NATURE AT CRANNICH
Crannich translates to 'place of trees' in Gaelic and was once historically covered in native woodland. When we first moved here, there was only one tree at Crannich - an old ash tree which still stands today! Since then, it has been our ambition to restore the land to what it once was and reinstate Crannich's meaning. Every year we plant between 600 and 2000 trees by hand as well as with our bespoke tree planter. Species include Sessile oak, Silver birch, Alder, Sycamore, Field maple, Horse chestnut, Sweet chestnut, Noble and Nordmann fir, Lodgepole pine, Sitka spruce, Aspen, Walnut, Robusta poplar, Ghoy hybrid poplar, Goat willow and various hybrid willows for nursing. Shrubs include Dog-rose, Dogwood and Hazel to name a few. Some of the areas planted which you will see today are the landscaped areas around the campsite, caravan site and farm buildings. We have a passion for tree planting, landscaping and continually improving our surroundings and we are proud of what we have created here so far. Our plans for the future are to plant approximately 14 hectares of land with native broadleaves such as Birch, Oak and Hazel, including an area on the farm named 'Torr Darrach' which translates to Oak ridge.
In August 2020 we co-hosted an online event with the Woodland Trust and Soil Association named 'Making woodland work for you: Creation, management and funding on Scotland’s west coast'. This comprised of a short film of Crannich’s tree planting journey, regeneration and landscaping over the years. Please see the link to our video here: https://youtu.be/bOBeCnktOY4
During the online event we discussed our experience of creating native woodland and landscaped areas on our farm to improve biodiversity and do our bit for the planet. There was also a Q&A session at the end. Please follow the link to watch the event: https://youtu.be/MXstVKXz2hk
FEBRUARY WOODLAND EVENT
In February 2023 we hosted an onsite event at Crannich organised by the Woodland Trust and Argyll Small woods group. The purpose of this event was to promote the importance of tree planting, while gathering like-minded people together to inspire and offer advice on all aspects of woodland creation.
The event was a great success, with a range of key speakers in attendance discussing areas such as:
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Funding, grants & support
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Seed collection, growing techniques & species establishment
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Various methods of tree planting & the protection of trees
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The carbon sequestration initiative
This was followed by a tree planting demonstration using our bespoke mechanical tree planter, as well as hand planting methods such as mounding.
TÒRR DARACH TREE SCHEME
At the end of 2022 we began the first phase of our new woodland project “Tòrr Darach”, in collaboration with the Woodland Trust. We will be planting approximately 20,000 trees over a 5-year period with an array of species including Oak, Alder, hazel, Downy Birch, Silver birch, Eared Willow, Rowan, and a few Scots Pine which we hope will create an ideal environment for natural regeneration to take place. In preparation for this we have deer fenced the entire perimeter of Crannich Farm and have internally used stock fencing to protect the tree planting areas and two large areas set aside for future silage cropping, as our tree projects here are highlighting that you can plant trees without compromising the farming enterprise. Once the woodland is fully established it will be an asset to our farming operation as it will become a windbreak and can eventually be incorporated into an agroforestry project.
MARTYN'S WOOD
Winner of Scotland's Finest Woods award 2023 for the New Native Woods category
Sponsored by the Woodland Trust
Martyn’s Wood was created in 2009 in memory of a family member who passed away after a tragic accident at the age of 21 years old. At the time we felt that to plant a woodland in his name would keep his memory alive and turn a terrible loss into a lasting memorial which will forever grow for future generations.
Each year we plant between 500 and 1000 trees to top up what has already been planted, thus, creating a varied aged wood which is more natural. In this wood we have a large burn called “Allt Ruadh” which flows through Martyn’s wood, incorporating various beautiful waterfalls. We have created a pond at the lower end of the woodland which creates a valuable wildlife habitat. Over the last 14 years, with our planting and natural regeneration, the woodland has become fully established and is home to many wildlife species and abundance of native flora. There are various paths created within this woodland, one of which leads to the base of the main waterfall - this is a very peaceful place to reflect and enjoy the nature around you.
In June 2023 we had the honour of winning the Scotland’s Finest Woods Awards in the New Native Woods category (basically…the Oscar’s of the tree world!).
As a family it was important to create a ‘living’ tribute to Martyn, but to then have this woodland recognised by winning this prestigious award further enhances the reason for creating this woodland. And as you can see from the Torr Darrach project, we will continue to plant trees wherever possible on Crannich farm which is a win-win for the environment. Winning this award has inspired us to do something that will enthuse young people to understand the need of planting trees, its value to the environment and its contribution to help the world ‘breathe again’! We are still working on the finer details of this project so stay tuned for further updates.
You can watch the awards ceremony here at: https://www.sfwa.co.uk/
Before
After
Wild flowers found at Crannich
WILDLIFE
There is an abundance of wildlife around Crannich ranging from rare birds of prey, to beautiful butterflies and red deer from the forests nearby. For birdwatching enthusiasts, the farm is in an ideal location to spot many species of birds such as the renowned White-tailed eagle, Golden eagle, Hen harrier, Sparrow-hawk, Barn owl, Curlew, Cuckoo, Sand martin, Linnet, Whitethroat, Pied flycatcher and Siskin to name a few. Crannich is within the territory of the famous pair of White-tailed sea eagles named 'Skye and Frisa', featured on the BBC 'Springwatch' and 'Autumnwatch' series in the past.
There are also a variety of butterflies and moths seen at Crannich notably the Dark green fritillary and the Small pearl-bordered fritillary amongst others.
All photographs & videos supplied courtesy of and copyright
Samantha Sedgwick, Daisy Sedgwick, Richard Clutterbuck, Chris Webb & Ross Barr