Pressmennan Wood

Pressmennan wood is located 8km west of Dunbar, accessible to vehicles via a minor road from the village of Stenton. The wood has excellent public access with approximately 6.5 km of paths of different grades. The stone tracks within the wood are accessible to wheel chair users but they can be rough and uneven in many places Visitors to the wood can enjoy panoramic views towards the Firth of Forth and Bass Rock or walk along the tranquil Pressmennan Lake. It is a fantastic place to visit where you can enjoy the ancient oaks along the shores of the Lake and an abundance of wildlife. Along the paths many plants can be seen including wood sorrel, wood anemone, honeysuckle and in spring, primrose and bluebell. Woodland bids such as chaffinch, great and coal tit, gold crest, chiffchaff and willow warbler are common. The yellow hammer can also be spotted along the woodland edge. If you are lucky you may spot one of the mystical creatures, the Glingbobs and Tootflits, who have made Pressmennan their home. Pressmennan Wood was formerly part of the Biel and Dirleton Estate. The then predominately oak woodland would have been managed as a resource for the estate, providing timber and firewood for the estates own use, as well as for sale. •Did you know? Pressmennan Wood was once famous for its oak trees Pressmennan Lake is one of only four true lakes in Scotland, the rest being lochs.Pressmennan is said to be one of the last traces of Scotland’s ancient native woodland. Oak timber from Pressmennan is said to have been used for the building of the warship – the Great Michael at Leith in the 15th Century.