The Pentland hills are a very special area for many, especially the members of our club. In order to preserve their beauty, the Friends of The Pentlands, an environmental charity, work to protect their environment and heritage. Their motto is ‘conserving, protecting and enhancing”.
The club reached out to Friends of the Pentlands to give back to the hills that give us so much joy. 17 members had the pleasure of spending the afternoon with the lovely Friends of the Pentlands charity. The charity was very encouraging and engaging, setting us to work on the restoration of the path running towards Maidens Cleugh from Harlaw. The club cleared 10 underground pipes to reduce the flooding and erosion risk to the path.
We all arrived with the prior belief we were fit and capable of a great deal. Many are avid milage munchers, some even take pleasure in ultra-distance races. However, clearing 10 drains was a completely different game all together. The humbling work started to break many, although the stubborn runner mentality kept us all fighting until the end.
The hours of digging lead to a fabulous restoration of the path we will all be proud of for some time. It did, however, also lead to a lot more than met the eye. The club heard tails from the Friends of the Pentlands, understanding the many activities undertaken to protect our hills. The club spent time sharing stories of the hills and learning how we can work towards playing our own role in their preservation. It turns out digging and talking is a nice way to form human connection, bringing the club and the charity closer together on a personal level.
We drew the day to a close with a thank you to the charity, who allowed us to give back. It also allowed us to show our appreciation for everything the charity does and will continue to do. It is a admirable group. We ended not with a goodbye, but a see you later. Plans are brewing for Carnethy and Friends of the Pentlands round 2, we look forward to being a part of the voluntary Pentland hill community again soon.
Kirsty Dickson