Habitat – Carbon Sequestration - Shading – Community – Education

Glenfalloch might be called the source of Loch Lomond with the River Falloch flowing from a 24,000ac catchment on the hillsides near Crianlarich and running down through the Glen to the head the Loch. Glenfalloch is passionate about making the restoration of riparian habitat on what could be as much as 20 miles of burn and river the backbone of the long term nature restoration project it is embarking on.  

Glenfalloch would collaborate with a range of public, charitable and community organisations to create a riparian habitat that delivered improved landscape scale ecosystems as well as community engagement and education opportunities. The improved habitat would provide contiguous climate and biodiversity crises fighting links from the banks of Loch Lomond to montane scrub high above the tree line. Thus providing new habitat for the huge range of species found on Glenfalloch and enabling species to move north and higher to adjust to climate change. Tree growth would contribute to the sequestration of carbon, fighting climate change, and provide shade to the watercourses preventing warming of the water thereby offering greater chances of survival to the young migratory fish and brown trout found in the river system. It is anticipated that the local community and local primary school will be involved from an early stage in order to ensure there is maximum benefit delivered to those living closest to the project area.

The Lothian Esks which start their headwaters in the Pentland and Moorfoot Hills flowing through Midlothian and after flowing through a number of towns and villages joins together before discharging into the Firth of Forth at Musselburgh.  On the way it tumbles through ravines and communities providing life for wildlife and people who live and work in the area.  A river loved by people but needs a holistic catchment scale initiative to ensure it is resilient in the future and supports both wildlife and communities.

There are areas within the Lothian Esk catchment which are at risk of flooding which could damage houses, businesses and infrastructure.  The catchment is also impacted by the presence of weirs and manmade dams which impact on the natural movement of species particularly fish - salmon , trout, eels and lamprey and also damaging impounded waters and loss of sediment transfer.  This is further exacerbated by the presence of sewage, and mine water pollution and invasive non native species.

Working across all communities the river needs a plan and action which can be taken to boost and support the work to prevent flooding as well as protection of drinking water assets and sewage treatment plants.  Improvements are required to both longitudinal and lateral connectivity which will lead to the recovery of nature supporting both local and visitors alike.  The river and its people can, by working across the whole river catchment and on sustainable nature like solutions, potentially reduce to the costs of flood mitigation measures, reduce sewage spills, provide sustainable solutions to net zero energy production and bring iconic species back to the river supporting tourism.

Measures could include the re-introduction of the beaver to aid river engineering, reconnection of floodplain, planting or riverwoods along the catchment, removal of impediments to fish passage up and down stream as well as ensure the sediment transfer function to provide nutrients and energy to the river system.  This would include bring the communities together to prepare a plan as well as looking innovative types of funding for delivery.  We believe this would also support the measures being put forward for the delivery of flood mitigation measures within the catchment.