Talla & Gameshope is special because it offers a rare opportunity to restore a large area of hills and upland valleys to their natural state - providing habitats extensive enough to be sustainable. At its southern end the property borders both the Trust’s Carrifran Wildwood and the National Trust for Scotland’s extensive Grey Mare’s Tail Estate.
For centuries, Talla & Gameshope was an upland sheep farm. The impact of this land management style on fragile upland habitats is plain to be seen. Native woodlands once thrived along the valley bottoms but, over hundreds of years, these woods were cleared, and steady livestock grazing then ensured the trees could not regenerate naturally. Likewise, the higher slopes would have been rich in montane scrub, with heathlands of heather and blueberry.
Talla is the third project Forest Carbon and the Borders Forest Trust have collaborated on, resulting in over 750 acres of new native woodland to date. Phase 1 of the replanting at Talla & Gameshope was completed in spring 2018, and phase 2 of the work took take place over the winter of 2018/19. We are confident that over time these valleys and hillsides will once again support vibrant, self-reliant habitats, habitats that would not have been possible without the support of Forest Carbon partners such as CGI.
15,461 trees
10.29 hectares
Spring 2019
2,667 tonnes CO2
Community
Water Quality
Wildlife
