ACTRESS Dame Judi Dench and her family have dedicated a grove at the Woodland Trust’s Ledmore & Migdale Wood in Sutherland “for the people we love.”
The former James Bond star sent Christmas cards last year telling her friends that she was dedicating an acre of woodland to them.
A post has now been erected in the grove to mark her donation.
Installation of the post was delayed due to the pandemic.
Dench said: “For many years it has been my habit to plant trees, marking occasions in family life.
“When I saw the Woodland Trust’s dedication scheme, it struck me as a marvellous way of gifting something rather beautiful and lasting to friends at Christmas.
“I looked at information and pictures of various beautiful woods before settling on Ledmore & Migdale.
“I have not visited personally. Perhaps I shall one day.
“As the trees grow in the years ahead, it is certainly a nice thought that some of my friends might drop by. It does seem a magical spot.”
Woodland Trust Scotland site manager Ross Watson said: “This is a fantastic accolade for Ledmore & Migdale.
“I am thrilled and I am sure many in the local community will be delighted too.
“The grove comprises an open bog woodland with birch fringe, and spectacular views over to Migdale Rock.
“It will be a fantastic haven for wildlife as the area continues to develop in the years ahead.”
Carnegie connection
Ledmore & Migdale lies around Spinningdale, a village on the shore of the Dornoch Firth.
At nearly 700 hectares (or 1,730 acres), it is one of the largest properties owned by the Woodland Trust and includes three Sites of Special Scientific Interest: Ledmore Oakwood; Migdale Pinewood; and Spinningdale Bog.
In 1897, industrialist and philanthropist Andrew Carnegie bought Skibo Estate, which then included the woods of Ledmore & Migdale. The estate stayed in his family until the 1980s.
The Woodland Trust acquired the bulk of the site in the 1990s. Earlier this year, it added The Fairy Glen, where the Carnegie family liked to walk.
Last year, 20 red squirrels were reintroduced to Ledmore & Migdale in a partnership between the Woodland Trust and Trees for Life.
Read more stories on Scottish Field’s wildlife pages.
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