AHAG represented at Crannog coppice event

In April 2013, the Scottish Crannog Centre on Loch Tay, Perthshire, ran a two-day conference on the Perthshire Coppice Project.

The event attracted 25 to 30 persons, and was held at The Big Shed, Tombreck on Loch Tay.

The event was to publicise and promote interest in the Perthshire Coppice Project, which was jointly funded by the Scottish Government, Perth& Kinross Countryside Trust and EU Rural Tayside LEADER Programme. Since the reconstruction of the Iron Age Crannog on Loch Tay 1994-1996, there is the occasional need for a locally sourced timber to replace parts that are damaged or rotting. But most particularly, there is need for continual regular supply hazel to replace wattle panels.

The conference was centred around the problems and successes of setting about regenerating hazel coppice locally around Loch Tay in order to satisfy the needs of the Crannog. Two site visits were included to see how the project was progressing.

The Coppice event attracted speakers from a range of interests, not just those actively involved in making a living out of coppicing, but others who were using coppice management for conservation purposes. Key speakers included Rebecca Oakes, a professional coppicer from the NW of England, who spoke about the benefits of Coppice Networking in establishing links and support and giving advice. She gave as an example the Coppice Association North West. The formation of a national coppice forum was underway, to provide professional advice.

The role of Atlantic Hazelwoods was introduced by a lively power point presentation by Sandy Coppins. This aroused much interest as to what these western hazel wood habitats were all about, why are they so different, and why are they so highly regarded for their wildlife, most particularly the lichens. Reference was made to the SNH website , and copies of the Atlantic Hazel book were on sale.

The general conclusion at the end of the event was that there is unlikely to be conflict between today’s professional coppicers, and the need to leave the Atlantic Hazel woods uncoppiced. Selective drawing of stems from the stool was regarded as probably the only commercially viable management, but even that was probably on such a small scale, and only occasional, that there would be little or no negative impact on the lichen interest.

Read more in Sandy's full report about this interesting coppice conference, with an example of one of the regenerated hazel plots.

Sandy Coppins, 2013

View from The Big Shed of Ben Lawers.

View of one of the hazel coppice regeneration monitoring plots.

Coppiced hazel stool protected from grazing.