The Bracken Problem

Bracken is spreading. This is true of Scotland as a whole, but to find local evidence of this, one has only to take a walk along Ormsaigbeg and see the number of crofts which, fifty years ago, supported a family, but which are now almost completely covered in the plant. Nationally, the observation is supported by scientific studies such as that of Binnie et al (here), which show that bracken is making an impact on some 70% of Scotland's 'good rough grazing', 31% of the 'poor rough grazing', and 16% of the country's 'heather moorland'.

On traditional crofts bracken had its uses, for example as a packing material around potatoes when they were buried in a pit for storage, and for bedding for animals, but its spread was controlled by regular field use and cattle, which trod it down. The areas that were agriculturally most useful are now covered, as bracken prefers a rich soil.

Bracken is terribly difficult to eradicate once it is established. It can be killed off in four years by carefully timed cutting, but the use of a tractor is limited because the bracken conceals any rough ground, and bracken stalks are so tough they damage the mechanical cutter. Scything or strimming is hard work, and bracken spores can be carcinogenic. Spraying with herbicides works but is difficult and expensive, and using animals - cattle, pigs or goats - has to be done with care as they can develop a vitamin D deficiency which kills them.

Where bracken has been cleared quickly following invasion, native plants, including heather and trees, readily regenerate, but many areas have a thick underlitter of fronds which have long ago killed anything that lived beneath them, so regeneration is slow, usually by species such as foxgloves, nettles and thistles.

There are areas of Ardnamurchan which are now virtually inaccessible in summer once the bracken has grown, as it is thick, sturdy, and sometimes over two metres tall. Worse, it is our experience that wading through bracken is one of the best ways of collecting ticks, and bracken offers a fine home to one of our least favourite local insects, the highland midge.