The health giving properties of the sap from birch trees
were recognised in Caithness 5,000 years ago, being drunk by humans and even
cattle as the long, cold months of winter came to an end.
Now, in the forests of Perthshire, the practice of taking
the clear liquid is being rediscovered and, for the first time in the UK, a
commercial operation has begun to take and bottle the “birch water”.
Gabrielle and Rob Clamp use maple syrup kits bought from
Canada to syphon off the natural tonic which is reputed to cleanse kidneys and
liver, ease arthritis and rheumatism, and help strengthen teeth.
The process is popular in Finland and the Baltic countries
and the water is drunk by celebrities including Victoria’s Secret model Rosie
Huntington-Whiteley. But it has never been seen here on a large scale.
The history of birch water in Scotland goes back millennia.
Rob, whose company Birken Tree collects around 5,000 litres of sap each year,
says: “We trace it back at least 5,000 years. There was a Neolithic lady whose
body was dug up in Caithness where I am from and there was evidence of some
food and some of that was birch sap. In the Highlands there are records of
people using it as a tonic after a long winter; giving it to babies, themselves
and even cattle. It makes sense because it is so full of minerals and vitamins
and it is a lean period (in nature).”
Although still known about in other countries Rob says there
could be a simple reason its use died out here. “They have a very different
history to us in Scotland. People were cleared away to the New World and that
connection to the land was severed.”
Sat amid the birch trees of Grandtully Forest in Perthshire,
Rob explains the unique taste: “I like the silkiness of it, almost creamy.
There is a very slight sweetness, depending on the tree or the season. Some
people compare it to melons or cucumber, it is very subtle.”
When they first tapped the sap Gabrielle said she was
“excited”: “We realised the taste of fresh sap was different from the bottle we
had before – we really loved it. That is why we use glass bottles to keep the
taste right. And, if you warm it up slightly the flavours are more intense.”
There is usually only a three week window to gather the sap
in early spring, usually March, because as the warmer months arrive it develops
a bitter taste.
They collect about 5,000 litres a year but estimate that
each tree only loses a tiny amount of its sap. Rob says: “We take about one per
cent. We know they take up 100s of litres a day and we take about five.”
Gabrielle gave up a job as a chiropractor to concentrate on
the business. And while Rob still works as a forester he aims to concentrate on
their start up business full-time.
Internationally, the market is worth millions of dollars and
Gabrielle and Rob were introduced to it when a friend gave them a bottle marked
“Made in Finland”.
Gabrielle says: “We thought someone must make it in Scotland
but no.” As a result, they became the only Scottish producers on a commercial level, selling to local
delicatessens and through a wholefood distributor.
Gabrielle adds: “There are lots of vitamins and minerals,
enzymes and amino acids. There is xylitol as well which is good for the teeth.
“A lot of people ask if it is (normal) water because it is
called birch water but no, it is pure sap.”
The sap ferments in three days so they freeze it and then
pasteurise it a little to give it a longer shelf life.
Rob says: “At some point it would be nice to focus on it
full time and we have launched a crowdfunding campaign.” Growing the business
will mean adding flavours such as cranberry, bilberry and meadowsweet and also
creating sparkling birch water which has been asked for by high end hotels and
restaurants.
“We are so proud that we have been able to revive this
ancestral Scottish tradition and unlock the huge potential that these
native Birch trees can offer. We have injected so much energy,
enthusiasm and money into our business – but now we need help to take it
further.
“We’ve been so grateful for all the support we’ve received
so far and hope that this campaign will encourage more people to get behind us
and play an active part in the use and conservation of our
native Birch woodlands.”.
Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, 31, has written about birch water
on her Facebook page saying the “nutrient-dense liquid” is a “hero ingredient”.
Despite the trendy, modern feel to the product Rob insists
its 5,000 year history means what they are doing is “nothing new”. He adds:
“What we are saying is ‘hello, you should be drinking this stuff’.”
Hayley Bruce, Commercial Marketing Intelligence Manager at
Scotland Food & Drink, said: “Scotland has a rich heritage when it comes to
food and drink production and it is great to see traditional techniques
being adopted in the modern world. Searching through the past for inspiration,
whether looking for ancient wisdoms, indigenous ingredients or heritage
produce, can open up some fantastic new opportunities for the Scottish food and
drink sector.”
A version of this article is in the September 2019 edition of The Scots
Magazine
CALLANDER CRAIG AND BRACKLINN FALLS, TROSSACHS
By Nick Drainey
Length: 6.5km (4 miles)
Height gained: 320m (1,050ft)
Time: 2 to 3 hours
OS Landranger 57
Parking: Arriving in Callander from the direction of Stirling turn left off the
A84 just after a sign for the Roman Camp
country house hotel. Bracklin (CORR) Road then leads
up out of the town, past a car park on the left and up to one for Bracklinn
(CORR) Falls, on the right.
The route: As a teenager I took a friend to the Lake District in
an attempt to convert him to the joys of hillwalking. Striding Edge seemed like
a good place with plenty of wow factor and as we sat on the rocky ridge the
view was astounding.
What sticks in the memory, however, is what happened after I had greeted
some fellow scramblers with a cheery “hello”. When they had made their way to
the summit of Helvellyn my friend asked if I knew everyone on the mountain as I
had said hi to each of them and they had replied equally politely.
Fast forward a decade or two (or maybe three) and my children have asked
the same question, and again been told that is just what you do in the
outdoors, away from the hustle and bustle of streets and pavements.
But what is the etiquette when it comes to talking to other folk walking
by a burn, on a hill, mountain, or even a ridge?
On a walk to Bracklinn Falls the other week a quick hello, or nod of the
head, was all that was needed for a coach party from Germany – if I had tried
to start a conversation I may have been linguistically challenged, as well as
at risk of being thought of as odd.
As I followed the Keltie Burn upstream and stopped to admire more falls
near Scout Pool it seemed I could have started a conversation but the couple
who had reached the little bridge from the other direction decided to head off
with a “lovely day, isn’t it”, I think to leave the viewing spot to me – a very
nice gesture and high on the scale of politeness.
As the steeper slopes of Callander Craig were reached one of the great
etiquette conundrums faced me as I approached a chap descending. Do I gasp out
a breathless “hi” or try to give the impression I was in no way out of breath.
I shamefully went for the latter, even if it was a little strained.
I stopped at the wonderful summit cairn – built in 1897 to mark Queen
Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee Cairn and
rebuilt 100 years later. The view from here is excellent, especially the
imposing bulk of Ben Ledi to the west.
As I picked up my rucksack to set off, a middle-aged guy appeared and
despite my best, most jovial “hello” I only received a weak smile and a little
grunt on reply. Worrying I may be in trouble for excessive jollity I scuttled
down the ridge but soon realised the reason for the gentleman’s taciturn nature.
In front of me was a lady, presumably his wife, loudly telling a child to “stop
complaining about everything, daddy has brought us up here so the least you can
do is try to look happy”. I thought better of saying anything and just gave a
consoling sort of smile which probably made me look a little unwell.
Thankfully, for the
rest of the way down I didn’t see a soul – sometimes a walk on your own with no
human distraction can be the best thing.
A version of this appeared in the July 2019 edition of The Scots Magazine
“The sea has inspired people for eons. It has been the
source of myth and legend – sea monsters and kelpies – and has inspired song
and music. Because whales and dolphins are from this seemingly mythical place,
when you do see one it takes your breath away.”
Karl Stevens is trying to explain why whale-watching has
become such a phenomenon in Scotland. Practically unknown 25 years ago, it’s
now estimated to be worth around £7.8 million to the economy of the west of
Scotland, drawing in around 240,000 visitors a year.
Dozens of boats operate around prime spotting sites in
waters which are home to around a quarter of the world’s whale and
dolphin species including bottlenose, Risso’s and common dolphins, harbour
porpoises, minke whales and orca. But this
summer, the Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust has launched a new trail to give
visitors a different way of looking out for these sea creatures – from the
land.
Standing at Ardnamurchan Point, one of around 25 stopping
places for the new land-based trail on the West Coast, Karl, the Hebridean
Whale Trail manager, explains: “A lot of people think this is something you
can’t do on land, you have to be on a boat. Yes, there are definite merits for
being on a boat but from an accessibility perspective and getting more people
involved, land-based is a lot easier. It also means you get to some spectacular
locations.
“With heights you get more distance so if you are on top of
a sea cliff, you are going to get a better view over a longer distance than if
you were on a boat.”
All that makes the trail world class. Karl adds: “In terms
of the combination of wildlife – whales, dolphins but also seals, seabirds,
plants and so on – and then the landscapes and seascapes you could argue it
could be one of the best places in the world.”
One of the key things about the whale trail is that it is as
much about seeing whales and dolphins as the culture that surrounds them, and
the Hebrides is rich with that culture. “Every place you go to there are thousands
of years of stories and tales going back to Celtic and Norse legend.”
Karl also says more modern stories such as those of
fishermen and lighthouse-keepers will be retold on the trail, as well as the
“slightly darker” history of whaling from the 19th and early 20th century when
boats would head as far as South Georgia to harpoon the mighty creatures.
The trail is aimed at “anybody who is in the area” with Karl
pointing to research saying 40% of people come to Scotland for wildlife. A
significant number come for culture and the landscapes, and the whale trail
“ticks all those boxes”. He says: “Anybody who is even remotely interested in
those three things will get something out of the whale trail. We are trying to
add to what is already there and bring the whale and dolphin stories into
that.”
Karl describes whales and dolphins, and the watching of them,
as an “unknown attraction” which has really only been done (aboard boats) for
about 25 years. Karl says: “People think of charismatic species in Scotland;
red deer, salmon, seals and so on. Then there are the mythological species –
you have the Loch Ness Monster. People still come knowing that the Loch Ness
Monster is likely to be non-existent and go out in the vain chance that they
might catch a glimpse of the beast.” Whales and dolphins, he points out, are
actually there.
Visitors can hope to see “a breaching humpback jumping out
of the water” because they have already looked at clips on TV or the internet.
“You may see that and be incredibly lucky. But for the most part it is those
special moments when you are looking out and catch a glimpse of a fin or
something moving in the water. That might hold your attention a little longer
and you realise that fin is attached to a porpoise, or a dolphin, or even a
minke whale. It is to try to get more people to spend more time looking out to
the sea to make the most of what is out there.”
Karl says awareness of the sea and what is in it has been
rising in recent years, particularly after the BBC’s Blue Planet documentary
series. As a result, he hopes that a spin-off of the whale trail will be that
people report incidents of pollution, whether that be a patch of oil, something
floating on the surface, or even something entangled in an old net.
“The ethos of the whale trail is to tap into the
connectivity between the sea and the land that has been there for thousands of
years, and because of the Blue Planet effect we are starting to reconnect.
People are more aware of the stuff that is floating and what to do about it and
that is very important.”
The trust, and other organisations, already survey the seas
to try to gauge numbers of whales and dolphins but the picture is currently
unclear, according to Karl. And he hopes with more reports of sightings,
already possible through the trust’s Whale Track app, there can be a greater
understanding of any issues and problems.
He says: “It is a mixed picture, for example last year we
got more common dolphins but other species seem to be doing less well. The past
couple of summers have not been great for basking sharks but we don’t know if
that’s because they are not there or that we have just not seen them.
“That is a key element of the whale trail – if we can get
more people out there we will get a significantly better understanding of what
is out there.”
A version of this article is in the August 2019 edition of The Scots Magazine.
BEINN DUBHCHRAIG, NEAR TYNDRUM
Length: 9 miles
Height gained: 2,640ft
Time: 5 to 6 hours
OS Landranger 50
Parking: Turn off the A82 at Dalrigh, a mile south of Tyndrum. There is a car
park a few yards down the single track road, on the left.
The route: Taking off your boots at the end of a walk is usually
accompanied by a sigh of relief that the strains of the day are done and the
hiker can be satisfied they have had a good day on the hill. But coming off
Beinn Dubhchraig I had a sense of sadness; this would be the last time I would
unlace my faithful footwear.
At the start of the walk, by bubbling burns in a magnificent wood of
pine and birch I had snagged the toecap on the end of a protruding tree root,
leaving a gaping hole.
Now I do get through quite a lot of boots, being a regular walker, but
this pair were special – they were the best I have owned. (At this point I
could bore the reader with tales of Brasher’s, Meindl’s and Mammut’s but
suffice to say these Salomon boots were the most comfy and hardwearing I have
ever had.) They were maybe not the most technically made but were definitely an
overall good fit and sturdy sole which had done me proud on everything from the
Cuillin ridge to canoeing on Highland lochs with the children.
I continued with the walk, out of the woods and by the beautiful
waterfalls and pools of the Allt Coire Dubhchraig – a geologist could have a
field day, literally, along this stretch of burn with its layers of
different-coloured rock covered in crystal clear water.
The hole in my boot had got slightly bigger but the boggy ground,
gradually being overcome by brilliant path work being carried out by the
Outdoor Access Trust for Scotland, meant I was only getting a wee soaking on my
toes.
Then the Munro’s corrie was crested and a magnificent view of Ben Oss
and Ben Lui greeted me. Once at the summit, Loch Lomond and the Arrochar Alps
were laid out like a topographical map while closer to hand were the Crianlarich
hills dominated by Ben More. To the north the myriad peaks of the Central
Highlands were strewn out in a fantastic panorama – what a place to linger.
Thoughts of including Ben Oss on the route, as many do, were abandoned
over fears my boot’s hole may widen to the point of complete ruin.
So, an amble back down made me think of the other great places this
footwear had taken me – I am not one for too much romanticism but it was almost
like taking a pet for a last walk before the vet puts it to sleep, or saying
goodbye to an old friend. Eventually, inevitably they were taken off and placed
in the car for one last time.
However, they will make a nice couple of plant pots for the garden.
This article first appeared in Scotland on Sunday on June 30, 2019.
The summer holidays are here – packed lunches can turn into picnics and bags can be packed for a day in the outdoors. Wherever you look, there is plenty to explore across Scotland and if the weather is kind there at least one of these great walks will give you a day to remember.
TINTO, LANARKSHIRE
DISTANCE: 4½ miles.
HEIGHT CLIMBED: 1,550ft.
TIME: 2½ to 3½
hours.
MAP: OS Landranger 72.
PARK: About four miles south
of Hyndford Bridge along the A73 turn right at the old Tinto Hill tea room. The
car park is about 250 yards down the road, on the left.
IN SUMMARY: Tinto is a great hill for anyone to walk up. An obvious path leads
all the way to the top, from where the views are excellent – from the west to
the east coast, north to the Highlands and south to England. It is said that
the 2,320 foot hill had Druidic significance and that Tinto – Hill of Fire –
was used for ceremonies honouring Baal, the sun god. I would just take a
picnic.
WEST SANDS, ST
ANDREWS
DISTANCE: 5
miles.
HEIGHT CLIMBED: Negligible.
TIME: 1½ to 2½ hours.
MAP: OS Landranger 59.
PARK: There is a car park behind the R&A Clubhouse, next to the British
Golf Museum.
IN SUMMARY: West Sands, just next to the famous R&A Clubhouse, is one of
the best town beaches in Scotland. It was used in the Oscar winning 1981 film
Chariots of Fire and anyone who can remember that far back can often be heard
singing “Da-da da da da-da!” A nature reserve around the Eden Estuary follows
before a walk by St Andrew’s famous fairways, ending with the Old Course.
PAP OF GLENCOE
DISTANCE: 5 miles.
HEIGHT CLIMBED: 2,390ft.
TIME: 3½ to 5 hours.
MAP: OS Landranger 41.
PARK: Take the minor road
which goes through Glencoe village to the Clachaig Inn. About 300 yards after
passing a national speed limit sign on the edge of Glencoe turn left into a car
park – just after an electricity substation.
IN SUMMARY: The Pap of
Glencoe is a mountain in miniature. Despite the challenging Aonach Eagach ridge
next to it and the huge buttresses of Bidean nam Bian across Glencoe, it packs
a punch and some fantastic views. Take your time, it is steep on the way up,
and linger on the top – preferably with a camera.
CAMUSDARACH, MORAR
DISTANCE: 2 miles.
HEIGHT CLIMBED: Negligible.
TIME: 1 hour (but allow plenty more to explore rock pools and dunes).
MAP: OS Landranger 40.
PARK: About 3½ miles south of
Mallaig turn off the A830, following a sign for Tougal, down the B8008. About 1 miles further on park on the right in
Camusdarach car park.
IN SUMMARY: Just down the
road from the Sands of Morar is a quieter beach which is just as stunning.
Camusdarach looks out to Skye and the islands of Rum and Eigg. It was used as a
setting for Local Hero and the filmmakers definitely knew something about
picturesque settings.
A version of this article appeared in the Sunday Post on April 30, 2017
By Nick Drainey
Lambing season for farmer Selena Swanson has become a time of fear as the growing number of ravens prove a deadly foe for newborn lambs.
At the family farm near Halkirk in Caithness, Selena said: “I have just taken in a lamb who was still alive but its eye had been pecked out and we didn’t manage to save it.”
Selena, and her husband John, have lost dozens of lambs to ravens, forcing them to move pregnant ewes into sheds, rather than the natural environment of the fields outside.
Selena said they would prefer to be outside but after losing 50 newborn lambs last year they had no choice but to go indoors.
Even then, the lambs are still at risk when they go outside. Selena said as well as the dead lamb she found one injured nearby. She said: “I have another one which I managed to save – it has part of its tongue missing.
“We have to leave them inside longer now – we keep them in for four to five days if we can and we have built some pens outside so they can get that bit stronger before they go into the field.”
Selena is unsure why the birds attack as the carcasses are often left untouched once the lamb is dead. She said: “They don’t always peck them to death – their eyes and the tongues are the main bit, but they will go for the back end as well.
“It is just an enjoyment, there is a little bit of hunger but it is not all for hunger. If they were hungry they would just be eating the weak ones which you expect and is part of farming.”
Selena, whose 350 breeding ewes produce more than 500 lambs a year, has a joint Scottish Natural Heritage licence with five neighbouring farms to cull 50 ravens, up from a single licence to kill 5 last year.
But she said more needs to be done and is hoping SNH will come up with a better solution. She said: “It certainly helps but it is not going to make a big enough impact. They are going to need to come up with some ideas; we don’t want them killed outright but we want them controlled because they are getting out of control.
“SNH have been helpful, they have stepped up this year. They have said they will come up with other ideas depending on feedback – it is not a problem that is going to be fixed straight away but if we can start do something then that has got to be a bonus.”
Selena, who has also tried scarecrows, bags on the ends of poles, kites and even motorbikes to scare the birds away, said: “We are trying to preserve a life and the ravens are taking away the life – we want our animals to live and survive, we don’t want them to be lying, suffering.”
Raven numbers have increased by more than 40% in the last 20 years and there are thought to be up to 3,000 breeding pairs in Scotland. While some would see this as a success story it has led to flocks of the birds being seen in areas where previously there would only have been a handful.
The birds peck out the eyes and tongues of young lambs, often working in pairs with one distracting the ewe while the other attacks her offspring.
There has been a huge increase in the number of licences issued to control them but farmers say more needs to be done to stop the carnage in the fields which the National Farmers’ Union say is increasing.
NFU Scotland’s Deputy Director of Policy, Andrew Bauer said: “Raven predation has serious animal welfare implications, causes huge emotional distress to the livestock keepers as well as a financial impact on the business.
“In recent times there have been some graphic demonstrations of the dreadful impact that ravens can have on young lambs and, in some cases, calves. Sadly, raven predation isn’t a new problem but around the country some farmers and crofters are seeing the raven population increasing in size and range.”
Raven numbers have risen in recent years after many decades of persecution by farmers and gamekeepers came to an end.
However, the numbers are causing problems and there were 162 licenses to shoot ravens issued by SNH in 2016, twice as many as in 2014. They led to the shooting of 690 birds.
But Mr Bauer said more work was needed to understand how may ravens there were “because our members believe there are a lot more than the official figures”. He added: “There is also an issue about people being able to shoot as many ravens as they are authorised to because ravens are a difficult bird to shoot and there are not as many farmers with the right type of rifles anymore, and it is time consuming.
“We need to get a balance between conservation and the protection of lambs.”
The intelligence of ravens is well known among farmers and landowners and research has found they are among a group of animals second in brain power only to humans. In experiments which involved animals finding food, carried out at Lund University in Sweden, scientists found that despite having tiny brains ravens were as clever as chimpanzees, the smartest primate.
A spokesman for The Scottish Gamekeepers Association said licences were necessary “to protect livestock under the Wildlife and Countryside Act”. He added: “A flexible licensing system is the answer to the problem, and many other problems of predation in the countryside. The ability to control a set number of ravens at lambing time is not going to affect in any way the conservation status of the raven but it could make a huge difference to the economics of the farm operation. It is a win, win situation.”
Robbie Kernahan, SNH’s wildlife operations manager, said research was being carried out “to get a better understanding of what is happening with raven populations in Scotland and how we can strike the right balance between conserving the wider populations of ravens and minimising the impact that they can have on other interests”.
He added: “We acknowledge the damage that ravens can cause to livestock and the impact this has on farmers. We issue licences to control ravens to those who are suffering or likely to suffer serious damage to their livestock where there is no other satisfactory solution. These licences permit shooting of birds that are causing the damage, with the aim of removing problem birds and deterring other ravens. It’s important to note that preventing serious damage caused by ravens isn’t just about licensing, but also about ensuring that there is good animal husbandry, and employing other scaring techniques to deter birds. If someone is experiencing damage to livestock from ravens then they should contact SNH licensing team.
“We’re working with farmers to look at different approaches in areas where there are particularly serious problems to better help them to address issues.”
I am a journalist whose love of the outdoors and all things rural has seen me walking the highest Munros, eating Scottish seafood in Singapore, stalking deer with a camera and just about everything imaginable in between... Find out more...
