About Us

THIS IS A PCT PROJECT UNDER THE DAY-TO-DAY MANAGEMENT OF SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS

Eshiels Community Wood occupies around seven hectares – just 17 acres – alongside the River Tweed in an environmentally sensitive area that accommodates one kilometre of the Sustrans Tweed Valley Railway Path.

There are great possibilities for family picnics, open days and guided events. One of our groups leads forest schools and this is a great outdoor classroom. Part of the woodland was felled in 2006 to allow access to the recycling centre next door and was subsequently replanted by scouts and other volunteers with hundreds of native trees. 

Its purchase by Peebles Community Trust extended that community investment in designated Special Area of Conservation (SAC), a site that is strictly protected under the European Community Habitats Directive covering those considered to be most in need of conservation. It is also a designated SSSI – Site of Special Scientific Interest. The Eshiels Woodland Group came together more than two years ago, combining individuals with expertise and interest in forestry, woodland management, ecology, and the environment and green issues. They were aware that Forestry Enterprise Scotland intended to dispose of the woodland and wanted to acquire it on behalf of the local community in order to protect a much-loved local asset from clear felling or speculative ownership, and encourage activities to enhance the landscape, improve biodiversity, secure public access, safeguard cycle route. The group’s involvement led to discovery of the rare currant shoot borer moth Lampronia capitella, considered extinct in Scotland since 1988, and known at only ten sites in England. This is a great place – great to walk, great for picnics. There are exciting possibilities for trials of woodland management techniques such as coppicing, and the gradual extraction of timber for things like wood fuel, bean sticks. The aim is to leave most of the broadleaf trees in situ and plant more. Some Cyprus spruce now 100 ft tall, planted in 1928, will be retained as magnificent and rare specimens. Management will also enable more food for river trout by encouraging invertebrates – fish, bird and bat food. 

 Update March 2026

A new era opens at Eshiels Community Wood this spring. All the conifers have been felled in the former commercial forestry of seven hectares on the Tweed riverbank and work is beginning to replant the area with native deciduous trees.

“We’ve had contractors in to harvest conifers that were planted many decades ago and we’re drawing on the income to convert the whole 17 acres into a native woodland for the benefit of everyone,” said John Woolliams, who chairs the volunteer management committee. 

Fifteen species of tree have been ordered, including alder, elm, birch, ash, willow, oak, hornbeam, rowan, crab apple and blackthorn. The first 180 hazel slips are already in the ground.

“Eventually we’re going to be planting thousands of young trees amidst healthy mature deciduous specimens we’ve been able to retain and we’re assembling teams of volunteers from amongst our partners and supporters to help us. This is the first stage in our bid to restore a native woodland as a benefit for the local community, wildlife and the wider environment using management systems that are in danger of being forgotten.”

Coppicing is one such system, an ancient and sustainable technique that involves cutting broadleaf trees down to a "stool" during winter dormancy to encourage rapid regrowth of new, multi-stemmed poles. It rejuvenates trees, extends their lifespan, and increases biodiversity by allowing light to reach the forest floor. And it provides timber for sale or use. A stand of hazel for coppicing is among the first areas to be planted. 

It’s an exciting time for Eshiels Community Wood, which became Peebles Community Trust’s first asset in 2019 after Forestry Enterprise Scotland decided it had no further use for the forestry, which was first planted between a railway track and the river Tweed nearly 100 years ago. Over the years, and particularly since the railway closed and the line became the Tweed Valley Railway Path, it became a favourite place for picnickers and dogwalkers and cyclists.

PCT’s volunteer ECW management team has already been busy. After an initial pause imposed by the Covid pandemic, selective conifer clearance has produced logs for sale, with the income used to hand out small grants to local groups like Peebles Food Bank, Peebles and District Men’s Shed, Tweeddale Red Squirrels Network and Peebles Paths Group.

The team has planted cuttings of currant bushes from plants already growing along the riverbank that were found to support three rare species of moth, including the currant shoot borer moth Lampronia capitella, considered extinct in Scotland until they were discovered here by a professional ecologist in the management team. The Eshiels colony is one of only ten such sites across the UK and PCT and Butterfly Conservation have monitored population numbers since 2020. There are also owls and red squirrels and three species of bat, including the Daubenton’s or water bat, which skims along the river to feed.

Volunteers have also spent weekends clearing invasive plants including Himalayan Balsam and Giant Butterbur, which cause serious environmental impacts along river corridors, prevent the spread of native species and increase riverbank erosion. Scottish Forestry approved PCT’s long-term management plan late last year.

“Our broad aim is to create a sustainable woodland that benefits everybody – the local community and wildlife and the wider environment for the long term,” said PCT chairman Michael Ireland.

“The money that’s been brought in by selling timber will contribute to restocking and help to meet other costs over the next ten years when we will have to survive effectively on income and look after the young trees.”

Now the team has another 1100 trees to plant this spring. The trees, stakes and protective sleeves are ready to go, and volunteers are signing up to help meet the challenging target to plant them by the end of April.

“Right now, our main concern is to make sure we meet that target and move on to the next stage if our management plan to plant another 5,000 trees during the next two-and-a-half years,” said John Woolliams.

Anyone interested should get in touch through eshielswoodland@gmail.comor leave a message through the Eshiels Community Woodland Facebookpage.