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Glen Cluny - beehives now in place?

Glen Cluny - beehives now in place?


Postby Anne C » Thu Aug 18, 2022 9:50 am

Passed through the glen a couple of weeks back and noticed, in a few spots I know of as wild camping places, that what looked like beehives had been placed there.Lots and lots of them! Also further up the glen near the car parking for Cairn of Claise walk.
Does anyone know if that is indeed what they are? I might be completely mistaken.There's certainly so much heather out there just now, really beautiful so maybe the owners are making the most of that. Or - is it also to discourage camping?
Thought I'd ask on the Forum, in case anyone knows the story.
Thanks!
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Re: Glen Cluny - beehives now in place?

Postby Caberfeidh » Thu Aug 18, 2022 11:06 am

That's not unusual in the highlands; when the heather is blooming the beehives get placed to take advantage of the resource. Linn O'Dee near Braemar used to have lots, but now the forest is growing (overgrowing if you ask me) the apiarist will need to select another site. Maybe the sites which are good for camping are also good for beehives: sheltered, flat turf, ease of access, etc.
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Re: Glen Cluny - beehives now in place?

Postby Sunset tripper » Thu Aug 18, 2022 12:12 pm

On the train between Inverness and Glasgow the other day I saw quite a few of them in clearings in different places. Have you got any pictures of them?
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Re: Glen Cluny - beehives now in place?

Postby Anne C » Thu Aug 18, 2022 12:27 pm

Thanks Caberfeidh - with all the heather in that glen I did wonder whether that was the link.

No photos sunset tripper - just passed them by in the car this time. :( Certainly never seen that before.
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Re: Glen Cluny - beehives now in place?

Postby Moriarty » Thu Aug 18, 2022 12:43 pm

Certainly would be a rather difficult to criticise, but potentially rather effective, way of discouraging roadside camping.

The local community have, I've heard, expressed concern about waste from the relatively high density car camping that the Glen attracts.
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Re: Glen Cluny - beehives now in place?

Postby Anne C » Thu Aug 18, 2022 6:35 pm

Moriarty, I did wonder whether it was to discourage wild camping too.That glen gets very busy with tents though relatively few when we were up a few weeks past -maybe it's working.
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Re: Glen Cluny - beehives now in place?

Postby Anne C » Thu Aug 18, 2022 6:38 pm

Moriarty - I did wonder whether it was to discourage campers too - or -perhaps that's just a second benefit to the community. There were certainly far fewer tents in the glen when we were there.
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Re: Glen Cluny - beehives now in place?

Postby gaffr » Fri Aug 19, 2022 8:44 am

I have over the past few years come across, in several places within the National Park, rows of Beehives. I assumed that a large processer of Honey had rented out the ground from the Estates within the area for the collection of the expensive product. The ground between two of the glens, having vast areas of heather, was the ideal place for this practice.
Not that in any way would the positioning of the hives cause an overnight camper with a small tent any problem of being too close to the hives. The area suitable for a pitch is well provided with spots close to water and several hundred meters away from where the bees are :) .
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Re: Glen Cluny - beehives now in place?

Postby Scraggygoat » Fri Aug 19, 2022 10:01 am

Permission to site beehives on Estate land is commonly a perk of the Job for Gamekeepers; it is for Balmoral (not sure about Invercauld).

Estates also come to arrangements with private beekeepers as well.
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