By Paul Reoch

A £1.9 MILLION partnership venture, aimed at developing and enhancing Perthshire’s tree and woodland heritage, has been launched.

Perthshire Big Tree Country Heritage and Access Project (BTC HAAP) will encourage greater awareness and enjoyment of trees and help support rural economies.

The project will upgrade a total of 20,000 metres of paths and develop more than 12,000 metres of all- abilities paths.

In addition, it will also improve signs to and within sites and apply a strategic conservation and management plan across 18 heritage tree and woodland sites.

Paul McLennan, project manager with Perth and Kinross Countryside Trust, said yesterday, “The project will help conserve and protect Perthshire’s stunning woodland heritage.

“It aims to promote greater awareness and understanding of the area through improved access and involvement for everyone.”

He continued, “Through an upgraded path network, and interpretation inspired by local stories and folklore, the Big Tree Country experience will be significantly enhanced for people of all ages and abilities.”

Angela Hughes, community education and outreach officer for Perth and Kinross Countryside Trust, added, “The project recognises the importance of connecting people to their natural heritage, which is why we are working to involve local schools and communities as much as possible.

“The Woodland Bus is a fantastic way of making those vital first links, particularly with schoolchildren, providing them with information on their local environment and encouraging them out into the forests to enjoy their woodland heritage.”

The sites are grouped into six cluster areas:

Aberfeldy and Kenmore—including the Birks o’ Aberfeldy, Cluny House Gardens, Weem Wood, Drummond Hill and the Fortingall yew.

Blair Atholl—Diana’s Grove and Falls of Bruar.

Crieff and Strathearn—Lady Mary’s Walk, Eppie Callum’s oak and the Knock.

Dunkeld and Birnam—Birnam oak and sycamore, the Hermitage, the parent larch in the grounds of Dunkeld House Hotel, Craigvinean Forest and Niel Gow’s oak.

Perth and Blairgowrie—Kinnoull Hill Woodland Park, Scone Palace pinetum and the Meikleour beech hedge.

Pitlochry and the road to the isles— Faskally Wood, Queen’s View, Allean Forest and Carie Walks (Black Wood of Rannoch).

Some of the work already completed includes Faskally Wood, a completely new path with three foot bridges at Allean Forest and a new all-abilities path and two bridges that were rebuilt at Carie Walks.

The project is managed by the countryside trust and supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund, Perth and Kinross Council, Forestry Commission Scotland, Scottish Natural Heritage, Scottish Enterprise Tayside, Perth and Kinross Countryside Trust, Rural Tayside Leader and the Gannochy Trust.