We always enjoy visiting a new RSPB reserve. Baron's Haugh is located just outside Motherwell and is bounded by the River Clyde. The birdwatching territory was once part of the enormous Dalzell Estate and the remaining grounds are now in the hands of the local council and serve as a public greenspace. We had stopped here a couple of years previously for a quick look at the nearest hide but today would be a full explore. Living close to the motorway network means we can easily reach the main Lanarkshire towns inside an hour.
The RSPB have run the reserve here since 1983. The riverside area was formerly grazing land for the estate and I had also visited these parts when following the Clyde Walkway. Dalzell Estate has a rich and fascinating history. It started life as a Royal Hunting Forest in 843, and was owned by the Dalzell family until 1647 when it was granted to James Hamilton.
This family seat persisted until 1952 when -following the death of Lord Gavin Hamilton - the dynasty upped sticks for Surrey and the mansion became a boys school. Does this tale have a familiar ring? By 1967, the big house was unoccupied and it lay in a state of dereliction until the local authority purchased the building in 1985 for the princely sum of one pound. A tasteful conversion was done and several private apartments now provide a purpose for this early 16th-century property. Upon arrival, I fancied scouting out the house and having a look at the Japanese Garden, while Nicole opted to head straight for the bird hides. I took a handy photo of the estate map and soon found the entrance to the far-eastern themed quiet spot - apparently designed to provide a place for spiritual contemplation. Every Japanese Garden I've visited seems to have an arched wooden bridge over a stream and this one did not deviate. A pleasant wander of just a few hundred yards brought me to the mansion's main entrance. On the way stood the ancient Covenanters Oak - allegedly the oldest living thing in North Lanarkshire. This mighty tree offered shelter to the Covenanters of the 1800s, who were barred from holding religious services within churches. Interesting stuff!
The grand house was an impressive sight. There was no way of omitting the parked cars from the picture but with a building this spectacular, you take whatever shot you can get. It's incredible to think literally hundreds of similar properties were lost throughout Scotland during the 20th century. Yes, some of them were vanity projects or the result of one wealthy estate owner frantically trying to outdo his neighbour. If you think we have a problem with inequality today, it was magnified tenfold back then. My point of contention is that once these places were built, it was insanity to knock them down again. Maybe not entirely breaking rocks for the sake of making a noise (there were obviously complex financial considerations to ponder), but think of the sheer skill involved in the construction and set that against the banality of the wrecking ball. Nah, it wasn't really progress or a case of sticking it to the toffs. We simply blootered a lot of our architectural heritage. I cut across to the RSPB zone and found the first and second hides empty. Nicole must have moved on swiftly. The third shelter stood alongside the river and three smirking youths shuffled away as I approached. I initially thought they were poking fun at my beardy persona and the fact I was laden with camera and binoculars. No doubt that was part of it. I sat beside Nicole and she said that while the boys hadn't been remotely threatening, they had been pushing boundaries by making inappropriate remarks. A result of socialisation - we decided - as they clearly hadn't developed these mindsets completely independently. As Nicole rightly pointed out, she can confidently hold her own among wee laddies but it is sad that some women would be apprehensive about sitting alone in a nature reserve lest they be the recipient of unwanted attention.
It's a point of discussion I've seen several times on wildlife and walking forums. Females can be reluctant to venture out on their own within a rural setting, even less so if the trip involves woodland. This makes no sense from a purely statistical standpoint. You are far more likely to encounter trouble in a city centre, and how many woman say they are fearful of going on a shopping spree? In fact I once saw an ex-police officer reply to one of these "is it ok to go walking by myself" queries, saying that in 30 years on the force, he couldn't recall a single incident of a solo female hiker being molested in the countryside, yet had to deal with all manner of horrible crimes within an urban setting. The bogeyman isn't really skulking behind a tree but these seeds are planted and people understandably become wary. I think there's also the idea that if you happen to be unlucky, there's no way to call for help, much in the same way that if a plane goes down, your number is up, despite the fact there is a massively bigger chance at the outset of losing your life in a car accident. Yet fear of flying is common and people jump on road transport willy nilly. You could debate this all night long but an underlying fact is that attitudes to women among men and boys do undoubtedly have to shift. One to muse upon today. There wasn't a huge deal happening out on the water so we ambled along to the final hide - only to encounter a grown man smoking a joint. Credit where it's due, he did nip it out, make his excuses and leave. But really? In your 30s and sitting getting stoned on a nature reserve in the middle of the afternoon? Far out, dude. There's definitely a different clientele to be found when you're bordering urban sprawl as opposed to being out in the country. The discarded cans and bottles in the hides also indicate that not everyone's primary reason for visiting is the viewing of wildlife. I still haven't come across a couple shagging, although it's sure to happen at some point.
Rather than retrace our steps, we decided to cut through part of the estate grounds under council ownership. This suited me as there were sure to be a few interesting artefacts along the way. Just as we were leaving the nature compound, we got spectacularly lucky. A flowering meadow lay behind a low fence and a few deer were wandering around in the distance. As we scanned the area, Nicole suddenly spotted a fox looking straight back at us. I've seen a couple of urban foxes skulking around before but never one in a natural setting. It stood motionless for a good few minutes, perhaps checking us out, seeing who would make the first move. I had already taken my camera out and was able to zoom in for a few close-ups with minimal body language. What a great photographic situation! A couple with a young daughter - barely more than a toddler - wandered up and we were able to point out the fox to her through Nicole's binoculars. She was of course delighted and we certainly did our bit there to promote awareness of wildlife. I also attempted to squeeze old Reynard into the same frame as the deer and managed this successfully, although the size of that Basil Brush (remember him?) visage was greatly reduced. Sometimes you go to a nature reserve and one thing happens that makes the entire day worthwhile. This was certainly one such occasion, and particularly pleasing that it occurred after a couple of experiences that hadn't left us overwhelmed with the place. Pics in the bag, we turned up a path that followed a Clyde tributary back into the woods.
I found a curious little building hiding away in a leafy corner which turned out to be the Hamilton family mausoleum. It's not unusual to come across these old tombs on once-grand estates. Opulence was obviously extended to the afterlife. Overlooking the scene stands the remains of Lord Gavin’s Temple. He had this built as a place to watch over the last resting place of his beloved wife, Lady Sybil Hamilton. St Patrick’s Well was nearby and has been renowned for centuries as having healing powers. It is located near the original site of St Patrick’s Chapel, which was demolished in the 1890s, although the adjacent graveyard contains memorials dating back to this time. It was good to combine a bit of treasure hunting with the wildlife activities. We had worked up quite an appetite and headed into Motherwell for a bite to eat before setting off home. An excellent little day out.
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