Ben Lomond's lonely juniper bush in line for new family

Juniper, which provides the main flavouring for gin, used to be common on Ben Lomond – but has almost died out due to grazing and burning. Only one juniper bush survives on its slopes, hidden away in a gully.

The National Trust for Scotland, which owns Ben Lomond, is determined to bring juniper back to the area and to give the sole surviving plant a whole new family for future generations.

Cuttings have been taken from juniper bushes in the wider Lomondside area and will be nurtured for up to five years until they are ready to replant on the hillside.

The NTS ranger for Ben Lomond, Alasdair Eckersall, said: "In the past, juniper was probably relatively widespread here, but not any longer.

"We are trying to provide this bush with a family, with the aim of giving juniper a chance to maintain its presence on Ben Lomond into the future.

"The gradual disappearance of juniper is likely to be due to a combination of factors, including grazing by livestock and deer, burning of scrub, and the use of juniper as a source of wood fuel. Juniper produces very little smoke when it burns, and so was much favoured as a fuel source by makers of illicit whisky as it didn't give away the presence of their stills."

Mr Eckersall said the archaeological remains of an illicit still site had been found in a wooded gorge, only 300 metres from the last remaining juniper.

After consultation with Scottish Natural Heritage, Plantlife and Forestry Commission Scotland, the NTS was advised to reintroduce other juniper plants close to the last survivor.

Stephen Mason, a habitat manager who found the bush at Ben Lomond, said it was a long and complicated process.

"I was brought in to look for juniper bushes in an area of about ten miles around Ben Lomond and took the cuttings," he explained.

"It is very tricky to grow juniper from cuttings so we took them to two specialist nurseries – Christie Elite in Forres and another in England.

"They will grow them for about six months so they are established, then we will bring them to the Ben Lomond area, but it will be another three years or more before they mature enough to be planted out on the hillside.

"The plan is to put about 200 plants in a fenced area near the existing juniper – and even if we lost three-quarters, we would still have a new family."

Mr Mason said juniper was in decline across the UK and rare in large parts of Scotland.

Asked why we should care about the juniper, he said: "Its berries are very useful for wildlife and it is used by moths to lay their eggs. It also creates attractive habitats and has a certain wildness about it."

Mr Eckersall said he believed the long-term project would pay off.

"The wait will be worth it to ensure juniper maintains its presence on the hill," he said.

"Taking cuttings from different plants will help ensure we are bringing as much of the remaining local genetic diversity as we practically can into one area. This will increase the chances of re-establishing a strong population – and building a new family for the last of the Ben Lomond junipers."

THE RICH FOLKLORE OF JUNIPER

JUNIPER has a rich folklore as a symbol of longevity, strength, athleticism and fertility.

As well as being used in flavouring gin, it was a popular fuel for illicit whisky distillers and is credited with many medicinal properties.

Its berries were used by native Americans as a female contraceptive and to treat urinary tract infections and diabetes.

The 17th-century herbalist Nicholas Culpeper recommended ripened juniper berries for conditions such as asthma and sciatica, as well as to speed childbirth.

Many early prehistoric people lived in or near juniper forests which furnished them with food, fuel, and wood for shelter or utensils.