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When the opportunity to secure funding for work at Birnie Loch Local Nature Reserve arose, staff from Fife Council's Community Services (Countryside) saw a great chance to get a number of issues off the ground that had been just not possible previously. Over the years the Reserve, a former gravel extraction site, has proven very popular, with annual visits estimated at between 70,000 and 100,000 per annum. The safety of the area is particularly important for the many school, community and other groups using the site. The Birnie Loch Nature Reserve expanded in 1996 to include the previously quarried Gaddon Loch. A great deal of work had been done previously through working with the local community and particularly the Howe of Fife Rotary Club. The footpaths around Birnie had been resurfaced and a new bird hide was put in place to overlook Gaddon Loch, complementing the one already overlooking the water of Birnie. The grassland around Gaddon showed promising signs as a valuable habitat and we realised that if we had the opportunity to graze it, the benefits would be significant. The process began with planning meetings in January, shortly after the Scottish Executive gave the project the go-ahead. |
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