Borders farms are playing a major role in enhancing the landscape in the River Tweed catchment as part of the £25 million Destination Tweed river restoration initiative.
Destination Tweed has the creation of a 113-mile source to sea River Tweed Trail at its core, but also includes a series of landscape-scale restoration projects to enhance the character and biodiversity of the river environment. These include the Woodlands for Water and Wildlife project where a £1.25 million investment will see 300,000 native trees planted in the upper catchment over the next four years, largely on hill sheep farms, creating 200 hectares of much-needed native and riparian woodland.
Upper Kidston, Edston and Lyne farms near Peebles have been the first to participate in the project, planting a combined 44,000 native trees across 32.5 hectares. Species include alder, aspen, birch, oak, cherry, rowan, willow, hawthorn and hazel.
The new woodlands will offer many benefits. They will help to slow the flow of surface water run-off after large rainfall events and act as a buffer to help improve water quality. Ecological and riparian woodland networks will enhance habitat for wildlife including priority species such as otter and black grouse, with partial shading of watercourses helping to regulate water temperatures and assist the survival of Atlantic salmon. The woodlands will be close to, or highly visible from the proposed River Tweed Trail, enhancing the beauty of the environment for those using the new route.
Farms are responsible for tree maintenance but also benefit from the provision of shelter and shading for livestock, new fences, increased farm biodiversity and the carbon credits generated by the project, which can be used towards the business carbon audit.
The project is being managed by Borders environmental charity, Tweed Forum. Project Manager, Hamish Robertson said: “We’re extremely grateful to Borders farmers for their involvement in this initiative. The project is enabling the integration of sheep farming, forestry and conservation at a catchment scale, addressing climate change, wildlife habitat challenges, water quality issues and more while providing many additional benefits for the farms. It will also enhance the visitor experience for anyone using the new River Tweed Trail and create a significant and lasting legacy for hundreds of years to come.”
Matt Griffin is farm manager for Neidpath Farms, part of Wemyss and March Estate and is responsible for Edston and Lyne farms. He said; “We already operate a nature-based farming approach across the businesses, so this phase of native tree-planting with Destination Tweed is a natural progression for us as we seek to improve habitat and biodiversity. Fixing the broken water cycle to improve soil structure and build ecological, environmental and economic resilience is a core aim. Managing our waterways through this kind of riparian planting and excluding stock from riverbanks also helps to reduce nutrient loss from the soil into nearby streams. We see this work as helping to futureproof the management of the land as policymakers increase their focus on agriculture’s environmental impact and sustainability. We’re delighted to be part of the project.”
The new woodlands will also enhance the visitor experience for anyone using Destination Tweed’s planned River Tweed Trail, with much of the woodlands close to, or visible, from the new route. You can find out more about Destination Tweed, Woodlands for Wildlife and Water, and the River Tweed Trail by following Destination Tweed on Facebook, Instagram or X (formerly Twitter).
Destination Tweed is being delivered by Tweed Forum. Other partners involved in the project are Scottish Borders Council, Northumberland County Council, Dumfries and Galloway Council, South of Scotland Enterprise, Sustrans, Southern Uplands Partnership, Buglife, Borders Forest Trust, Tweedsmuir Community Company, SEPA, VisitScotland and NatureScot as well as landowners along the river.