Gayle enjoys a guided nature walk to derelict Blackwater shooting lodge deep in the heart of the Cabrach with ranger Stephen Reeves.
The song of a skylark – a sure sign that spring has sprung. Immense in volume and stamina, it’s a mating call that more or less cries: “Come hither young ladies!”.
I’m captivated by the singing of one of these small birds, which has whipped vertically from the heather, helicopter-straight, up into the air a few feet away from me.
“Skylarks nest on the ground so going up high helps him spread his sound and shows how brave he is,” explains my companion Stephen Reeves. “He’s marking his territory and calling for a mate but a sparrowhawk could easily take him out of the sky.”
I’m on a guided walk with Stephen, who’s the ranger based at Dorenell Visitor Centre in the Lower Cabrach.
The last time I was in the area – in November and to explore Cabrach Reconnections, an art project showcasing the desolate beauty of the Cabrach – I heard there was a derelict shooting lodge a few miles from the visitor centre. And when I found out Stephen led guided walks there, I was keen to join him. Hence, I’m back here in spring.
The seven-mile there-and-back walk to Blackwater Lodge is among a few expeditions led by Stephen, and it’s a chance for him to share stories about the area, its history, and its unique flora and fauna.
He works for Dorenell Ranger Service, set up by EDF Renewables UK in 2019 as part of the nearby 59-turbine Dorenell Wind Farm.
Abandoned buildings
As we set off up a steep hill from the centre, we pass boarded-up Upper Ardwell Farm, one of many abandoned buildings in the area.
Up on the horizon we spot the ruin of Shenval, which Stephen tells me was once the site of a Roman Catholic chapel. “It was burned down after Culloden, then rebuilt, and then it fell into disuse,” he says. “There are reports of priests staying there, saying they thought conditions were so rough through the winter that it was the end of the world.”
To our left is Dead Wife’s Hillock, which an internet search reveals was named after a woman who perished there in the late 17th Century during the famine. She died of starvation and was found with a child alive attached to her breast.
Glorious nature
A more upbeat, life-affirming discovery is that of some randy frogs copulating in puddles, and piles of frogspawn in a ditch nearby. That’s more like it!
There’s also an exciting blanket bog restoration project and an impressive patch of juniper on a hillside, which, of course, is the source of all things gin. It might be a little hard to harvest this nectar though, as it’s in the middle of the wilderness.
Stephen tells the story of Queen Victoria’s visit to Elf House Cave with her faithful servant John Brown when she stayed at Glenfiddich Lodge, just over the hill, in 1862.
“It goes about 15 metres into the hillside and she wrote about it in her memoirs. That’s on another of our walks, the Glenfiddich Trail.”
Blackwater Lodge
Passing through Blackwater Forest, we emerge on to open moorland, and get our first, tantalising glimpse of Blackwater Lodge, surrounded by rolling, heathery hills peppered with wind turbines.
I’m like a puppy, bounding with excitement in my mission to reach the derelict building, complete with kennels, stables and other crumbling edifices. It dates back to the late 18th Century, and was the hunting lodge for the Duke of Richmond and Gordon.
“It was occupied until the 1960s but it was a seasonal shooting lodge and fell into disuse,” says Stephen. “The expense of maintenance would’ve been too much, I imagine.”
A walk round the exterior and a peep through windows is fascinating – it’s worth noting that guided walks don’t encourage going into the buildings as they are unsafe. There’s a curious wooden wheel attached to one wall, which Stephen reckons may have been used to power something in the kitchen.
The grounds in front of the lodge make the perfect picnic spot, and it’s here we enjoy our sandwiches in peace, with only the sound of a gentle breeze and the chirp of a skylark keeping us company. If you’re lucky, you might spot red deer, golden eagles and dippers, but they’re keeping a low profile today.
I’m reluctant to leave this glorious spot, thought to have hosted some celebrity guests through the centuries, including Queen Victoria and her party.
Guided walks
While you can pilgrimage up here yourself, it’s worth joining a guided walk and there’s an evening one planned for June.
“We’ve got three waymarked routes,” says Stephen. “These have always been there but we’ve upgraded them and made them easier to find. There’s one in Glenfiddich, Upper Cabrach, and this one to Blackwater Lodge.”
While people have a right to responsible access, Stephen recommends sticking to waymarked trails.
“If you keep to designated routes you’re less likely to upset wildlife and you’ll allow the gamekeepers to go about their work safely. And you’re less likely to get lost!
“However it’s important to say that we as rangers are here to promote responsible access. We’re here to get this positive message across and helping people to enjoy, respect and understand the area.”
Information
- The Cabrach once had a thriving population of around 1,000, but today only around 70 people call the area home. A huge proportion of young men from the Cabrach’s farming community died when they went to fight in the First World War. Others, who had supplemented their meagre incomes with the production of illicit whisky, moved away with the legalisation of distilling.
- The 177MW Dorenell Wind Farm has 59 turbines and a planned operating life of 25 years, during which time EDF Renewables UK will contribute £8.85 million to the community benefit fund, with an additional £930,000 allocated to a special projects fund. EDF will also make a series of improvements to regenerate the Cabrach area, strengthen tourism and deliver environmental education.
- Dorenell Visitor Centre is open Monday to Friday and has information about the cultural and natural history of the area. The Ranger Service runs a programme of guided walks and events and leads a weekly health walk in Dufftown. Rangers also work with early years, schools and universities. For details of ranger-led events, see facebook.com/DorenellRangerService/
