Dark Woods Update

Following delays caused by adverse weather in the north of Scotland in January, which impacted on the availability of personnel and machinery, our groundworks contractor David Shanks will begin work to reinstate the Dark Woods site. Work will involve:

• Repairing and restoring both the main path through the Dark Woods site (from the walled garden to the castle) and the curling pond walkers path.
• Scraping and clearing areas of heavy brash to improve public access and facilitate replanting;
• Smoothing areas of deep ruts and areas of mud, and improve drainage where needed to allow the site to dry;
• Repairing the woodland base hardstanding area and surrounding stacking ground to restore safe access around the walled garden/workbase.

Whilst on site, David Shanks will also undertake ground preparation works at the upper end of the seven winds path to facilitate our next and final phase of replanting in the area affected by the 2022 SPHN felling works.

It is expected that the Dark Woods re-instatement and ground preparation work will take around 3 weeks to complete.

In addition, our harvesting contractor Ian Robb Timber Harvesting will also be returning to site next week to complete the thinning of diseased Ash from the area between the woodland base and cemetery, and final removal of timber from the site. It is expected this will also take around 3 weeks.

For safety reasons, members of the public should continue to avoid the Dark Woods area for the duration of the work. Please attract the attention of any operators and follow their instructions if you need to pass.

Once all felling and reinstatement work has been completed, we will turn our focus towards replanting the Dark Woods site later this year. Updates on the replanting plans will be provided as they develop.

In the meantime, if you’d like to be involved, or have thoughts or suggestions for the replanting work, please contact woodland@ccdt.org.uk.