Tonight Monday 5 February see’s the 5th episode of The Forest, the documentary filmed entirely in the Galloway Forest park and the surrounding area being aired on BBC One Scotland, 7.30-8.00pm.
This episode goes out and about with Community Liaison Forester Lyndy Renwick.
Says Lyndy: “I always class myself as the friendly face of the forestry commission but only because I fundamentally believe that the forests belong to a’ the people of Scotland…
“We should work with communities and people and groups that they can get the best out of the land too, because it belongs to the people of Scotland.”
When two fishing huts are discovered on remote Forestry Commission harvesting sites, Lyndy investigates. With worrying signs of fire damage around the first hut she visits plus concern that the huts are in the line of danger from harvesting machines, she puts up notices for the owners to get in touch… before the huts are demolished.
Chainsaw operators need to be expertly trained and highly skilled. Specialist contractor Dewi Williams regularly comes to Galloway to fell trees in the forest’s most inaccessible areas. It’s all good training for the UK Logging Competition, where the best precision chainsaw operator in the country is crowned. Former champion Dewi is taking part this year, but so is his employee Gethin Hughes and the competition ‘is on’’ to see who can come out top.
Because so few people live in Galloway Forest, the area has some of the darkest skies in Europe. And it’s become the continent’s first gold tier Dark Sky Park. The Observatory near Dalmellington houses two huge telescopes to give the public an open air, hands-on observing experience. At a Wednesday evening stargazing event all they need is clear skies. Says astronomer David Warrington: “When an evening session goes well, it’s when we’ve got those clear skies…and are able to see something like the planet Saturn.”
At Balloch O’Dee Campsite, owner James organises an impromptu pony show for the younger campers.
Catch up on all the previous episodes HERE
