Over the years the area to the south of the Car Park has been used to site the Community Shed and then the Volunteer Fire Brigade base. It seemed logical to investigate the area to the east of these developments and south of the Play Park development. When the playpark was extended a few fruit trees were included and these have done well demonstrating that these were valued.

It was established in 2022 that the land belongs to The Highland Council and so the the journey began.   For a detailed description of the process please visit the Blog   
June 2024   shows inclusion of field drains

With the steep embankment up to Carr Rd, the site was wet in places. This has been addressed by creating a 

1. Bog Garden

2. Planting a willow structure and 

3. creating a longitudinal drain of leaky pipe and stones and 2 cross drains to the existing Burn.
   
   The difference was especially noted between our Wassail Events which didn't have an Ice Rink in 2025
   There are further plans to create a 'leaky dam' at the bottom of the burn to improve habitat for Freshwater Invertebrates

One of our projects was to harvest rainwater to help establish our plantings in their first year  and we recycled plastic barrels to collect rainwater from the roof of the Community Fire Station

We wanted to create a hedgerow for wildlife habitat and shelter for the trees on the Northern boundary of the site and decided  on planting a Wild Harvest Hedge row along a 90m boundary between the burn and community playing field. 

Thanks to the Scottish Woodlands Trust for donating 210  saplings of Hazel, Blackthorn, Crab Apple, Elder, Dog Rose and Rowan.  

In March 2024 we planted these in a double row with help from the Rural Skills Pupils from Grantown Grammar school. We used canes, some with protecting sleeves and mulch to help them to bed in and protect from grazing by rabbits and deer. 
Once grown the hedge will provide shelter and an array of fruits and nuts for the wildlife and, possibly enough for making some community jam, syrups and flavour some drinks.

As novices, this was a steep learning curve to work out what to plant.  The elevation of the village, the cold winters and the short growing season were all major considerations. This with our aspirations to be as organic as possible and source from local suppliers formed the parameters for our decisions.

We took advice from local orchards and national suppliers and decided on Heritage Varieties that would flower after our late frosts and lambing storms.  We took advantage of the nearby Crab Apple tree for attracting pollinators across the flower season before we planted our own.

We decided on MM106 Rootstock to enable us to always pick from the ground. 

We learned how to graft and prune and focussed on engaging our community.

Our first trees were planted in June along the side of the burn by the Class of 23 pupils at Carrbridge Primary School. Local Businesses and voluntary groups 'Fostered a Fruit Tree' in September 2023.

We opted from mesh cylinders to protect our young trees from browsing deer and rabbits as fencing the whole site would have been prohibitively expensive.

In 2024 we were offered a further donation of fruit trees and started our first 'Pocket Orchard'

Following consultation with the pupils of Carrbridge Primary School, we settled on a circular Arena made of willow. In due course we will weave to create a 'roof' like structure. There are 2 access points, the primary one being via a short tunnel.
The bark floor covers strong geotextile and a noughts and crosses grid has been a popular addition with locally sourced birch discs for the 'counters'.
Construction was a truly multigenerational effor with Orchard Volunteers, Rural Skills Pupils from Grantown Grammar School and pupils from the primary school all involved. Under the expert eye of Karen & Co from Naturally Useful we had it done by lunch time.

In addition to helping with drainage this is a peaceful area for some quiet time and to observe the comings and goings of creatures who share this space.

The aspiration to include a Living Roof has led to a shed like no other.  The  Volunteers who delivered this worked in all weathers and we even had a handover celebration with a little mulled wine. This team was mentored by master craftsman Victor. Hence the name.

We have peat! The alluvial soils on the orchard have pockets of fine silt, some clay, boulders and stones and we have a peaty area near the shed at the foot of the embankment.
The bog garden is still a work in progress and so far we have planted a 'wave' of willow, some flag irises and other native bog plants.  We have seen evidence of Frog spawn and tadpoles and there was 'movement' towards the burn during the summer month. We look forward to developing this area further.....the images here are sourced from Google

Walk all the way through the orchard and you will be rewarded with discovery of a hidden fairy garden.
Local chainsaw carving expert Alice Buttress donated a stunning miniature wooden castle which forms the backdrop for this fairy paradise.  Stop a while in the willow den with a story or a snack and enjoy the peace and quiet. Little ones are welcome to re-organise the fairy scenes, under supervision.  

Volunteers are adding plants to the area to celebrate the seasons and a fairy-sized replica of the Carrbridge dirt jumps is underway, in consultation with local mini bikers. 

Our herb garden is thriving in this spot and has impressed us all with its rapid growth! It will be tended by volunteers between seasons to keep it at its best. 

All visitors are welcome to help themselves to what they can use. 

• Mint and camomile for tea

• Rocket, nasturtiums, basil and chives for salads

• Fennel, dill rosemary, oregano and marjoram for cooking. 

• Calendula and feverfew for medicinal value

Raised beds were introduced early in the project at the far end of the site beside the existing Larch and Conifer trees.
We wanted to keep these and have used them for birdboxes made by Speyshed. These existing trees give protection from Northerly winds but  made the area unsuitable for fruit trees due to competition for water and nutrients.
The area is still very sunny so we created raised beds, using cardboard, sleepers, bark mulch between for paths. Soil was mostly gained from the site and a load of soil was donated by the developer of the Housing site on Carr Rd
Carr Bridge soil is notoriously stony, being part of the flood plain of melting glaciers eons ago. A large frame screen was used to remove the bigger stones. The help from Rural Skills Pupils at Grantown Grammar School was very much appreciated with this task and bringing bark on site. \The latter was donated by Andrew McInnes, our local Wood Merchant.

These raised beds contain locally sourced Soft Fruits and others suited to our climate such as Saskatoon, Cranberry, Blueberry, Marionberry and Honeyberry.  2 types of Rhubarb were planted Autumn 2024 and more Perennial Vegetables such as asparagus and perpetual spinach are planned.

watch this space for developments in 2025

Funding is in Place thanks to Carr-Bridge Ahead to create a Gravel Garden in the spring. Native alpine plants will be planted in pockets surrounded by gravel.  This area will also be an information space for visitors to learn what they might find as they explore the orchard.

Pallets are a readily available resource and generally made of hardwood.  The Friday Club helped by foraging for materials to put in each layer to create habitat for different species. The nearby Log Pile and Bog Garden are other habitats we created to meet the needs of insects and other species which are part of a food web at the orchard.

We also took the opportunity to introduce a living roof using recycled and natural materials such as sphagnum moss beneath a layer of textile, topped with gritty soil and compost mix for wildflowers and chamomile.

The AirBee n'Bug is visible from the willow arena for those who want to observe any comings and goings

Following the initial remediation of the site and setting out where our Fruit Trees would grow, the first planting task was the Wildflower meadow to create impact in our very first growing season.
Local experts were consulted and we followed their recommendations and sowed native Scottish Wildflowers with provenance from Scotia Seeds. The perennial and annual mixes gave a stunning display and we have continued to learn more about wildflower meadow management and the need to build the seed bank of our soils. Full details of what we sowed are available on request.

We loved the Wildflower pictures create by the Primary School Children in the first year
In addition with a grant from Nature Scot - Volunteering Matters Action Earth we purchased over 650 native wildflower bulbs and invited local voluntary groups to plant them on site to attract early pollinators. 
They were also invited to take 10% of the bulbs to plat elsewhere in the village and hopefully these will naturalise over time to support biodiversity.

Our benches were sourced from a local supplier and are made from sustainable wood. The picnic bench by the mature Goat Willow has an extension to accommodate wheelchairs and buggies. Benches made from the same wood have been placed inside the Willow Arena. These have been stencilled with the Gaelic Tree Alphabet for native trees.

There are informal paths between the Fruit Trees through the wildflower meadow and bark paths down to the Fairy Garden and Willow Arena. A recycled mesh path suitable for wheels runs down to the Raised beds and is underplanted with white clover. 

To maintain the organic status of what is grown on a site that has been unaffected by herbicides, fungicides or insecticides for over 50 years, ir was agreed that we would only compost materials generated on site.  

The plinth for our main information board has been constructed using reclaimed stone from the site and nearby. The incorporation of an arch is a nod to our famous packhorse bridge. 

The information board is where many people will first access this page via  QR code.  We hope that will enhance their enjoyment and guide them through the Orchard.
There will also be an option for people to donate towards the upkeep of the orchard for generations to come.
More images to come as the project nears completion.