Members gather and discover nature’s recovery at Glenlude

From regenerating woodland to butterflies and pine martens, Members enjoyed a behind-the-scenes look at restoration in action during our 2026 Members’ Gathering at Glenlude in the Scottish Borders. 

In late September, John Muir Trust Members met up for a special opportunity to explore this ‘gateway to wild places’, meet the people caring for it, and see the progress being made to restore its native habitats.  

Held ahead of the Trust’s 43^rd Annual General Meeting (AGM), the day was a perfect opportunity for Members to meet some of our staff team, Trustees and connect with fellow Members in the relaxing and restorative surroundings of Glenlude.

Expertly guided by Glenlude Manager Karen Purvis and Conservation Officer Ellie Oakley, the group had a wonderful time hearing about our work as they explored the site. 

Karen and Ellie welcomed Members, sharing the story of how the Trust came to care for Glenlude. Originally a sheep farm and conifer plantation, Glenlude was gifted by Shelia Bell, who recongnised that she would be unable to see her ambitious plans for restoring it. 

Sheila’s connection to Glenlude was deeply personal. One of her wishes was to be buried on the land she cared so much about, where oak trees now grow. Today, her vision continues to guide the work of staff, volunteers and partners as they help native woodland and other habitats recover.  

Splitting into two groups, Karen and Ellie then invited Members to enjoy personal tours of the different parts of the site and discover how more than a decade of restoration is transforming the landscape. 

Karen’s group headed to the north of the site, where they had the chance to hear about the changes she has seen over the past 14 years of working with volunteers and contractors on site.  

Among the highlights was the Phoenix Forest – an Award-winning, native woodland project that stems from our long partnership with Phoenix Futures. Members heard  how this young woodland is connecting to other areas of new and well-established native woodlands and regenerating native trees, creating a more joined-up network of habitats.  

Meanwhile, Ellie’s group headed south along a nicely maturing butterfly ride towards the restored sheep fank that now functions as a wild camping site for volunteers.  Thanks to her careful strimming preparations, the climb up Glenlude Hill was much easier and everyone was grateful not to have to wade through bracken.  

The route passed through a newly felled area that had been cleared of diseased larch and had been replanted with native woodland trees. Rather than planting in neat rows, the local contractors were encouraged to create a more natural arrangement reflecting the Trust’s approach to woodland restoration. This was nicely contrasted at the top of the hill, where the visitors admired a grove of native trees that had been planted by the Green Team a decade ago.

Ellie pointed out how an area once dominated by dense Sitka spruce has been transformed since the trees were removed in 2013. Native birch and rowan are now establishing and blaeberry and heather are returning to the woodland floor. “When you give it a chance to breathe and not be heavily grazed, things will come up,” explained Ellie.

Members discovered that restoring Glenlude involves much more than native woodland restoration. The team is also working with Butterfly Conservation to improve habitats for the northern brown argus butterfly, managing bracken to give its food plant - rock-rose - and other native wildflowers the opportunity to flourish. 

Recent butterfly monitoring has brought encouraging news, with green hairstreak and common blue butterflies recorded at Glenlude for the first time. These discoveries offer promising signs that the Trust’s habitat restoration work is helping create the conditions for a wider variety of wildlife to thrive.  

As they made their way around the site, both groups witnessed first-hand Glenlude’s restoration at different stages. Members also encountered butterflies resting along the paths and signs of pine marten activity, offering further glimpses into the wildlife making use of Glenlude’s growing mosaic of native habitats.  

The tours then ended in the polytunnel where everyone gathered for tea, and cake and conversation – as well as a look at the groundwork preparations for Glenlude’s latest project – the Gathering Shelter. 

The day was a great success. Members enjoyed seeing the progress we are making restoring our smallest site, while the Trust team was delighted to connect with Members – even picking up tips for bracken bashing gained from hard-won experience. 

Thank you to everyone who joined us at Glenlude, and to the staff, volunteers and partners whose dedication continues to bring this vision and wild place to life.