Burnhouse Brae
Burnhouse Brae lies along the south-eastern edge Galston, to the east of the Sorn Road (B7037) and south of Clockston Road.
Grid reference: NS510356
Parking: Parking for 3-4 cars at south entrance between Cessnock Wood and Burnhouse Brae. Alternatively, parking in Galston.
Access:
Formal access throughout the site with surfaced paths.
Kissing gates at both entrances. Both entrances involve steep
slopes to access the wood, though the north entrance access remains level
for the first few hundred yards.
Within short walking distance: Cessnock Wood
Description:
The northern part of Burnhouse Brae Wood is classified
as ancient woodland of semi-natural origin, which means
that it has proven continuity of woodland cover for at least 230 years. Land
south of the Burn is not considered to be of ancient
origin. This suggests that whilst mapped in 1750 and recently, it was not
shown as semi-natural on the 1850's Ordnance Survey Map.
Bird Species: Cessnock Wood provides excellent habitat for a range of resident and migrant species. Recorded species include;
Willow warbler
(Phylloscopus trochilus)
Chiffchaff (Phylloscopus collybita)
Blackcap (Sylvia atricapilla)
Blackbird (Turdus merula)
Song Thrush (Turdus philomelos)
Spotted Flycatcher (Muscicapa striata)
Treecreeper (Certhia familiaris)
Wren (Troglodytes troglodytes)
Robin (Erithacus rubecula)
Great Spotted Woodpecker (Dendrocopus major)
Goldcrest (Regulus regulus)
The Burn
Anne adds an additional interesting habitat to the wood and provides suitable
habitat for grey wagtail, dipper and possibly
kingfisher, further increasing its biodiversity value.