The staff and volunteers that help manage the Upper Nethan Gorge Wildlife Reserve near Blackwood were saddened to find this old railway hut vandalised at a recent path maintenance day. The railway is long gone, but it provides a nice quiet walk along the edge of the reserve and the hut was one of the few upstanding remains from a more industrious time.

Converted into a bat roost by Trust volunteers almost 15 years ago, the hut has remained largely untouched until now. The bricked up door has been broken down and fires set inside and outside, rendering it uninhabitable by its intended residents.

Trees alongside have had their bark stripped off and will need to be felled and piles of cut willow along the path edges have been thrown around. After a bit of a clean-up we will aim to repair the door and the places for roosting bats inside the hut. If anyone can help us identify who was responsible for the damage then please get in touch.

Steve Blow – Reserves Manager, South of Scotland
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