— What we're up to —
Fence Building
One of the first tasks for the team at Uigshader was to set about the grand task of constructing the perimeter fence. We received some initial training from Kiwi Pete Crawford and then proceeded build the necessary 6 kilometres (!!) of deer fence required to protect our future trees and peat bog from the grazing pressure from sheep, cattle, and deer.
The fence has now been completed which has allowed the team to move on to planting out the 30,000 native trees. The completion of the fence and the reduction of grazing pressure has helped the regeneration of trees and flower meadows.
The fence still requires constant checking and maintenance for the next 10 years to allow the young saplings time to mature above grazing level.
Tree Planting & Maintenance
The UFLP started planting the majority of our trees in 2022 objective and so far, we have planted 20,000 of our 30,000 target to create a native woodland. The planting has been made possible thanks to funding support from organisations such as International Tree Foundation and Woodland Trust and many hours of voluntary support and help.
The diverse mix of species include birch, hazel and rowan, aspen, gean and oak. This will establish a rich, biodiverse, native woodland out of this once degraded landscape
Seed Islands
The latest project UFLP have undertaken is the creation of Seed Islands. This has been made possible using funding provided by McGowan Environmental which was obtained through Northwoods.
Seed islands are small areas of fencing outside the main fence which are created to protect closely planted trees next to riverbanks. The purpose of these tree clusters is to create shade areas in the river which cools the water and is beneficial to fish. Planting broad leaf trees assists in reducing the acidification of the water that was a result of the previous Sitka plantation.
Peatbog Restoration
A survey carried out in 2019 identified a significant section of the Uigshader Woodland site contained deep peat. Currently the team are pursuing a restoration programme for these deep peat areas.
New for 2025 ULFP has been awarded funding from Inspire Scotland, as part of their community ecosystem restoration fund. For this initial project we will be working with the community and a local specialist to restore around 1 hectare of peat bog.
Developing Woodland Infrastructure
Since taking responsibility for the woodland, the UFLP team have been working to develop infrastructure across the site to assist with continued sustainable development and management.
The Bridge which now spans the Lon an Eireannaich, the river that cuts the land in two, was designed by Bill (Lupus Engineering) and built by a lot of volunteer labour.
2024 saw the completion of our new Barn. This structure was built using timber sourced and felled from the land. It was constructed using the skills and expertise of the core team with the help of volunteers. This is a welcome dry space where we can store tools and welcome volunteers.
Sustainability
We are constantly creating and developing new and interesting ways to be more sustainable on site. After many years of small scale solar and wind solutions we were awarded a grant in 2024 from Isle of Skye Renewable Co-operative to install a 5kw off grid solar system which has been mounted onto the roof of our newly constructed barn. This gives us plenty of power to help keep lights on and to operate and charge our tools.
On a smaller scale we also:
- Use our food waste to create nutritious fertiliser for our small veg garden (with a little help from a few worms).
- Have a small geodome greenhouse which was built in spring 2020. This allows us to experiment what can be grown in the climate of Skye.
- Cleanse any grey water with a small reed bed filtration system.
- Have a composting toilet. The urine is diverted to add nutrients to the soil and a system is in place to decompose the solids which will provide invaluable fertiliser for our young tree saplings.
- When on site we use firewood collected from the mass quantities of already harvested brush to have small fires to keep us warm, heat our woodfired bath and when the weather suits, we can cook our meals too.