Forestry By Margaret Gemmell

Liddesdale – this green land with above average rainfall – is ideal for growing trees and the rowan, hawthorn, hazel and others re-seed naturally along our river banks. Farmers have always planted woods for shelter belts on the hills but it was not until around 1920 that the Forestry Commission started planting on a large scale, and the first area to be planted in Scotland was at Dykecrofts.

Since that time many thousands of sitka spruce have been planted, creating a massive forest from Kielder in Northumberland through Liddesdale to Kershopefoot in Cumbria. This afforestation brought local employment of various kinds. Mature trees are now being felled and transported by road.

In the late 18th century and early 19th century Mr Oliver of Dinlabyre and Mr Elliot of Whithaugh had most of the roads built and so connected the valley to the outside world. Considering that these roads were initially built for horses and carts and that these same bridges withstand the heavy loads of timber, they MUST have been well built.

The forestry cycle is ongoing but it is pleasing to see changes in policy whereby deciduous trees are now mixed with the evergreen, providing habitats again for our native birds.