Strathdon Area Community Action Plan May 2016 Location Map Community Action Plan 2 3 Introduction Community Action Plan Welcome! An Introduction To The scattered ruins and remnants Strathdon of the many clachans (fermtouns), This document brings together a small farms and crofts that supported wide range of issues, actions and Strathdon is an upland rural area on rural life are still visible. Most of the projects which the community the eastern edge of the Cairngorms habitable dwellings in Glenbuchat of Strathdon has identified as mountain range within the Cairngorms and Corgarff are well spaced out and important to its members. National Park. It includes the parishes located some distance apart from of Glenbuchat and Corgarff. The whole one another, but the settlements of Following a thorough and inclusive area is approximately 16 miles long by Bellabeg, Roughpark and Heughhead consultation programme, all of 6 miles wide. are clustered cosily together and the proposed actions are grouped provide some sense of how small under the following nine themes: The Strathdon area is bound by the communities evolved in the past. Deeside Hills to the south and the Theme 1: Recreation and Ladder Hills to the north, and includes By the late 18th and early 19th social life the mountain road to the Lecht Ski centuries, the breeding and rearing Centre. It broadly follows the River of cattle and sheep had become the Theme 2: Assets and Don from its source at 2000 feet mainstay of the local economy and facilities above sea level, eastwards to Corgarff the main crops in arable farming were Castle and onwards to Glenbuchat oats and barley. The former fed both Theme 3: Local attractions Castle, which stands at the foot of the animal and human populations and tourism the dominant landmark of Ben Newe. and the latter was largely used in the Strathdon’s high altitude makes its brewing of ale and the distillation of Theme 4: Employment, weather unpredictable and its winters whisky. The introduction of excise duty business, training and particularly harsh and long. The resulted in an illegal trade in whisky, education waters of glens Ernan, Nochty, Buchat, much of which was smuggled through Deochry, Conrie, Carvie and Deskry the Ladder Hills to Glenlivet by Duff’s Theme 5: Access, all feed into the Don. The area has a Defiance, allegedly so named as a house infrastructure and transport distinctive and specific geography and built in defiance of the local laird. shows much evidence of glaciation, Theme 6: particularly in its rounded hills. It is By the 1800s local limestone deposits Telecommunication home to an abundance of wildlife were being utilised to condition the soil including red and roe deer, grouse, and enhance crop yields with the aim Theme 7: Local ptarmigan, red squirrels, mountain of improving the ‘miserable condition’ communication hares, crossbills, buzzards, golden eagles of the inhabitants during depressions and visiting ospreys. in farming. Remnants of these lime Theme 8: Environment kilns are still visible, particularly in Although it is officially recognised by Glenbuchat and Corgarff. Theme 9: Housing and some bodies as a very remote and The clan system was much in evidence resident support rural area with a lack of facilities, the before the 1745 Jacobite rising. wider community of Strathdon has Particularly predominant were the The themes are described more shown itself to be remarkably resilient, Gordon and Forbes clans. After the ’45, fully on pages 6 - 11. The table independent and self-reliant, continually Corgarff Castle, with its distinctive star- on pages 12 - 14 lists each issue, evolving and changing to meet the shaped wall, was rebuilt as a military together with its proposed actions needs of its people. barracks on the newly established and associated key partners. General Wade military road from Strathdon Past Braemar Castle to Fort George. Part of the original military road and several The area has a rich history with bridges still exist in the locality. evidence of human habitation dating as far back as 2000 BC. Artefacts include By 1820 the population was recorded Iron Age hut circles, earth houses and as approximately 2000. The rise of the Pictish Doune of Invernochty. sporting estates wrought significant changes in local farming practice along 2 3 Introduction Community Action Plan with the introduction of enclosures and now add to the old drove roads and mechanisation. Later records indicate smugglers’ trails. The estates continue that many people squatted in the upper to have a huge influence on land use glens, whereas others emigrated and and still offer grouse and pheasant moved elsewhere. The large family shooting, deer stalking, and trout and estates of Candacraig, Edinglassie, salmon fishing. Nowadays only a small Allargue, Tornashean, Inverernan and number of tenant farmers manage Newe, with their substantial houses and larger areas in the glens. Many of these surrounding gardens, were to become original farms have been occupied major employers and also landlords to by the same families for several tenant farmers. The improved tenants’ generations. In recent years it has housing of the early 20th century, built become common for farm tenancies to in traditional granite, continues to be replaced with farm managers who account for most of today’s housing oversee several incorporated farms. stock. However, until well into the first The area’s climate and remoteness, and half of the 20th century it was normal changing land use, have all combined for each area to sustain shops, sawmills, to result in substantial population a smiddy, a miller and a tailor, as well as fluctuations. a school and church. The population of the area supported churches in each Grid electricity did not reach the community, with two in Glenbuchat, outlying areas of Corgarff and one in Strathdon, and two in Corgarff, Glenbuchat until the mid to late 1970s. including the Catholic Chapel, Our Since then, and particularly as private Lady of the Snows. transport has become more attainable, the area has gradually become more In 1823 Sir Charles Forbes attractive as a place to live. Greater reintroduced the previously numbers of young people are staying in proscribed wearing of Highland dress or returning to the area, which is also and encouraged the preservation witnessing an influx of new full-time of the Gaelic language. A Highland residents, many of whom are either and Friendly Society was created self-employed or work outwith the area, to promote ‘manly conduct’ and often in the oil industry and related ‘benevolent feeling’. At its heart was activities. Otherwise, the population - and remains - the annual Lonach is mainly employed in the service Gathering. industries, gamekeeping, farming, tourism and creative industries, although retired Changes And Present-Day people form a significant proportion of Strathdon current residents. Between World War I and the 1970s, Changing patterns in land ownership as people migrated to towns and cities, have resulted in many more privately the population declined and with it owned properties in recent decades many of the area’s facilities. Properties and a more mobile demography. became vacant, were allowed to The area includes a small number of fall into disrepair or were bought privately rented properties, as well as as second homes by professionals large quantities of estate housing for from elsewhere. As the Forestry rent. There is still a certain amount of Commission began to clothe the hills weekend holiday homes, but these are with conifers, many of the marginal decreasing significantly in number as upland farms disappeared and the hills properties are now more likely to be became the patchwork of high heather bought as full-time residences. Holiday moorland and managed forestry we lets, mainly in the more remote glens, see today. Forestry and estate tracks are now a feature of visitor amenities. 4 5 Introduction Community Action Plan Over the past 30 years Strathdon Gathering, which includes the March itself has suffered reductions in of the Lonach Highlanders. This event, public transport, as well as the loss held on the fourth Saturday of August, of a garage, a shop at Roughpark, attracts over 6000 people into the area. a hotel at Boultenstone, a branch of the Clydesdale Bank and several The Community Action small visitor attractions such as open Planning Process gardens. Corgarff School closed due to lack of pupils in 1998. Strathdon The community’s interest in developing School (which also houses a playgroup) an action plan was motivated by remains an integral part of the present discussions between Donside community and has a steady roll of Community Council (DCC) and approximately 25 pupils. When children Marr Area Partnership (MAP), which reach secondary school age, they enrol explained the benefits of community at Alford Academy in the village of action planning and offered to work Alford, a distance of 20-25 miles from with the local community to develop an most of Strathdon. This academy draws action plan. Discussions between DCC, students from an area of approximately which also agreed to chair a proposed 600 square miles. The reductions in local steering group, and members of the services, as well as employment outwith community, held in order to gauge the community, have led to a heavier interest, then led to the development reliance on car transport to Aboyne, of a local steering group. Tarland, Alford, Ballater, Aberdeen and Huntly. The community’s carbon The steering group first met in footprint is correspondingly high. November 2014. It was supported by MAP and the Cairngorms National Across the wider area facilities Park Authority (CNPA) and comprised nowadays include nursery provision members of DCC, two hall committees at Towie School, sheltered housing and other volunteers from the for 10 residents in Bellabeg, two Post community, including parents, local offices and a variety of other local artists and people who work in land businesses including; shops, mechanical industries.