The Inchewan Burn Project, Birnam

The River Tay is one of Scotland's greatest fishing assets. In order to guarantee continued healthy Atlantic salmon stocks it is crucial that spawning area habitat is in optimal condition for juvenile fish to thrive in Jock Monteith has conducted his own habitat restoration projects starting with Birnam's Inchewan Burn, the first of many projects.

Jock first conceived the idea of restoring the Inchewan Burn in August 2004. The burn suffered from over-canopying from native species of trees and encroachment in two areas from commercial forestation. Further to this, there were man made blockages on the burn. The biggest problem was the riverbed underneath the A9 motorway, which has 70 metres of broken gabion reno mattress that had been destroyed and repaired on numerous occasions since the '70s, due to the natural movement of large boulders in the burn. A lack of sunlight negatively impacted on the entire ecology of the burn, and the impassable, unsightly broken wire jungle underneath the A9 road bridge was the reason that the Inchewan Burn had been cut off from migratory fish for over 30 years.

To raise funding for the project, Jock set up the Willie the Gillie School of Casting in March 2005. The casting school ran on alternate Sundays throughout that year and raised sufficient funds in order to pay the necessary survey costs. By this time Jock had forged good relationships at senior level in SEPA, who advised him to have the woodlands and other aspects of the burn professionally surveyed.

SEPA introduced Jock to The River Restoration Centre (RRC) in Bedford, the leading UK authority on such work. Jock also contacted Scottish Native Woods (SNW) in Aberfeldy and instructed them to conduct a survey on the riparian woodlands of the burn.

The survey reports cost £1,200 in total. They were invaluable in moving the project forward and were sent to various bodies including SNH, SEPA, the Scottish Executive and the Forestry Commission.

As a result of the survey, in April 2006 the Scottish Executive sent a team of specialists to investigate the blockage underneath the A9. They decided based on the RRC's report to reconstruct the A9 riverbed in a more environmentally sympathetic manner using natural stone; the work is scheduled to complete by December 2007.

The Inchewan Burn Project as it has taken shape has been a focal point for SEPA/SNH & RRC workshops, held in September 2006 & September 2007 at the Birnam Institute. Angus Tree, the SNH Freshwater Adviser (Rivers) asked Jock to give a presentation on the project at both well attended annual workshops.

All work on the burn is now scheduled for completion by March 2008. More importantly, much larger habitat restoration projects are now underway (Tay Western Catchments Project) in the Tay headwaters involving the same team of dedicated professionals connected to the Inchewan Burn Project.

Jock is now exploring ways of involving the educational services so that youngsters can learn about the riparian environment through an educational walk along the Inchewan Burn. Grant money has been acquired for The Inchewan Burn Project to provide interpretation boards and a picnic & seating area for visitors to the burn.The overall funds generated to rectify the habitat issues on the Inchewan Burn have to date totalled £93,000.

To download a PDF of the River Restoration Centre's Report on the Inchewan Burn Project: Inchewan Burn Project Report (900Kb)

For further information on the Inchewan Burn Project email: CLICK HERE