Ettrick Marshes: Gates open on 'one of last great wildernesses'
- Published
The community takeover of Ettrick Marshes happened earlier this year
The gates have reopened on "one of the south of Scotland's last great wildernesses" following a community takeover earlier this year.
The Ettrick Marshes, about 16 miles (25km) west of Selkirk, boast unique habitats for wildlife.
In recent years storm damage and a lack of maintenance have seen tracks and boardwalks fall into disrepair.
New bridges, tree clearance work and the restoration of pathways have opened it up to visitors once again.
Extensive repairs have been carried out to allow public access to the area again
It follows a takeover of the 130 acre (53 hectare) site in May by the Ettrick and Yarrow Community Development Company (EYCDC).
Two part-time countryside rangers have also been employed.
Project manager Vicky Davidson said they hoped to carry out further work in future.
"The walk through this unique place really makes you feel peaceful and close to nature, and we want to make sure it remains a special place to visit for locals and visitors," she said.
"Through the hard work of our rangers we have so far re-established access, and now we will look at enhancing the visitor experience even further with things such as live camera feeds of water voles and nesting birds in the marshes.
"The Ettrick Marshes is one of the largest restored floodplain forests in the United Kingdom and it deserves to be studied properly so we hope to bring in some universities and ecological groups to do research and monitor how the habitats are changing and which species are flourishing."
The marshes have been described as a "delightfully unspoiled place".
The purchase of the site from Forestry and Land Scotland was supported by South of Scotland Enterprise and - with the backing of other agencies - it is now able to welcome visitors.
Over the past 12 weeks the local rangers, Tommy Bryson and Mitchell Hobbs, have restored the four-mile circular nature trail through and around the marshes.
"It has been an extremely busy few months, but we are now at the stage where it is safe for people to return and see for themselves what a wonderful place this is," said Mr Bryson.
"This is a delightfully unspoiled place with lots to see for anyone who visits."