Outdoors: The beauty of Scotland's woods is just a walk away

Seldom does junk mail ever prove to be anything of interest, but a Woodland Trust flyer intrigued me just enough to check out its website, instead of doing what I would normally do and chucking it straight into the recycling bin.

I am glad I didn't as the website is crammed full of nature information and activity sheets which you can download to entertain and educate the children. There are some really good ideas to make outdoor rambles fun for all the family and the best bit, it's free.

We made use of the online forest finder to locate and find out more about our nearby forests, so the girls and I felt duty bound to scamper to one of our local community woodlands, which we knew nothing about.

Plora Wood near Innerleithen was acquired by Woodland Trust in 1986 but its history can be traced as far back as the 12th century.

The wood runs alongside the single-track road within easy reach of Innerleithen, with parking available in nearby lay-bys. It extends over 50 acres of mature woodland, so there's plenty of space to roam.

We were on the lookout to identify trees including oak, beech, horse chestnut, sycamore and silver birch to name but a few, all of which provide a habitat for an abundance of birds and wildlife.

Undaunted by the steep climb, we headed uphill, deep into the forest, following the rough path alongside the small babbling burn.

We had regular stops as Hope paused to clean the mud off her wellies. We also halted to spot fungi, moss and lichen, and for a well-earned breather. I had taken the precaution of packing lots of snacks and drinks in a rucksack which we were glad of.

Although it wasn't the clearest of days, we did manage to glimpse stunning views of the Tweed Valley and Innerleithen. Little legs were soon flagging so a quick retreat back downhill was required.

Sadly there is no circular route so the best option is to venture off the paths to explore at will.

Adventuring types can even ramble up onto Forestry Commission land to gain access to the Southern Upland Way.

I confess I was a bit guilty of trying to get the girls as far as possible uphill when I should have just let them explore at their own pace. My lesson well learned, we are looking forward to returning to Plora and discovering it a little at a time.

We'll enjoy our role as nature detectives and make sure we visit during all the seasons.

www.woodlandtrust.org.uk

This article was first published in The Scotsman, 5 March, 2011