trust in the wild
Introducing visitors to wildlife and wilderness walks in Dundee and Angus is a calling for NTS Community Ranger Ross Hughes
‘We go out walking and I get the kids holding insects – and hopefully the adults too’
As a child, I was the one forever pond-dipping or looking under rocks to see what was there. I’ve always loved bugs, beasties and the outdoor life. But I got into a career in this world by chance. I finished university and there was very little work around – 2008 wasn’t the time to graduate. I wanted to work in any area that meant something to me, so I volunteered at the National Trust for Scotland (NTS) as an assistant leader, working on the holiday camps. I realised I was good at handling volunteers and loved being outdoors again.
I’m now a NTS community ranger across Dundee and Angus. The main focus of my job is to improve the link between the wonderful countryside here that the National Trust manages and the community that lives and works in it; but also to encourage visitors to use it too. During the warmer months we run events to get people outdoors and to raise awareness of the sites that we look after.
There really isn’t a typical day. Last summer I found myself pressing apples f rom our orchards at the Barry Mill, by Carnoustie. On other days I took nature nipper sessions for three to five-year-olds who came with their parents. We go out walking and I get the kids holding insects and hopefully the adults too, although sometimes they aren’t so keen. In the holidays we do sessions with children f rom deprived backgrounds. At first I hadn’t realised they might not know what, for instance, a tadpole is, or that it becomes a frog.
It’s great seeing that connection made once they’ve started exploring the green space around them. I grew up in a family with dogs so I’m used to walking. Having said that, I’m not a Munro bagger. I tend to think, ‘That place looks interesting on the map, a nice wee secret trail, I want to go there’. Dundee and Angus has some amazing natural beauty. The region’s western side is Munros and mountains; it sort of borders the Cairngorm plateau. Then it’s down through rolling farmland to beautiful coastline, complete with sandy beaches or 200ft high sandstone cliffs.
The NTS properties in Dundee and Angus offer some outstanding places to walk. There’s a 4km trail that loops from the House of Dun north into a large section of woods and back. Just around the Dell of Dun, there’s a little burn with steep banks on either side. In the past it was planted up with rhododendrons, laurel bushes and exotics because it’s quite a sheltered glen. Many little trails run through
‘During the warmer months we run events to get people outdoors and to raise awareness of the sites the National Trust for Scotland looks after’
it. I always think it’s like a tropical glade with tall trees hanging above. It’s really quite unknown. I’ve only ever seen five or six other people there in total. I’ve seen more deer than walkers. We get red squirrels sightings and there are bird hides on the far side of the Montrose basin if you’re interested in wild fowl. It’s a major site for migrating birds. The house’s gardener recently saw a sea eagle soaring above the property.
This walk is an excellent example of how wild places don’t need breathtaking wonder to lift our spirits and recharge our emotions. The woodland was planted many years ago, but it doesn’t feel man-made. It has been left to do its own thing and nature has created its own story. Whether we’re there or not, plants come and go, leaves appear then fall. There’s the cry of the buzzard high above the treetops, or the sweet scent of honeysuckle lingering in the air. A small group of roe deer settling in the grass, chewing the morning’s cud. You can take a moment to stop and really see what’s going on around you.
Another NTS property with wonderful walks is Barry Mill, just by Carnoustie and 20 minutes outside Dundee. The mill dates to the 1500s. Inside is one of the only five working water-powered mills left in Scotland. It’s very rare to find a fully functioning water-driven flour mill. A lade about half-a-mile long takes water off the Barry Burn, brings it to the mill pond and drops it over the wheel. The burn is on one side and the lade on the other, and a path runs a half-mile up to a natural weir/waterfall. There’s an orchard next to the mill where visitors picnic. People from Dundee always tell me they had no idea it existed so it’s a hidden gem.
Back in the 1930s, NTS set out to secure places like Burg on Mull and Glencoe for the nation. With most countryside and wild land completely closed off to the public then, here was a charity encouraging people to explore these sights. You may ask what relevance this has nowadays with ‘right to roam’. Firstly, freedom comes with a price tag. Car parks, footpaths and landscapes that walkers use have to be looked after. We devote millions of pounds to this, as well as tens of thousands of hours given by volunteers. Secondly, promoting magnificent spots is key to protecting Scotland’s heritage. We believe if you experience nature, you’re more likely to care about it. And if you care about it, you’re more likely to help protect it.