NEWSLETTER76542 SPRING2012Night at the Binns

Taste of SpringHow to Become a

member

Footpath Fund&

Donation information

Do your bitWorking Holiday

Volunteer info

Places to visit:Ben Lawers NNR

Ben LomondK&M

Hire a venue:Fairytale

Weddings

ISSUE #1

Bat and Moth Night at the Binns

Tastes of spring at Culzean

Travel to the House of the Binns on Sunday evening to see what bat and moth species live at House of the Binns with this ranger-led walk. The walk kicks off at 7.30pm and finishes up at 9.30pm.

Stuart Whittaker, Ranger for House of the Binns said: “On this dusk ranger-led walk we will see where about the bats are using bat detectors. On top of this we’ll be doing some moth trapping to see what fantastic moth species we have.”

Booking for the event is essential. To book your place and for any further information please call 0844 4932124 or email lothianranger@nts.org.uk.

Tickets for the event cost £3 for adults and £2 for children. Warm clothes, outdoor shoes and a torch are essential for the event.

The House of the Binns stands as a living monument to one of Scotland’s oldest families, the Dalyells, who have lived here since 1612.

The House of the Binns contains a fascinating collection of 17th- to 20th-century furniture, portraits and porcelain, revealing their lives and interests through the centuries. In the grounds, visitors can enjoy panoramic views over the River Forth.

The fun begins with as the Young Naturalists Club are set to meet for a mix of games, trails, crafts and other outdoor activities - Magic Mushrooms will occur on 18 October, with Oktoberfest taking place on 19 October.

Deirdre Mackinnon, Senior Ranger at Culzean said: “The Magic Mushrooms day will be a fungus foray in the country park looking at the huge variety of colours, shapes and sizes of fungi in Culzean, where they grow and why they are important. Children particularly like some of the common names – elf caps, witches butter and dead man’s fingers.”

“For Oktoberfest, we will be looking at some of the many festivals around the world, which are held in October such as Diwali, the Grapethrowing Festival, the Ages Festival and Oktoberfest itself. We will have fun activities linked to the different festivals (no beer drinking involved).”

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BECOME A MEMBER

PricesStandard membership price £49.00Annual direct debit £36.75Monthly direct debit £3.25

The fun begins with as the Young Naturalists Club are set to meet for a mix of games, trails, crafts and other outdoor activities - Magic Mushrooms will occur on 18 October, with Oktoberfest taking place on 19 October.

Deirdre Mackinnon, Senior Ranger at Culzean said: “The Magic Mushrooms day will be a fungus foray in the country park looking at the huge variety of colours, shapes and sizes of fungi in Culzean, where they grow and why they are important. Children particularly like some of the common names – elf caps, witches butter, dead man’s fingers, hedgehog fungus and jelly babies to name but a few.”

“For Oktoberfest, we will be looking at some of the many festivals around the world, which are held in October such as Diwali, the Grapethrowing Festival, the Ages Festival and Oktoberfest itself. We will have fun activities linked to the different festivals (no beer drinking involved).”

Please note that direct debit prices include a first year discount of 25% which will revert in the second year to the standard rate.

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Why we need the Footpath Fund? Imagine thousands of pairs of walking boots carving a path to the summit.

Add driving rain, heavy snow and unrelenting wind. The result is a scarred and barren landscape.

The National Trust for Scotland relies on membership subscriptions and donations to care for the places in our protection. Our mountains are loved by so many, yet cared for by so few. We need more people to support our work by donating and volunteering to ensure the long-term care of Scotland’s mountains. And that’s why we need the Footpath Fund.

The Footpath Fund raises money specifically for mountain conservation. Your donation will only be spent on path repair projects at the spectacular properties under our protection.

YOUR GIFT COULD BUY:£18 will buy 3 single-use helicopter bags so we can fly materials to remote sites

£25 will pay for 1 metre of path to be maintained using ’light-touch’ non-intrusive techniques

£150 will pay for 1 metre of path to be hand-built in native Scottish stone

£200 will help get a water supply to remote locations so the restoration work can begin

£700 will buy 1 hour of helicopter flying to get vital materials and supplies to remote locations

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DO YOUR BIT FOR SCOTLAND’S MOUNTAINS

Working HolidaysWe run over 50 week-long working holidays a year, many of them at our mountain properties. They offer a variety of conservation tasks such as tree planting, path repair and fencing. For more information see the Thistle Camp working holiday site - http://www.nts.org.uk/ThistleCamps/

Conservation VolunteersThe National Trust for Scotland manages five Conservation Volunteer teams, based out of Glasgow, Lothian, Tayside, Grampian and Highlands. Each team is made up of individual volunteers who meet every other weekend, all year round, all over Scotland, to undertake conservation work, socialise and have fun. The groups can work for the day or go away for residential weekends. The work varies, depending on location, but the Conservation Volunteer groups are frequent visitors to our mountain properties, to work on upland footpaths and mountain management.

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PLACES TO VISITBen Lawers National Nature Reserve

Ben Lomond

Kintail & Morvich

Scotland’s tenth highest Munro, Ben Lawers, stretches 1,214m (3,984ft) above Loch Tay. Make it to the summit and you’ll be rewarded with magnificent views of Ben Lomond and Glencoe to the west, and the Cairngorms to the north.

It’s part of the Ben Lawers National Nature Reserve, which encompasses nine mountains within the southern slopes of the Ben Lawers and Tarmachan ranges, seven of which are Munros. The area attracts walkers and climbers of all levels.

Rising from the east shore of Loch Lomond to a height of 974m (3,193ft), Ben Lomond offers exhilarating walking and spectacular views across Loch Lomond & the Trossachs National Park.

Details of walking routes are available from the Information Centre at Rowardennan car park. These range in difficulty from an arduous but rewarding ascent to the summit of

Ben Lomond, to the leisurely Ardess Hidden History

Trail - a low-level walk the whole family can enjoy because they are drawn to the varied routes available.

One of the last few areas of wild land in Scotland, this rugged, remote estate in the West Highlands offers a true wilderness experience. The dramatic landscape encompasses the Five Sisters – a mountain ridge incorporating three Munros – and the Falls of Glomach, Britain’s second-highest waterfall, as well as lochs, glens and coastline. The estate also contains two Scheduled Ancient Monuments: the site of the 1719 Battle of Glen Shiel, and Cill Fhearchair, a 2,000-year-old standing stone and burial ground.

Whether you want to take part in outdoor pursuits and adventure activities like hill-walking, climbing and sea kayaking, or just get away from it all and immerse

yourself in wild, unspoilt nature, K & M is the perfect place to do it. The area attracts walkers and climbers of all levels.6

Fairytale weddings

For centuries they have been the preserve of Scottish kings and queens, but today our exclusive portfolio of venues are available for you to hire.

Steeped in Scotland’s rich and vibrant history, we offer a collection of magnificent castles and breathtaking royal palaces, elegant country houses and world-class museums, colourful gardens and rolling country estates. For fairytale weddings, exclusive corporate events, private parties and family gatherings, the opportunities are endless with the National Trust for Scotland.

Whether your dream wedding is grand and sumptuous; intimate and relaxed; civil or religious (which includes other belief systems, such as Humanism); we offer a wealth of romantic venues across Scotland.

Ceremonies One of the great advantages of getting married in Scotland is that you can hold your wedding almost anywhere, as the minister, priest or celebrant carries the licence. For a traditional wedding, choose from our spectacular collection of grand castles, royal hunting lodges and beautiful stately homes. Several of our venues have their own chapel, while all offer a variety of stylish settings in which to take your vows. If you’re looking for something more unusual, why not choose the romantic waterfall and woodland setting of The Hermitage in Perthshire, the Garden of Historic Roses at Drum Castle on Royal Deeside, or the medieval Brig o’ Doon in Alloway, birthplace of Robert Burns. Find your perfect spot amongst our internationally acclaimed gardens, thousands of hectares of wild landscape and dozens of unique and unusual properties.

HIRE A VENUE

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