Historic River Tweed landscapes receive a £50,000 Fallago Environment Fund boost

Ruairidh Calvert and Angus Emond from St Boswells Primary, William Younger from Old Melrose Estate and Derek Robeson from Tweed Forum. Picture by Paul Dodds.

Created during the 18th and 19th centuries and often planned to provide an enhanced setting for the region’s great houses, the Tweed catchment’s designed landscapes are an essential part of the area’s character.

This countryside provides beautiful views that are regularly photographed by visitors and locals alike. However, many of the impressive trees within the landscapes have been lost to old age, harsh weather and disease.

The Fallago Environment Fund grant will contribute towards a £250,000 initiative that will see 5,000 individual landscape trees such as oak, beech, sycamore and holly planted in copses, treelines and as individual parkland trees to restore the ‘designed landscape’ in areas surrounding the river.

The trees will grow to be visible to people using the new 113-mile River Tweed Trail – which forms the centrepiece of the Destination Tweed initiative and will run from Moffat, near the source of the River Tweed, to Berwick where the river meets the sea.

As well as adding to the aesthetic beauty of the landscape, the trees will capture carbon, improve biodiversity and provide shelter for livestock and wildlife.

The Fallago Environment Fund shares the benefits of the Fallago Rigg windfarm in the Lammermuir Hills with projects across the Borders and is supported by Roxburghe Estates, Federated Hermes and EDF Renewables.

Chairman Gareth Baird said: “We’re delighted that the Fallago Environment Fund’s windfarm generated grants are being used to restore and rejuvenate the countryside in the vicinity of the new River Tweed Trail.

“Designed landscapes are an essential feature of the Tweed catchment and we believe they must be looked after. This is just one of a number of Destination Tweed projects the fund is supporting and we’re extremely pleased to be able to play a part in the development of an initiative that will bring significant economic, social and environmental benefits to the region.”

Managed by Tweed Forum, the first Designed Landscape project planting has been taking place at the Old Melrose, Traquair, Hirsel, Floors and Ladykirk estates and it is hoped that planting can eventually be facilitated at a further 20 estates in the Scottish Borders and north Northumberland as part of the Destination Tweed project.

Other funding partners include the National Lottery Heritage Fund, as well as the estates themselves.

Luke Fisher, Destination Tweed project director at Tweed Forum, said: “Many people don’t realise that much of the beautiful countryside we see in the Tweed catchment has been deliberately designed across the centuries.

“As more of the wonderful trees within the catchment are lost to old age, it’s essential that we act now to plant trees to preserve the area’s beauty.

“This £50,000 Fallago Environment Fund grant is a huge boost to our Designed Landscape project and will help to restore and enhance the areas surrounding the new trail, as well as providing multiple environmental benefits.

“We’re extremely grateful for the fund’s support.”