Patrick Riley, Forestry and Estate Student

As I finish my time at Balcaskie I’ve taken some time to write a little about my experience as a Forestry and Estate Student, what work I did, the estate and living in the East Neuk.

When I first arrived for my interview, I was struck by the beauty of the area, while the interview itself had it’s ups and downs (breaking the key for a tractor), I still left hoping I would be successful in getting the job. Luckily, I was, and a week later, loaded my belongings into my car and made the trip from Kirkcudbright to Pittenweem, one scenic coastal town to another. After my first few days on the estate, I was struck by how welcoming everyone was and the positive working environment that the head forester, Reuben, had created.

We began with planting, completing a new Hazel plantation to allow for coppicing in the future. Despite the arduous process of staking in straight rows, when we finally finished there was a real sense of satisfaction, particularly with the feeling that this plantation could be something that benefits the estate, and by extent, the local community for years to come. We also created a new plantation around a pond in the fields surrounding Balcaskie house, primarily focusing on wetland species such as willow, Alder and Birch. Following these new plantations we also “beat up” (replaced dead trees) in several of the existing plantations on the estate. I had worked as a tree planter in Dumfries and Galloway and on a tree nursery in Australia where approaches to planting differed to Balcaskie, I really enjoyed being able to plant a variety of species, mostly native hardwoods, as opposed to the rows of Sitka and Norway Spruce I had planted in Southern Scotland. Seeing a more environmentally friendly focus on forestry is also refreshing and much needed in our everchanging climate.

Following the planting season, we kicked off a clear fell of ash trees affected by dieback, getting this time on the chainsaw was very valuable to me and greatly improved my confidence in my work. Reuben plans to replant the clear fell site this winter. Other large projects we undertook included the thinning of Sawmill Wood and then Kettlenaked Forest, which has proven to be a mammoth task. It is important to thin out woodland as a dense dark forest lacks understory, which is a habitat and food source for many wild animals. Thinning also encourages a tree to develop a larger root network, thus making it more wind resistant and overall, a healthier tree.

I also helped Reuben with timber extraction, and I have greatly improved my tractor driving skills while here at Balcaskie, mainly due to feeling comfortable that if and when I made mistakes, I would be supported to learn from them. I also carried out tasks such as pruning and firewood processing, giving me a good range of experience across the board to continue my career in the industry.

The work on the estate has also included tasks outside of forestry, such as cleaning ivy off walls, pruning virginia creeper, weeding in the gardens and hedge cutting. Some of the work I enjoyed most outside of forestry was with Jeremy, the estates Biodiversity and Wildlife Officer, particularly catching grey squirrels, it’s good to feel like your making a difference in protecting one of Britain’s most beautiful animals (the Red Squirrel) and it is also great to see the difference Jeremy’s work makes in allowing red squirrels to continue to live at Balcaskie.

It’s been great to have the chance to live in such a beautiful area, I will never forget the sweeping view of the firth of forth which I have been lucky enough to look at every day. Being able to walk some of Fife’s coastal paths and enjoy the villages of St Monans and Pittenweem on my doorstep has been great. I hope that my work on the estate can add to this beauty and that the forests on the estate that I have helped maintain can be enjoyed for years to come.

I’d also like to take another chance to thank Reuben and Jeremy, I’ve learnt a lot from both of them and that knowledge will help me going forward.