Lothians Conservation Volunteers
COVID-19 outbreak: On 2020-05-21 the Scottish Government released a roadmap explaining the phased exit plan from lockdown. Phase one of the exit from lockdown is due to begin on the 28th of May. Unfortunately, the restrictions that remain in force in phase one prevent any LCV tasks from taking place.
We hope that conditions will soon permit some resumption of our activities, but our priority has to be the safety of LCV volunteers, clients and the wider public. We will not resume tasks until we are confident that we can do so safely and legally.
Any cancellations will be announced on the task list page and by contacting any volunteers who have booked. You can read more about our initial response to the COVID-19 outbreak here
Please book with our Transport Secretary before the task. First you will need to learn how to book, then read about what to bring and finally where to meet us on the day,
If you would like more information about whether a task is suitable for you then please check our information about volunteering with us or if you prefer contact us by email.
Hover (or double tap on touchscreen devices) the mouse pointer over the coloured square next to the task you are interested in for information about the spaces remaining.
| Date | Site | Task and availablity | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar | Sat 14 | Granton Castle Walled Garden | Scrub control Rescheduled from 15th February | |
| Sun 15 | Joppa Foreshore | Wildflower meadow creation | ||
| Sun 22 | Yellowcraig Beach | Scrub and piri piri burr control | ||
| Sun 29 | Roslin Glen | Meadow cutting and raking | ||
| Apr | Sun 5 | Roslin Glen | Tree maintenance | |
| Sun 12 | Bawsinch and Murder Acre | Fence/pond/pathwork | ||
| Sun 19 | Holyrood Park | Wildflower plug planting | ||
| Sat 25 | Easter Craiglockhart Hill | Meadow raking and gorse cutting | ||
| Sun 26 | Penicuik Dalkeith Walkway | Pond management at Valleyfield Pond | ||
| May | Sun 3 | Falkland Estate | Path clearance | |
| Sun 10 | Skolie Burn | Bracken bashing | ||
| Sun 17 | Falkland Estate | Path clearance | ||
| Sun 24 | Cander Moss | Scrub clearance and tree maintenance | ||
| Sun 31 | Leadburn Community Woodland | Path work |
Path work
2020-05-31
Our apologies, but this task has been cancelled
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| Jun | Sun 7 - Sat 13 | Taynish | Residential: Scrub and bracken control |
Residential: Scrub and bracken control
2020-06-07
Our apologies, but this task has been cancelled
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| Sat 20 | Yellowcraig Beach | Piri piri burr control |
Piri piri burr control
2020-06-20
There are plenty of spaces remaining on this task. Please click to view booking information
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| Sun 21 | Holyrood Park | Himalayan balsam control |
Himalayan balsam control
2020-06-21
There are plenty of spaces remaining on this task. Please click to view booking information
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| Sun 28 | Traprain Law | Ragwort control |
Ragwort control
2020-06-28
There are plenty of spaces remaining on this task. Please click to view booking information
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| Jul | Sun 5 | Addiewell Bing | Tree care |
Tree care
2020-07-05
There are plenty of spaces remaining on this task. Please click to view booking information
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| Space information last updated: Sunday 24 May |
If you would like to print out our task list, here is our current newsletter, The Puggled Mucker (302K) which contains a task programme.
The map below shows the sites in the work programme this quarter
There is also an interactive map of all our work-sites.
This site is a category B-listed medieval walled garden that once belonged to Granton's lost castle. Whilst the castle may be gone its two acre walled garden has survived through many centuries of change thanks to its fertility and the unique microclimate created by its high stone walls.
On this visit we will be clearing scrub from the gardens ready for the new planting season and likely building dead hedges with the brash for invertebrate habitat.
Find out how to book onto this task.
This site on Edinburgh's waterfront is being transformed by the Edinburgh Shoreline project
On this visit we will be helping the Edinburgh Shoreline Project to create a native wildflower meadow on the foreshore at Joppa. This will help with biodiversity and be an attractive feature in its own right. We undertook similar work at Cramond Foreshore in September 2019, with great success
Find out how to book onto this task.
Yellowcraig is situated 23 miles east of Edinburgh just north of the attractive East Lothian village of Dirleton and is a Site of Special Scientific Interest. It comprises a variety of habitats, including mature and developing woodland, sand dunes, coastal grassland and rocky outcrops, as well as its long sweeping sandy beach with views to Fidra island.
This task has been cancelled due to COVID-19 On this visit to the beautiful dunes at Yellowcraig we will be removing invasive piri-piri burr seeds to preserve the duneland habitat. In addition we will remove other scrub such as garden-escapee cotoneasters.
Find out how to book onto this task.
Roslin Glen is a 19 hectare reserve south of Edinburgh to the east of Roslin village and on the south bank of the River North Esk in Midlothian. The site is owned and managed by Midlothian Council. It is a relatively undisturbed mixed deciduous woodland largely made up of native sessile oak, wych-elm and ash, with a shrub layer of hazel and holly. There are also some introduced sycamore, beech and Norway spruce trees which are gradually being removed. The area boasts a rich woodland flora which includes dog's mercury, ramsons, wood-rush and various ferns. Dippers and kingfishers can be seen in the fairly clean waters of the Esk. The area has been put under a Millennium Forest for Scotland grant scheme to return the woodland to a native mixture of trees such as ash, alder, oak, pine and birch.
This task has been cancelled due to COVID-19 On this visit we will be cutting the dead meadow plants from last year and raking off the cut material. This will help to reduce the nutrients available in the meadow, helping biodiversity, and distribute the seeds from the previous years plants ensuring plenty of new meadow growth later in spring
Find out how to book onto this task.
Roslin Glen is a 19 hectare reserve south of Edinburgh to the east of Roslin village and on the south bank of the River North Esk in Midlothian. The site is owned and managed by Midlothian Council. It is a relatively undisturbed mixed deciduous woodland largely made up of native sessile oak, wych-elm and ash, with a shrub layer of hazel and holly. There are also some introduced sycamore, beech and Norway spruce trees which are gradually being removed. The area boasts a rich woodland flora which includes dog's mercury, ramsons, wood-rush and various ferns. Dippers and kingfishers can be seen in the fairly clean waters of the Esk. The area has been put under a Millennium Forest for Scotland grant scheme to return the woodland to a native mixture of trees such as ash, alder, oak, pine and birch.
This task has been cancelled due to COVID-19 On this visit we will be weeding and re-staking existing plantings in the glen
Find out how to book onto this task.
Bawsinch and Duddingston Loch are found in the heart of Edinburgh on the southern edge of Holyrood Park, just below Arthur's Seat and only three kilometres from the city centre. Formerly a derelict industrial site, Bawsinch is a triangular area next to the south shore of the loch. This 26 hectare reserve, partly owned and managed by the Scottish Wildlife Trust, is a bird sanctuary and has been designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest. The area boasts breeding and wintering wildfowl, marshland with reedbeds and willow, patches of scrub and woodland, some freshwater ponds and an area of grassland named Goose Green. In the past LCV has felled trees, cleared ponds, built log bridges and cleared invasive vegetation. In recent years an additional area of land known as Murder Acre has been leased from Historic Scotland to extend the reserve.
This task has been cancelled due to the UK-wide COVID-19 lockdown. The government has indicated this policy will be reviewed on or after April 13th, so this task is definitely not going ahead. On this visit we will be clearing the ponds of excess vegetation, maintaining fences within the reserve, clearing paths used for access when monitoring the reserve
Find out how to book onto this task.
Holyrood Park is the Koh-i-Noor in the crown jewels of Edinburgh's stunning landscape. Comprising 650 acres of mixed grassland and encompassing Arthur's Seat, the iconic Salisbury Crags as well as some of the oldest exposed rocks in Edinburgh this is a vital island for wildlife in the heart of our majestic capital.
This task has been cancelled at the request of the client due to COVID-19. On this visit we will be planting additional wildflowers in the wildflower area that LCV created on previous tasks
Find out how to book onto this task.
Craiglockhart Hill is above Craiglockhart Sports Centre and as one of Edinburgh's seven hills, offers excellent views across the city towards the castle and Arthur's Seat. The area is owned jointly by the City of Edinburgh Council and Napier University. We will be working with the Friends of Craiglockhart Nature Trail - a local group supported by the Scottish Wildlife Trust - who have produced a management plan and a trail leaflet, and continue to manage the site for wildlife.
In previous tasks on this LNR LCV has raked two cut meadows and cleared rubbish from the habitat enhancement pond areas - two large areas of vegetation have been planted to add to the biodiversity and give cover for the breeding birds.
On this visit we will be raking vegetation from the meadow area to help reduce nutrient levels and promote good meadow growth over the season
Find out how to book onto this task.
The route of the old Edinburgh to Peebles Railway line now provides a welcome green corridor. In addition it supports a picturesque route for walkers and cyclists between several historic Midlothian towns.
On this visit we will be clearing overgrown areas in and around the pond. Wellies essential
Find out how to book onto this task.
Falkland Estate covers around some 1900 hectares, just under one-fifth of which is wooded, with the rest divided between arable farmland on the low ground and rough grazing on the hills. There have been settlements here from at least the time of the Iron Age people who built hill forts. It was a favourite royal hunting ground of the Stuart monarchs and home to Victorian leaders of rural and architectural style.
On this visit we will be widening and clearing paths within the estate to improve access and promote growth of other plants in the woodland margins.
Find out how to book onto this task.
Skolie Burn is a SSSI near Addiewell in West Lothian which was notified for its geological and biological interest. There are nationally important rock exposures dating from the Lower Carboniferous, around 330 million years ago, and the underlying geology supports one of the largest areas of unimproved grassland in West Lothian. The grassland hosts more than 160 plant species including uncommon plants such as the greater butterfly orchid and melancholy thistle.
This is our first visit to the site and we will be working with the West Lothian Council Ranger Service to control bracken and therefore improve biodiversity.
Find out how to book onto this task.
Falkland Estate covers around some 1900 hectares, just under one-fifth of which is wooded, with the rest divided between arable farmland on the low ground and rough grazing on the hills. There have been settlements here from at least the time of the Iron Age people who built hill forts. It was a favourite royal hunting ground of the Stuart monarchs and home to Victorian leaders of rural and architectural style.
On this visit we will continue the work begun on 3rd May, widening paths
Find out how to book onto this task.
Cander Moss Site of Special Scientific Interest south of Larkhall, is a remnant of a formerly more extensive raised bog. It is virtually undisturbed and is one of the best examples of raised bog in South Lanarkshire.
On this visit we will be removing birch scrub from the moss to maintain water levels. This task may be moved to Upper Nethan Gorge, depending.
Find out how to book onto this task.
Leadburn Community Woodland, 13 miles south of Edinburgh, was recently purchased from the Forestry Commission by a small group of individuals known as the Friends of Leadburn Community Woodland. The group intend to replace the previous plantation of conifers with native trees such as silver birch, ash, oak and rowan, among others, and planting at the site has recently begun. The area is boggy in places, so wellies are recommended if you have them.
On this visit we will be improving paths to enhance access within this popular community woodland
Find out how to book onto this task.
The ancient deciduous woodland at Taynish is one of the largest in Britain and thoroughly worth the long trip from Edinburgh. Oak trees have flourished here for 6000 years or more — a little longer than people have lived here. Once a source of timber and charcoal, these woods now form one of Britain's largest remaining native oakwoods. The importance of the site was recongnised in 1977 by designation as a National Nature Reserve and it is now managed by Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH). Taynish lies on a scenic peninsula overlooking Loch Sween, which was scoured out by glaciers 11000 years ago and has an atmosphere all of its own.
The peninsula has a wide range of habitats, including shoreline, grassland, scrub, bog, heath and woodland, each home to a host of plants, insects, birds and mammals that thrive in the clean, humid air. In all, between the woodland's dripping ferns and mosses and the marsh and grassland, over 300 plant species and more than 20 kinds of butterfly are supported. To help the woods keep their near-natural character and rich wildlife, SNH is also removing rhododendron, which crowds out other plants.
Our summer residential this year will be at Taynish and Mhoine Mhor, removing bracken and clearing scrub from the peat bog to aid regeneration. Accomodation at the Kilmartin Bothy.
Find out how to book onto this task.
Yellowcraig is situated 23 miles east of Edinburgh just north of the attractive East Lothian village of Dirleton and is a Site of Special Scientific Interest. It comprises a variety of habitats, including mature and developing woodland, sand dunes, coastal grassland and rocky outcrops, as well as its long sweeping sandy beach with views to Fidra island.
On this visit to the beautiful dunes at Yellowcraig we will be removing invasive piri-piri burr seeds to preserve the duneland habitat.
Find out how to book onto this task.
Holyrood Park is the Koh-i-Noor in the crown jewels of Edinburgh's stunning landscape. Comprising 650 acres of mixed grassland and encompassing Arthur's Seat, the iconic Salisbury Crags as well as some of the oldest exposed rocks in Edinburgh this is a vital island for wildlife in the heart of our majestic capital.
On this visit we will be removing highly invasive Himalyan Balsam from areas within the park
Find out how to book onto this task.
At 221m Traprain Law is a distinctive, dome shaped hill, which overlooks the East Lothian town of Haddington just to the east of Edinburgh. First occupied about 3500 years ago it has a long history of human activity - there is evidence that the site was used for burial as well as for manufacturing bronze tools. In the early twentieth century archaeologists working on the site uncovered a cache of Roman silverware. It is believed that the mythical King Loth of the Goddodin, from whom the Lothians take their name, ruled from the hill in the first half of the fourth century.
On this visit we'll be removing toxic ragwort plants. This helps to protect the health of the herd of Exmoor ponies that are used for conservation grazing on the hill.
Find out how to book onto this task.
Addiewell Bing is a long, narrow reserve of 21 hectares 20 miles from Edinburgh just south of Bathgate in West Lothian, which is leased and managed by the Scottish Wildlife Trust. It is an excellent example of how a derelict industrial site--part of the oil shale industry--can be converted into an important wildlife refuge.
Most of the reserve is covered by woodland and scrub, but there are also patches of bracken, heather, open grassland and marshy ground with a rich variety of plants and birds. Originally, the area was planted with lodgepole pine to help stabilise the steep sides of this old spoil heap. More recently, these trees have been replaced with native species including oak and ash. In the past we have felled lodgepole pine, upgraded the footpath and cleared invading broom from areas of heather.
On this visit we will be maintaining and decaged existing tree plantings at this reforested oil-shale bing.