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Around Armadale
Armadale's environment, past and present
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Rosie
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Recent Events, Activities and Changes affecting
Armadale's Environment |
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December 2007: 1st Armadale Girls'
Brigade were awarded their Community badge after working
with the Wastewise Armadale project. They had to monitor the amount of
waste that was produced in their homes, and they also tried to reduce the
amount of plastic bags that were sent to landfill. They were given
reusable shopping jute bags for their efforts. Rona Gold,
Environmental Education officer for Waste Management Services said that the
girls had shown 'a firm commitment to caring for the environment' and
that they highlighted for their community how important it was 'to reduce
the amount we waste'. |
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'What's on your doorstep?' Project:
Blackridge
Environmental Forum gained a £3,000 grant to enable a
group of 15 young people from local areas such as Blackridge and Armadale
to conduct educational research while they are visiting environmental
sites in S.E. Scotland.
In summer 2006, the Forum
conducted a successful 'What's on your doorstep?' Project in Dunbar, home
of John Muir, National Parks pioneer, and, with the help of the grant,
they hope to extend their attention to a wider area in the future.
Information gathered from future research visits will form a power point
presentation to local community groups and schools. |
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West Lothian Council's Annual Gardens Competition
2007: Armadale area winners: Congratulations to our local winners: (1) Andy Park ; (2) Elizabeth McAlpine; (3) David Reid
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West Lothian Council's Annual Gardens Competition
2006:
Armadale area winners: Congratulations to our local winners: (1) Andy
Park of Avondale Drive; (2) David Reid of Westfield; (3) Robert Love
of Lower Bathville.
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Black Moss Nature Park, which was
created from derelict land in 1978, east of the pond below, was allocated
over £46,000 from the Forestry Commission Scotland as part of the
Woods In and
Around Town Initiative. It was hoped that the new funds would help to
make the amenity more user-friendly by upgrading paths, phased felling and
replacement tree planting. Visitors to the park in 2007 will have
noted a significant change to the appearance of the amenity. |
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Black Moss Management Group |
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Hardhill Wood:
From July 2006,
a SUDS programme was in operation there. If you haven't visited
recently, you will be surprised at the changes. |
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Historical Overview
Flora and Fauna of Armadale and District
in the 1840s
(source: New
Statistical Account of Scotland - Linlithgow, 1845) |
Rarer species of plant found in the area
included:
- Paris quadrifolia
- Adoxa moschatellina
- Cistus Helianthemum
- Erysimum alliaria
- Solanum Dulcamara
- Malva moschata
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- Orchis bifolia
- Polygonium bistorta
- Anthoxanthum odoratum
- Pinguicula vulgaris
- Senecio saracenicus
- Hippuris vulgaris
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- Iris pseudacorus
- Asperula odorata
- Glycoma hederacea
- Saxifraga granulata
- Ranunculus ficaria
- linum catharticum
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- On the banks of Bathgate Water until
Barbauchlaw Water, otters were seen occasionally, although they had
been rather abundant a few years before.
- In Barbauchlaw Water, trout were
plentiful and salmon came to spawn in autumn, returning in spring.
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- Rare insects that were seen in the area
included the humming-bird moth and the death's head moth.
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- A nest of grasshopper warblers was
found in the Bathgate Hills.
- In 1834, a nest of siskin was found
in a spruce fir in the middle of a hawthorn hedge, about 5 feet from the
ground. They fed on the ripe dandelion seed, and, in winter,
knapweed seeds.
- A frequent winter visitor was the
kingfisher, which, in harsh winters, resorted to seeking its food
almost under the wheel of a mill, despite constantly passing pedestrians.
- Night-jar or fern-owl.
- Considerable numbers of crossbill
who fed on larch seeds, which they obtained by separating scales of the
cones.
- The european dipper and the
sandpiper liked to build on the banks of Barbauchlaw Water.
- A few pairs of ringouzel bred every
year on the rocky ground on top of the Bathgate hills.
- The black-headed gull, the coot,
the gallinule or water-hen and wild-duck liked to
breed on the banks of Balbardie Loch and Bathgate Water.
- In the same areas were observed in autumn
and winter: redshank sandpiper, heron, teal,
wigeon, crested grebe, little grebe and bittern.
- Occasional sightings were made of the
great cinereous shrike, the ruff and the kite.
There were single sightings of golden orioles, and turtle
dove (which had been killed).
- Game birds: black and red grouse;
pheasant and partridge; large flocks of golden plover in
winter; dotterel in April and May; quail.
- Birds which traditional bred in the area
included: common snipe, curlew and lapwing.
- Winter visitors also included: woodcock,
jack-snipes, fieldfares, redwing, snow-bunting,
mountain finches and starlings.
- Regular summer visitors included:
spotted fly-catcher, redstart, wheatear, whinchat,
sedge warbler, black-cap warbler (rare), greater and
lesser pettychaps.
- There were 2 rookeries in the area:
a large one in the wood near Balbardie House and the small remains of a
large one on the Boghead Estate.
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Husbandry:
- Pastoral rather than arable farming.
As a result, dairy farming is particularly successful in this area.
- There were few sheep and the only pure
breed of cattle was the Ayrshire, mixed breeds being more commonly kept.
- Resident farm owners and their tenants had
drained and improved their land considerably, with more limited
improvement to farm buildings.
- Mr Weir Snr of Boghead had been the most
extensive improver of land. In 20 years he had planted 86 acres.
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