PLEASE HELP BORDERS FOREST TRUST TO BUY THE DEVIL'S BEEF TUB!

The Devil's Beef Tub is one of the most iconic landmarks in the south of Scotland. It is a cavernous hollow in the hills where the notorious Border Reivers once hid their stolen cattle. The Devil's Beef Tub forms part of Corehead, a stunning area of the land in the heart of the Southern Upland hills of Scotland which also includes Hart Fell, the highest hill in Dumfriesshire.

Borders Forest Trust has an exciting opportunity to buy the 1580 acres (640 hectares) of land at Corehead in order to protect and enhance the landscape and restore the natural habitats and wildlife that once flourished there. The hills and valleys of Corehead were once covered in the native woodland and wild habitats of the Ettrick Forest. Due to centuries of intensive grazing the land is now bare and only small pockets of heather moorland and native woodland remain. The Trust plans to return these lost habitats to the land of Corehead and restore a core area of the wild Ettrick Forest to the south of Scotland.

Corehead has great cultural and historical significance. It is most famous for its association with William Wallace, whose sister married the laird of Corehead Tower, Sir Thomas Halliday. Wallace is reputed to have gathered men from the Ettrick Forest and the Border clans at Corehead and from the Tower led his first attack against the English in 1297. The Border clans of the Ettrick Forest and Corehead area include Armstrong, Douglas, Kerr, Oliver, Moffat and Graham.

Find out more about our appeal by downloading the Devil's Beef Tub Leaflet here.

Borders Forest Trust, in December 2007, agreed a legal option to by Corehead. John and Berenice Williams, the current owners, agreed sale terms with Borders Forest Trust because they wish to see the land managed in a way that encourages wildlife and biodiversity and restores traditional agricultural practices. They will continue to live at Corehead and have retained a small section of land round the farm house and steading. The legal agreement between the Trust and John and Bernice was signed at Christmas 2007, giving the Trust some sixteen months to raise the purchase price for the land and the stock. We are looking to raise £700,000 for the land purchase, as well as the purchase of the livestock and the Single Farm Payment.

The majority of the land at Corehead is unimproved hill ground that has been used for centuries as sheep grazing. Very little of the original vegetation remains and woodland and heath have all but disappeared. There is a tiny fragment of native woodland hidden within a steep gully on the Tweed Hope Burn and small patches of heather on the steeper and more inaccessible slopes of Hartfell.

The Trust is planning to restore native woodlands in appropriate areas, montane scrub on the high tops, and heather moorland and wetland wherever possible. We envisage species rich hay meadows and wet meadows within a matrix of native hedgerows on the lower lying ground and wood pasture parkland on the shoulders of the many hill slopes that lie across the site. We intend to encourage wildlife and habitats to flourish.

Please help us realise our vision for this land by contributing to our Devil's Beef Tub Land Appeal, either online or by downloading this form. T Any size of donation is greatly appreciated and you can be sure that it will be used for no other purpose than the purchase of Corehead. Many thanks!