Old Harbour
Woods
Welcome to Riverside Community Council's Sub-group for the nurturing and regeneration of the Old Harbour Woods.
Organised by local residents and supported by Stirling Council, we would like to invite you to join us in enhancing this local beauty spot. Please get in touch if you'd like more information.
Under 16 year olds to be supervised by parent/carer. All activity risk-assessed and insured. Bring long sleeves & trousers. Meet at the pillars beside Riverside Quay FK8 1HZ student accommodation or walk along the path to find us.
The Old Harbour Woods project is part of Riverside Community Council in association with Stirling Council. For more information or to discuss access, contact 07926 169765.
Hi Folks,
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Exciting times in the woods!! You may have noticed that the tree works are now completed as funded by our CSET grant. The Council has offered to chip any brash we wish, although their chipper is currently out of action and it won't be fixed until later in the year.
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With Spring fast approaching, or already upon us (depending which dates you go by), we are hoping that the brighter days will bring you out to join in our work. Last session there was just 2 of us, however we managed to fill a van load with rubbish, including mattresses and all sorts!
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We now have money from the Clackmannanshire and Stirling Environment Trust for a programme of works, which includes tree thinning, wetland landscaping, interpretation features, working with a horse logger, bulb planting and some seating. Our volunteer plans for the next year will include more coppicing, clearance of invasives and dead hedge construction.
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We are also discussing the next part of our project with Laura Jaap, who is a green woodworker and has now visited the site. We will be working with her to create some bespoke interpretation panels so do come along to one of our sessions soon to look at the plans. It's possible that these woodworking sessions will take place in 2 x 3 day blocks on site - Saturdays to Mondays in the next few months. Watch this space.​
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Cheers,
Judi & Di​
Latest Updates
Logging on for the New Year - Cutting Logs for Interpretation Trail - January 2026
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In January, the Old Harbour Woods Sub-Group started the first practical steps to create an interpretation trail for the woods.
There will be a number of wooden posts to be dug into the ground at various points around the woodland. Using their phones and QR code, visitors will be able to access a description of what they are seeing about them on the community council website.
The information will introduce the residents of the woods - birds, mammals, and insect species - and give a description of this 'living woodland' that we're managing to help create a healthy and balanced ecosystem and provide recreational, cultural, and educational value for those using the woods.
For example, at the north entrance, visitors can see the Pillars (or columns, as they're sometimes called), that were salvaged from the old Forthside House after it was demolished. An ARK (Act of Random Kindness), is an area of land that is a sanctuary for Nature, and one has been created nearby by Riverside Naturally. Also near the Pillars, is an area that has been planted with wildlfowers and trees by Extinction Rebellion, which is a blaze of colour in the growing season, and a home for pollinators.
To prepare the posts, the volunteers cut a few lengths of wood that had been left over from the creation of the large interpretation boards by the eastern entrance to the woods on Forthside Way. The top of the post will be cut at an angle to house the QR code, and the post will be firmly dug in to their final locations over the coming months.
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