When an old friend learnt we were moving to Inverness after living on the Black Isle for more than 30 years, he immediately invited me to join a group of volunteers. For some years he had been a member of the team who tend the woodland and the network of paths, on the hill overlooking and around the old Craig Dunain Hospital. My friend became insistent when he heard that our new house was to be in that same Victorian building.

But ‘lockdowns’ meant it took well over a year before our house was ready and I was able turn out for the Dunain Community Woodland’s (CDW) ‘Monday Club’. This body of volunteers most certainly should not be confused with the right-wing political grouping of the same name. Dunain’s version just happens to meet every Monday morning to tackle the tasks of the day. These can range from strimming the paths to the judicious felling of selected trees; clearing gorse and bracken to building benches; mending fences to planting saplings and putting up tastefully painted notice boards. After a couple of hours the group gathers to discuss world affairs, the meaning of life or the fortunes of Inverness Caley/Ross County. These exchanges are conducted while sitting on logs drinking tea from thermos flaks and enjoying an apparently endless supply of apple tarts.

The dozen or so who can turn out on a Monday morning are mostly retired, but come from a variety of backgrounds. Significantly some worked in the old hospital when it was operating. They can still close their eyes and see the golf course, football pitch and farm that used to be part and parcel of Craig Dunain. They watch from the hill as the wards in the old building that used to be their place of work, are converted into flats and town houses. But there are also former firemen, council officials, businessmen, a crofter who used to work for the Crofters Commission, a retired vet and now a second former journalist. For the most part they just enjoy being outside doing some practical work, and making a wee bit of difference.

I learnt early that several of the volunteers had been involved for over 15 years, going back to when Dunain Community Woodland (DCW) was established. That was in 2005 when Robertson Homes, the company developing the Craig Dunain site, had proposed transferring management responsibility for around 100 acres of woodland and hill to DCW. That transfer has never been completed, and so the ambitious plans for a community woodland have not all been realised. Much has been done over the years, however, from the planting of an area christened the children’s forest to staging small festivals in the woods.

Meanwhile the Monday Club’s work continues every week. It is an entirely voluntary effort with members using their own equipment and providing the fuel for their chainsaws, strimmers, etc. There is an obvious pride in caring for the area. It an area used by hundreds seeking local recreation or those embarking on/ just finishing the Great Glen Way, 74-mile long-distance walking route to Fort William. It has been obvious from the start that the volunteers make a point of engaging with those crossing the hill, whether to provide local information or encouraging those embarked on some physically demanding effort - it is amazing the number who seem to enjoy cycling up a steep track. 

Monday of course is not the best day for those who might want to join the team, but have a job or other weekday commitments. Consideration is being given, therefore, to see if it might be possible to start a team who could give a few hours over the weekend. So watch this space. 

A short video captured by Martin while out walking the dogs.

If you haven't managed to come and see the bluebells yet - hurry, they won't be here for long!

​Enjoy.

Inverness Courier article expressing our concern about the number of trees being felled along the back road up to Westercraigs, and our desire to build a positive working relationship with Robertson Homes.

Today was a day that Emma, Lynne, Debbie and I thought would never come. But it has, and we're very excited about the potential of what happens next. 

So why all the fuss?
In two words. Robertson Homes. After a flurry of emails over the last month or so, the four of us took time off work to meet Tim Metcalfe, Robertson's new North Regional Director. We met at duck pond and took Tim for a 2 hour 'walk in the woods'. To say he was surprised by what he found would be an understatement. Thankfully, unlike Bill Bryson's own adventures in the woods, he didn't come across any bears!

"Wow, this place is amazing, what a view, I just never knew this was up here and I expect most of Robertson's staff don't either!".

What we discussed
Tim's email following the meeting is provided below. But in summary:

• We want to strengthen our relationship and work in partnership for mutual benefit.
• The duck pond is a valued space for the community and visitors, but is in serious need of some tender loving care.  
• Much has been written about the tree felling and back road access recently. We talked about the possibility of improving parking at the duck pond as part of the road works about to commence.
• A lot of unfinished fencing, lamp-posts, abandoned HERAS panels, and litter exists around the periphery of the woodland. 
• Motorcross bikers are unsafe, noisy, damaging and illegal, and increasingly becoming a problem.
• There is a legal requirement for Robertson's to provide DCW with a lease. The directors aren't convinced a lease is the answer given the extra responsibilities and cost that would come with it, but some form of management agreement needs to be in place if DCW is to be successful.
• Tree planting, funding, events, membership, signage, path maintenance and general activities around the woodland were all discussed. 
• DCW activities provide all parties with media and marketing opportunities, and this is something we would like to do more of.
• Resident discontent remains about the provision of open space and play areas around Westercraigs as a whole. Although technically not part of the DCW remit, it's difficult to disconnect residents feelings from our own ambitions. Working more closely with DCW would be a route-in for wider community engagement.

Next steps
To help him get a better appreciation of the wider complexities, Tim is currently meeting various parties including: ourselves, planning dept, transport agencies and local councilors - before presenting a proposal to the Robertson Group Board in late July.

At this point Robertson's will be in a better position to agree a way forward with ourselves, planning department and the local community. 

If you have any ideas about what you'd like to see happen around the woodland comment below or via the Contact Us form.

​Martin/Debbie/Lynne/Emma
 
It was good to meet you all today and really enjoyable being able to get a proper tour of the open space around our development and see some of the great work you and others have been doing. The setting for our development is truly unique and special and I want Robertson Homes to play its part in keeping it that way or enhancing where needed.
 
The specific items we discussed were:

• Tidy up of debris blown from our development onto the existing housing adjacent to duck pond
• Signage to discourage motorbikes from using the path network
• Log barrier to duck pond to prevent cars parking too close to it
• The capacity of the duck pond car park and any opportunity to widen
• Condition of fencing close to cemetery
• Condition of fencing behind Great Glen View development/entrance to main track up the hill
• Gate to main entrance track up the hill
• Old lampposts/telegraph poles
• Abandoned heras fencing
• Plans for the two cottage plots
• Securing access to pond
• Heras fencing around Scottish Water area

 
I will look into each of the above to see if we can help in some way.
 
I would suggest that our main focus would be on improvement to areas that are widely accessible eg duck pond, so that maximise benefit for the community is achieved.
 
We also discussed the potential lease of the woodland areas. I will speak to our solicitors to see what our options may be and specifically to understand whether some form of management agreement might be a better route.
 
I will also give some thought about how we can work better together going forward to our mutual benefit. Please feel free to pitch any ideas you have.
 
Be in touch again soon

Regards

Tim

Saturday morning brought an unexpected ray of sunshine, and I'm not just talking about the yellow ball in the sky that made an appearance after a week of very wet weather!

It came in the form of a big yellow fork-lift truck rumbling past the bottom of my garden heading up the lane immediately opposite the old mental hospital. Thirty minutes later it came back with a load of old HERA fencing panels - many with bits of gorse and grass hanging off. I was so surprised I ran indoors to get my phone to take some photos.

So why all the fuss? About 3 weeks ago I dropped into the Robertson offices at Fairways to see if I could find out who to talk to about running some small woodland partnership projects. Following a year of getting the administrative side of things in better shape, the directors are keen to get stuck in and make a difference where it matters - in the woods.

I met Jim Smith, who was interested to hear what I had to say and we agreed that a closer partnership between the woodland group, residents and Robertson's would be mutually beneficial. We exchanged details and agreed to keep in contact. Two week's later, following some email exchanges with Margaret Davidson (Leader of Highland Council), I was invited to a site walk-around with Brian McBride to discuss issues such as abandoned fencing, broken lamp posts, concrete blocks, abandoned cones, builders waste and the ruined (burned-out) cottage. Unsightly and unsafe for people and nature. 

It was a very amicable walk-around with Brian showing genuine concern and a willingness to take action. I also got an insight into their own constraints around tight man power and cost management. Things I understand all too well! 

Following our Tuesday meeting I received an email (and photos) outlining the main points discussed. I must admit I thought it would be sometime (if at all) that anything would happen. I was therefore pleasantly surprised to see a big yellow fork-lift truck and a couple of chaps coming past my house on Saturday morning!

Although not technically part of the Dunain Community Woods remit and plans, I hope local residents take pride in the clean-up work being undertaken on their behalf. There's a lot still to do, but it's a great start. Thank you Jim and Brian.

I hope these early gestures will turn into a genuine partnership with Robertson's, resulting in ongoing projects the entire community can get involved in, with all parties mutually benefiting. 

Stay tuned for clean-up part 2, and progress with Jade O'Hara - Robertson's Community Engagement Officer.

Martin