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Ullapool Book Festival this weekend.

Thought for the Week:

Vincent van Gogh “So often, a visit to a bookshop has cheered me, and reminded me that there are good things in the world”

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Ullapool Hospitality Staffing Crisis – Rescheduled Meeting moved to 11 May
Ullapool Ferry Terminal 6pm
Have your say in person and by completing the on-line survey
https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/3G63G5P

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THE LAUNCH OF
70 ANCIENT WOODLAND AND 70 ANCIENT TREE DEDICATIONS FOR THE QUEEN’S GREEN CANOPY
BY THE PRINCE OF WALES
25th APRIL 2022 – WALLED GARDEN,
DUMFRIES HOUSE
“As Patron of The Queen’s Green Canopy, I am delighted to announce the nationwide network of seventy Ancient Woodlands and seventy Ancient Trees, dedicated to Her Majesty in celebration of the Platinum Jubilee.
Many of you may have already helped with “Plant a Tree for the Jubilee” – or a “Treebilee!” – which has seen over a million trees planted across the United Kingdom. Our next aim is the Conservation of our nation’s natural heritage and to highlight what we need to do to protect the precious ancient woodland habitats for generations to come.
I believe it is absolutely vital that we do our utmost to nurture our historic inheritance through careful management and, in the case of the woodlands, that we can expand them and link them to other natural features like our hedgerows.
And if we are to create the “Ancient” trees of the future, we must plant more trees in hedgerows, fields, churchyards and avenues. Furthermore, I would suggest that some of those planted should be propagated from today’s Ancient Trees, thus helping to preserve their unique provenance and heritage.
These working woodlands and magnificent trees span our nation’s amazing landscape and exist for everyone to enjoy. At the same time, they support biodiversity, and help to provide us with the most versatile and beautiful of materials for our craftsmen and women.
The Ancient woodlands and trees can be found in urban as well as rural environments, from National Parks to residential areas, representing the unique diversity of all corners of the United Kingdom. But we need to replenish these precious, dwindling assets for future generations and for our depleted landscapes and townscapes.
I am delighted, therefore, to have the opportunity to launch this project in the grounds of Dumfries House under the majestic branches of this old Sycamore, which pre-dates the very House itself, having grown from seed more than 420 years ago. Planted in 1599, during the reigns of Queen Elizabeth I and King James VI, it is remarkable that this ancient tree is as old as Shakespeare’s Hamlet and Caravaggio’s David and Goliath.
Trees and woodlands have a profound significance for us all – their steadfast and reassuring presence a reminder of our long serving Sovereign and her enduring dedication. Let us ensure that in her name we can now protect and strengthen this wonderful living Canopy for the next seventy years and, hopefully, way beyond. And, above all, let us ensure that future generations can celebrate and enjoy them.”

Three of the 70 Ancient Trees nominated:
Dundonnell Yew
Common yew Dundonnell House The Dundonnell Yew is believed to be the second oldest yew
(Taxus baccata) Gardens, Wester Ross in Scotland, after the Fortingall Yew in Perthshire. It is certainly the most northerly ancient yew in the UK, and has a girth of more than 10 metres. It stands at the centre of the gardens of grade A-listed Dundonnell House, built in 1769.
The Old Spanish Chestnut
Sweet chestnut (Castanea sativa) Castle Leod, Ross-shire
This tree is one of three in total which were planted in 1553 to commemorate a visit by Marie de Guise, Queen of France, and the granting of sasines by Mary Queen of Scots (legal documents recording the transfer of land ownership).
Dundonnell Alder Alder (Alnus glutinosa) Dundonnell To have an alder growing to this size is rare, let alone in the elevated and exposed conditions of the Scottish Highland.

70 Ancient Woodlands nominated including:
Beinn Eighe and Loch Maree Islands, Wester Ross
Beinn Eighe was the first National Nature Reserve to be declared in the UK, in September 1951. It was established originally to protect Coille na Glas Leitir (The Wood of the Grey Slope), the largest fragment of ancient Caledonian pine wood in north-west Scotland. Coille na Glas Leitir is a temperate rainforest adapted to the cool, wet climate of north-west Scotland; a habitat rare across the world. The ancient Caledonian woodland here is believed to have been present continuously throughout the last 8000 years.
Coille Mhor Balmacara
Coille Mhòr – the great wood – is a stunning example of old sessile oak woods in north-west Scotland. To this day, approximately half of the site is subject to crofting tenure – a form of agricultural land holding unique to Scotland. Coille Mhor remains an important resource for the crofters in the Balmacara Square township, supporting their livestock grazing activities.
The Woodland at Corrieshalloch Gorge, Braemore
The hanging ancient wood that clings to the side of Corrieshalloch Gorge provides flavour to the already spectacular slot gorge. Corrieshalloch is the best example of a slot gorge in Scotland, and forms part of a wider cultural landscape exemplified by the ingenious Victorian infrastructure including a suspension bridge providing views right into the gorge, and paths such as Lady Fowler’s Fern Walk.
Affric South of Loch Beinn, Highlands
Glen Affric is a ‘must see location’ for many thousands of visitors to Scotland. It is an iconic landscape and sits on the Affric-Kintail Way, a long distance path that connects the Atlantic with the Beauly Firth on the North Sea. Every year, hundreds of runners and cyclists cross the 50 mile sea to sea route in the duathlon ‘Highland Cross’ event that runs alongside this nominated area.