Eilidh Duffy

A visit to Cardrona Forest

Cardrona Forest is home to a mix of native and introduced species which are carefully planted and managed by Forestry Commission Scotland to ensure wildlife and habits are nourished and sustained. This involves lower impact, sivicultural systems which control the composition of forests through gradual felling over time to ensure they remain well-established. 

Plans to increase Scotland’s tree cover will likely mean the increased planting of fast growing, non-native species such as sitka spruce which supply the bulk of timber processed in sawmills. This raises issues for biodiversity in Scotland’s forests, so a careful approach is crucial going forward. Decisions, routinely made, concerning development, growth, capitalisation of Scotland’s resources have profound implications which extend through a complex network of care infrastructures. In felling a tree, we not only remove the organism itself, but also the habitats, soil stability, carbon sequestering, shading, and air cleansing that it provides. Even once felled, trees are more than the product of timber, and a similar approach can be taken to describe their potential uses.

Material trajectories: Scots Pine

The caretaker of more-than-humans in Scottish forests

One of only three species of native conifer in Scotland, the Scots Pine is a recognised symbol and the country’s ‘national tree’.  It has an ability to grow its roots in depleted soils which then become regenerated, and is the supporter of a range of other species, particularly within Caledonian forest ecosystems. However, it has suffered over the years since the development of human civilisation, and its once widespread coverage has been greatly reduced.

Trees can live for hundreds of years to become ‘granny pines’ which, as they mature, develop deep fissures in their bark which host a wealth of mosses, insects, and birds. Their cones, too, are loved by endangered species such as Red Squirrels. Even when trees eventually come to die, their decomposition is slow and  continues to support and enliven wildlife populations.

The crofter's use of timber

Residential structures such as blackhouses and cruck framed dwellings often incorporated locally sourced timber which was pinned together to  form primary load bearing elements, at a time when masonry walls weren’t built strong enough to support the weight of a roof.  Timber therefore became a highly valuable resource which was cherished - so much so that when forced to move, crofters would abandon their houses but would keep the roof timbers for further use in a new home. Timber was held in high esteem and takes on a temporaility/ informality in it’s use. It was not seen as a use-then-discard material, but as a valuable resource which could afford many purposes.

‘Crofters could not build substantial costly houses as they might be evicted at short notice (...) They had to be content with homes of simple construction built by their own hands from local materials.’

‘The roof was regarded as a moveable thing and therefore belonged to the tenant. As a favour they were sometimes allowed to carry their roof timbers away with them when evicted.’

— Angus Macleod quoted in “Back to the Wind, Front to the Sun. The Traditional Croft House,” Caroline Hirst, 2008, p. 23.

Caring for the site

In the same manner as the forest, the site can be read as a series of  integral interactions which rely upon certain conditions, and which have hidden meaning and value inscribed as habits, rites and rituals. As observers of place, we can never understand the whole picture of such practices, but can speculate by investigating the vestiges and clues left behind. Therefore, the initial process is one of identification - seeking to understand occupancy through traces that often go unnoticed.

18-24 John’s Lane is a derelict two storey property located in the centre of an urban block in Leith which has fallen into neglect in recent years. The building is currently accessed via two points - a residential courtyard and narrow lane, and is situated amongst a series of adjoining previous industrial garages.

Stage 1 - building a toolshed

As an initial project for the existing allotments occupied by Earth in Common, the crofters build a timber shed to offer shelter from the windy, rainy Scottish climate. This will house tools for wood-working and gardening, which are stored and accessible by anyone in the community who has a project in mind or fancies trying something new.

City as croft

Following an attitude of care towards material and social issues, customs of crofting are considered throughout the stages of site research and design investigations. This approach acts as an extension of the values and practices of one of the client charities; Earth In Common, and also serves as a framework through which to re-instate a sense of place and culture of belonging for locals in Leith who will use the facilities provided by the ‘urban croft’. A common thread throughout notions of crofting is a sense of solidarity and shared interest - something which may act in antidote to the foregoing neglect of 18-24 John’s Lane and the surrounding urban fabric.

Concluding note

The proposal seeks to mend broken systems by instigating a sense of engagement across a far-reaching range of user groups and demographics, therefore catalysing interactions that forge a strong community bond. Providing a common thread of purpose to bind a range of social roles establishes the way of crofting in an urban context.  Through collective involvement across a range of activities, there is an arena for social inclusion, negotiation and potential difference.