Volunteer @ Dunans in 26 🌳 Jamming! ⚒️ Ruradhs Available 🎁

Jamming
Under the Bridge

While we had only a week for this September volunteer session, the team managed a programme of heroic proportions!

Call me ambitious, but I had lined up four main areas of activity: first, the creation of a path to loop under the eastern arch of the bridge and up and around the north side to rejoin the drive (see plan below); second, the creation of over a thousand willow whips for replanting; third, the collection of saplings in the policies of the castle for replanting in the regenerating areas of the new woodland and last, the clearance of the existing paths down to the eastern arch. We had a 'stretch goal' to begin the clearance of invasive rohodendron ponticum, which I didn't think we'd get to ... how wrong I was!!

Above: We began with spades, digging out and redefining the old path which was little more than a contoured ledge amidst the bracken - here we have Tom, myself, Mark and Stephen (one of our indie volunteers who joined us for the first couple days of the week).

Above left: Mark on the footplate of the mechanised barrow, which he and his father very much enjoyed driving! Above right: resurfacing the path with type one sub-base, ontop of geotextile, was an arduous task which the two guys worked at with great energy. Below, the new path creates a loop around and under the eastern arch, and will eventually provide foot access into the new woodlands we are creating.

Above: Mark enjoys carting aggregate, while below, the team had a couple of sessions planting the saplings collected in the grounds of the castle. With oak, alder, birch and rowan saplings we covered several hundred feet of hillside, augmenting the natural regeneration.

The dark orange rectangle shows where we planted, above, in one of the harvested commercial coups, and below left, celebrating our second planting session. Below right is the view from the jammers' accommodation on Loch Riddon

Above: over the whole period much time was spent 'pruning' whips from a line of willows planted some ten years ago. The team sorted these into the immediately plantable, longer stakes and lastly, the lengths of willow we could use for structural work and steps. Below left, one of the cottages at Tighnariddon, our lovely accommodation, and below right, a view of the incredible stately home, Mount Suart - the world's first 'Million Pound Home' - which we visited on our excursion on Sunday, alongside the Bute Distillery, Rothesay Castle and the truly marvellous Victorian Public Toilets.

Above, the team on excursion - possibly just before going to a pub, and below left, widening the path to the bridge with below right, the steps installed and being inspected...

Above, the final stages, showing our pathmakers with the willow raw-materials being prepped to help shore up the path surface, and below, the 'boss' being given the final tour of works achieved during the week - along with valedictory pose in the arch...

Above, the AIP high heidjins standing on a properly cleared and reconditioned stone platform at the end of their works! Below, a 'wee dram' on the last night in the accommodation with our host Andrew - who also led a party of jammers on an evening fishing expedition on the River Ruel.

The grounds at Dunans have benefitted markedly by all the activity over this single, very varied week, and the sense of achievement expressed by the volunteers was wonderful to behold!

Bookings for next year's session are open here: