A wide variety of native broadleaf species are well mixed and evenly distributed across the wood. Aspen, birch, alder, ash and a good scattering of oak are the main examples. Holly, hawthorn and hazel, although currently of similar stature to the rest of the trees, will soon be overtaken, so forming the all-important understorey. Self-seeded willow inhabits the marshy fringes and a welcome line of mature beech line the eastern boundary fence.

Initially fenced out to protect the new saplings, roe deer now thrive within the wood and are a regular sighting. Inspection of the boundary fence reveals the presence of built-in wildlife runs. Well trodden paths indicate that they are well used for access in and out of the wood by small mammals such as badger, fox and stoat.

A recent visit to the wood revealed the presence of bullfinch and great tit with the industrial hammering of woodpeckers indicating woodpeckers at work in the more mature trees on the boundary. A pair of herons were seen on the neighbouring pond and a couple of woodcock were put up from the undergrowth.

A small hardstanding is located behind the ridestop entrance with a rustic bench overlooking the landscape. A small watercourse with a wetland fringe is located before the northern boundary. This joins a free-flowing burn which is also fed from a drainage channel that runs atop a terrace in the western slope. A vital habitat for amphibians, these areas add interest and further variety to the overall woodland.

Access into the wood is off a minor road and then along a firm stone track, which is accessible by most cars leading all the way to the ridestop entrance.

Moving throughout the wood is relatively easy as the trees are still relatively small. Regular visits to the wood will develop habitual paths which will be hijacked by deer keeping them free from overgrowth.

The sporting rights are owned and included in the sale.

Now a place where industry is long gone and nature is steadily restoring the natural balance, the wood presents many opportunities for its owner. A chance to engage in conservation and management in a developing wood need not detract from more leisurely outdoor activities. Nature watching, bushcraft, camping and conservation are all pursuits well suited to take place within the seclusion of this wood.

It can be difficult to imagine that this part West Lothian was once the focus of a large-scale oil shale extraction industry from which around 3 million tonnes of oil shale was extracted each year for more than half a century, from 1865.

One reminder of this industry remains, in the form of the piles of reddish spoil that remain dotted around the area. These “bings” are now regarded as a contributor to biodiversity because of the unique habitat they offer. The most spectacular of these "bings" can be seen from the wood and are known as the Five Sisters. Its five elements fan out like the extended fingers of a hand from the "palm" on their east side to the steeply sided "fingertips" on their west side. Today the Five Sisters is protected as an industrial heritage site and features as part of the logo of West Lothian Council.

A fathom, or faddum in colloquial Scots, in mining terms, refers to a measurement of mining ground six feet square by the depth of the mineral vein.