There are elms all over the town, many of them in small copses and on banks which together form several rookeries (at one point around 700 nests have been recorded). These elms are likely to be Wych Elm, a species of elm found only in Scotland and the north of England. They were widely planted as specimen trees and to form policy woods (see the Cutting), shelter belts and "hanging" woods on steep banks which were not suitable for agriculture.
There are a number of projects currently running in Scotland studying these elms, as they do not seem to be nearly as prone as the English elm to Dutch Elm Disease, which has wiped out virtually all the elms in Southern England, resulting in a hugely detrimental effect on biodiversity.
Recommendation: To start a town elm project which will, in the first instance, involve surveying and mapping all the elms in the town.
(the picture is of the beautiful elm outside Aqualibrium).
