Tardee and Six Mile Water Slopes Landscape

Key Characteristics

• Undulating land on the lower slopes of the Six Mile Water valley.
• Mixed patterns of fields and woodlands of different scales, with woodland cover increasing to the east.
• Hummocky pastures with hillocks, rock outcrops and rough grazing.
• Leggy hedgerows and degraded field boundaries.
• Scattered farms and small holdings; many with outbuildings.
• Lines of hedgerow trees and some mixed woodland on lower slopes.
• Numerous small villages.
• Archaeological remains including raths, stone circles, standing stones and chambered graves.

Landscape Description

The Tardree and Six Mile Water Slopes wrap around an area of high basalt moorland which includes the summits of Carn Hill, Big Collin, Wee Collin, Tardree Mountain and Douglas Top. The area lies between the high ground of the Tardree Upland Pastures and the Three and Six Mile WaterValleys. It is characterised by an area of relatively degraded undulating farmland with overgrown, leggy hedgerows and rushy pastures. The uneven topography results in an irregular field pattern. Hedgerow trees create a wooded appearance in some views, although in others their uneven and leggy forms give the impression of mismanagement and neglect. The steeper slopes, on the edge of the basalt moorland to the north, become progressively more wooded towards the east.

There are no major settlements in the area, but many small settlement clusters, farms and smallholdings are scattered across the lower valley slopes where they are sheltered by landform and well connected by a dense network of roads. Archaeological remains, such as Wileys Fort, raths and standing stones, indicate the long history of settlement on these accessible slopes. A network of lanes and minor roads criss-cross the landscape and permit some long and sweeping views into the valley of the Six Mile Water.

Landscape Condition and Sensitivity to Change

The landscape appears rather degraded due to the neglect of field boundaries and pasture, especially towards the valley bottom. The presence of a multitude of electricity pylons, especially around Hillhead where they converge at a power station, intrudes into the rural setting. The steeper slopes, on the fringes of the upland areas to the north, are particularly sensitive to change. Elsewhere, the landscape's sensitivity to change is increased by views from the surrounding uplands. There is some scope to accommodate a variety of development, provided it is associated with tree planting to provide an appropriate level of screening.

Principles for Landscape Management

• The preservation of the numerous archaeological sites, and the provision of public access to them, would enhance these landscape features which are particularly characteristic of the area.
• Management of hedgerows and field boundaries would improve landscape condition and enhance visual amenity.
• Expansion of woodland (and commercial forestry) should be sensitively designed to ensure that the characteristic diverse pattern of fields and woodland on the steeper slopes is retained.

Principles for Accommodating New Development

• Scattered housing in the countryside may detract from its rural character; housing styles could be better unified by drawing on vernacular details.
• Larger scale development could be screened using woodland planting; this would provide opportunities to extend and improve the wooded network, linking new planting to existing hedgerows and shelterbelts.
• Farm outbuildings could be painted to make them features rather than eye sores within the landscape; a dark red colour creates an attractive contrast with the landscape and responds to the traditional colours found within the rural setting.