants still available
West Fife Woodlands received a grant to train volunteers to help manage their community orchard. Image courtesy John Le Marie
Don't worry if you missed the November deadline for applying for an IFLI Management and Maintenance grant. There's another round coming up next March, so you've got plenty of time to look at ways a grant could help your group care for our local natural and historic heritage.
The grants aim to help local communities and organisations to continue to care for projects created during IFLI, and to help people learn more about their local heritage for the future. Grants are decided by the IFLI Steering Group, Anyone is eligible to apply for a grant - and it doesn't necessarily have to be on an existing IFLI project site. But your application must benefit the natural, cultural and/or built heritage of the Inner Forth or Inner Forth people and communities. The fund is divided into two pots:
- Pot 1: Access, natural and built heritage management and maintenance funding. Actions and activity that will directly manage, maintain or enhance a project that was delivered as part of IFLI. For example, but not limited to carrying out urgent repairs; replacement of tools or plants; printed literature or webhosting; repairs to access infrastructure. This pot has three tiers, tier 1 is for emergency or urgent repairs.
- Pot 2: Training and support legacy funding. Projects or activity that will support ongoing training (formal or informal) within the Inner Forth area for individuals or groups of any age. For example, but not limited to: apprentice or training schemes; costs to run educational sessions or workshops using IFLI project sites (including production of learning materials); training costs for community groups working on or expanding IFLI projects (eg habitat management, species identification, heritage research/archaeology skills, or specialist equipment training).
Applications that have already been successful range from meadow maintenance work and training, to archaeological training digs, so there's lots of scope!
If you have an idea for a project that would fit these criteria please do consider applying for the next round of funding. The next deadline for applications is March 2020. To find out more about the fund and how to apply visit our website page at https://www.innerforthlandscape.co.uk/about/ifli-legacy. We'd love to hear from you!
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Three stories from Kinneil
The hidden heritage of Kinneil Estate
The impressive Kinneil House from the air Credit: David Wilkinson
Falkirk Community Trust Parks are working with volunteers from the local area to research the hidden aspects of Kinneil Estate’s history, which are currently difficult for visitors to see and understand. The research is forming the basis for five new interpretive boards for the estate as well as the work required to draw up a fully costed design for a new activity/discovery trail for the estate. The design will help the group fundraise to deliver their vision over the next two years.
Volunteers range from students and busy parents through to industrial heritage enthusiasts. Each have their own reasons for volunteering and bring different skills and experience to the table but are united in their enthusiasm for Heritage and Kinneil Estate.
The project is funded by LEADER, Great Places Falkirk and the Friends of Kinneil. These organisations share a common goal in promoting more visits to Kinneil Estate as an important regional site. The group have also been working with the Rediscovering the Antonine Wall project, an initiative stretching across five local authorities boosting awareness and appreciation of the Roman heritage of the area. The project had identified Kinneil Estate as a location for a new bespoke sculpture linking to the Roman heritage and the group assisted by drafting the brief for artists and helping to judge the submissions alongside community consultation which took place on site and in the local library.
Hidden Heritage shows the power volunteers have to make a real lasting difference to their local facilities and also the fantastic social relationships which build up when disparate individuals are brought together to share their knowledge and enthusiasm.
Hidden Heritage is a £20k project delivered in partnership entirely from externally sources funds which aims to eventually bring in over £100k of investment to Kinneil Estate helping to deliver the 2014 Masterplan for the site. If you'd like to get involved contact Falkirk Community Trust via Claire Mennim Claire.Mennim@falkirkcommunitytrust.org
Kinneil House to open for St Andrew's free weekend
For the first time, Kinneil House near Bo'ness will this year be open for free guided tours during Historic Environment Scotland's (HES) St Andrew's Weekend - Saturday 30 November and Sunday 1 December. Some other HES properties across the region will also be opening their doors. The Kinneil House tours will run from 10am-4pm (last admission 3pm) and must be booked in advance through www.hes.scot/events . Volunteer guides from the Friends of Kinneil will be supporting HES with the event at the mansion - known for its exquisite 16th-century wall paintings as well as its unique association with the inventor James Watt, who secretly undertook development work on his steam engine at Kinneil. 2019 has marked the 250th anniversary of Watt's patent for the engine, and also the Bicentenary of his death.
Kinneil House in winter Credit: The Friends of Kinneil
Views sought on future of Kinneil walled garden
Falkirk Council have issued an online consultation about the future of Kinneil’s historic walled garden, following the closure of its plant nursery earlier this year.
The large walled garden dates from the 16th/17th centuries and was an integral part of the estate. The gardens were renowned for the finest fruit and vegetables, and under the Hamilton family, would have been (as at Hamilton Palace) a centre of some of the most refined horticultural practice and training in Scotland of that period.
The consultation explores whether the nursery space should be given over to community use/growing, and/or whether it might be a site for some sort of development. Options in the consultation therefore range from community growing plots and beehives, or ‘men’s sheds’, on the one hand, to a skills training venue, visitor centre and café, or even a conference centre, on the other. Which end of this spectrum do you think is the right one? Can the walled garden be considered separately from the future of the House and Museum – or should they all be looked at together and in the round?
Visit https://kinneil.org/2019/11/04/views-sought-on-future-of-kinneil-walled-garden/ for more information and a link to the consultation (responses due by 2 December).
Map by John Adair, 1684 – Reproduced with the permission of the National Library of Scotland under the CC BY 4.0 licence
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What's on
Saturday 16 November
11am-3pm
Create a birdy banquet
RSPB Black Devon Wetlands, Alloa
As the winter draws in and the natural food supplies run low, join RSPB staff to learn all about feeding the birds in your garden and make your very own bird feeder to take home. This is a drop-in event. Adults £3, children and RSPB members £2.
For more information contact Allison Leonard, innerforthreserves@rspb.org.uk, tel 01324 832853. For more information about the Reserve visit the RSPB website.
16 November – 11 January
Images of Industry Photography Exhibition
1-3 York Arcade, Grangemouth
A miner filling a hutch at Roughcastle fireclay mine
This fascinating photography exhibition brings together three different visual takes on the industry that has shaped the area.
Historic Environment Scotland's 'Industry + Aesthetics' travelling exhibition contains stunning images which form part of the National Record of the Historic Environment, taken as part of the ongoing mission to document the nation’s industrial places. Drawing from the Falkirk archives, they also take a look back at an evocative selection of photographs by Tom Astbury, documenting local lost and changing industries in the 1980s. Winning photos from our Falkirk-area Images of Industry competition complete the exhibition. For a list of opening times and exhibition-related activities click here.
Wednesday 27 November
10.30am-4pm
Froglife Amphibian and Reptile Habitat Management Course
Kinneil Estate, Bo’ness
Saturday 1 December
Grangemouth Bike Library Launch Event
Zetland Park, Grangemouth
A fun-packed afternoon, including festive crafts, a fairy door hunt and smoothie bike. There will also be led bike rides, kids coaching sessions and the police will be coming along to do free security bike marking – so bring your bike along if you have one. The Bike Library is a housed in the blue shipping container beside the Gardener’s Bothy (near to the tennis courts).
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