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Dave Henniker Pentland Hills
Covenanters Wood --- saved from the builders but under threat again in 2009 2010
If you are not aware of the beauty of this place it is worth a visit. Miller homes previously applied for planning permission to build 47 homes on this area. Now they're at it again... October 2009 update: Newcraighall expansion may have reduced pressure here... January 2010 Peter Gray: I am the Environment Convenor for Colinton Amenity Association. As you may be aware, Taylor Wimpy and Miller Homes are yet again attempting to build on the Polofields despite the City of Edinburgh Council designating the land as an area of Great Landscape Value.
The woodland is natural and there are 2 burns running through the area. It is home to badgers, foxes, deer as well as a great area for dog walking and easy access to the Pentland hills.
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The field near Laverockbank and Bonaly that they want to build houses on. The A720 runs behind the line of trees. Behind the woods Howden Glen leads up the Pentland Hills. Smaller version 1280 x 854 365K | |
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Looking south under the A720 city bypass towards the Pentlands near Bonaly. This is the Bonaly Burn flowing north, soon to link up with Howden Burn within Covenanters Wood. Both are tributaries of Braid Burn. | |
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A different view of the A720 bridge over the Bonaly Burn. Google's street view from above is at the foot of this page. | |
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At the opposite end of the woods, beside Redford Road (just west of the entrance to Dreghorn Barracks) is this old stone bridge. The northern entrance to Covenanters Wood is nearby. The path was quite muddy on my visit in January 2004. | |
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A minute's walk away from Redford Road is this tranquil scene beside the Braid Burn. A pleasant walk through the woods with birds singing. Enjoy this natural beauty while you can. | |
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Recycling in action. Nothing is wasted in nature. | |
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100 metres west of Redford Barracks perimeter fence is this spot where Howden Burn (middle left) merges with Bonaly Burn (flowing east towards the camera) to become Braid Burn. | |
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Yet more recycling in action. Mother Nature isn't inactive, even in January. A moss covered log is complemented by attractive green leaves growing on the wet leaf litter from 2003's autumn. | |
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The bare winter trees let the sun shine onto the ground. Soon new life will sprout once more, possibly for the last time ever if Millers get their way. Perhaps next year at this time, instead of birdsong, it'll be the sound of the suburbs - rotating electrical machinery etc. | |
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Trees here show evidence of being coppiced for use as fence posts etc. Cutting them close to the ground encourages this kind of growth, which can be harvested periodically. | |
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This is the view as you emerge from the woods into more open ground, beyond which is the A720 Edinburgh City Bypass. Howden Burn flows through a tunnel just ahead. | |
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There's a glimpse of Howden Burn in this picture, down below a tree which, ominously, has an X and an 8 painted on it. | |
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Taken from further up the open ground, looking back down towards the woods. I fear the bulldozers will soon blight this landscape. If not, springtime will soon adorn the trees with green leaves once again. | |
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A mature beech tree towers above its neighbours. A natural resource, indeed, hopefully not just as a convenient source of hardwood. | |
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At the northernmost point of the woodland walk, bounded by the A720. Traffic swishes past with the phasey sound of rubber on tarmac and air displaced by metal. A yellow emergency SOS phone sprouts up just beyond the fence. Bonaly Hill dominates the distance and beckons walkers to the Pentland Hills. | |
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Not far from Laverockdale House. Sunshine spills through the trees onto the leaf litter. Construction traffic might be here quite soon... | |
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This is a solitary redwood Sequoia tree, hardly a giant but it could be one day if left in peace. Perhaps it will soon become a tradeable asset, a feature of an up-market Miller home. Then again, maybe they'll just chop it down because it's in the way. | |
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Coppiced beech if I'm not mistaken. Photographed just behind the houses in Redford Loan. | |
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Growing beside the Braid Burn, just before it flows under Redford Road, is this beatiful old tree. | |
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If you get the 16 bus from town and get off just past Redford Barracks, the muddy path starting beside the old stone bridge (shown above) will lead you to this point - as long as you don't deviate from the path. This is the field where the army used to play polo - hence the name. | |
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The path here crosses the west side of the Polo Field and heads south towards the Pentland Hills. Other approaches to the hills suit car drivers better but this is a good route for users of the 16 bus. If you see one with Hunter's Tryst on it then wait for the Colinton 16 (destinations alternate). | |
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This is the view of the A720 bypass road from the south side, facing back towards the Polo Field. The footpath and the Braid Burn pass under the road at this point. There are normally four lanes of heavy traffic here, sometimes not moving very quickly. | |
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This detail from a drawing by the legendary Robert Crumb seems appropriate for this page. The original image contains more; buy the book Odds & Ends from Amazon. This is a cause I know Bob would have backed. | |
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A macro shot of ice crystals on the gate at the northwest corner of the Polo Fields near Laverockdale. | |
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A short walk from the southern end of Dreghorn Loan takes you to this spot. It was a misty morning on the 10th of June. Covenanters Wood stretches into the distance at the east side of the field. Follow the right hand path and after half a kilometre you'll pass under the A720 Edinburgh Bypass and into the foothills of the headlands. | |
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As an experiment I put on an InfraRed filter and took this shot. Although IR enables clear vision through smog, it couldn't see through the haar drifting off the North Sea. Green foliage reflects the IR light making the grass, plants and trees look snowy white. | |
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A close up of the water droplets clinging to the tall grass in this meadow, saved from the bulldozers. Each drop of water is a tiny lens giving an inverted view of the local environment. Wildlife should prosper here. There's a shortage of insects this year '06 because of the late spring, and they're needed to pollinate plants and feed birds. | |
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A few years ago a wind-blown seed lodged itself between the brickwork and the concrete slab. It's grown into a tree and cracked the concrete, lifting it by a few inches. | |
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This is at the north end of the Polo Field near Laverockdale. |
Taylor Wimpey / Miller Homes local contact details:
East Scotland
Managing Director: Ian Thomson
1 Masterton Park, Carnegie Campus, Dunfermline KY11 8PL
Phone: 01383 845 700
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