Misplaced Pages

#574425

37-574: Glenmore Forest Park is a remnant of the Caledonian Forest near Aviemore in the Badenoch and Strathspey district of Highland , Scotland. Owned and managed by Forestry and Land Scotland , it lies within the Cairngorms National Park , and is one of six forest parks in the country. The forest park, which was established in 1948, covers 35.7 km, of which 21.1 km is designated as

74-696: A national nature reserve (NNR). Glenmore surrounds Loch Morlich , and is below the rise of the Cairngorms to the south; to the north the park extends to the summit of Meall a' Bhuachaille . The forest forms part of an expanse of Caledonian Forest that stretches from Glen Feshie to Abernethy , and which as a whole forms the largest single area of this habitat remaining in Scotland. It is home to much wildlife including Scottish crossbills , crested tits , capercaillie , narrow-headed ants , red squirrels and red deer . The Sportscotland National Centre Glenmore Lodge

111-467: A distinct variety of soils, vegetation, and animals. To a great extent the remnants survived on land that was either too steep, too rocky, or too remote to be agriculturally useful. The largest remnants are in Strathspey and Strath Dee on highly acidic, freely drained glacial deposits that are of little value for cultivation and domestic stock. An examination of the earliest maps of Scotland suggests that

148-502: A few other hardy species. On the west coast, oak and birch predominated in a temperate rainforest ecosystem rich in ferns , mosses and lichens . The name comes from Pliny the Elder who reveals that 30 years after the Roman invasion of Britain their knowledge of it did not extend beyond the neighbourhood of silva caledonia . He gives no information about where the silva caledonia was, but

185-668: A growing interest to reintroduce animals which are native to but currently extinct in Great Britain , back into Caledonian pine forests. Corporations have been set up to persuade the government to allow this. The long-running campaign to reintroduce the Eurasian beaver to Knapdale in Argyll has been successful, and there is some support for the reintroduction of the grey wolf and Eurasian lynx . Recently, some landowners have announced plans to build large game reserves on their land and release

222-507: A natural tree line is developing at the upper edge of the forest. The forest floor is home to many species associated with native pinewoods including one-flowered wintergreen , twinflower , small cranberry and intermediate wintergreen . Glenmore Forest is important for many bird species, especially Scottish crossbill and capercaillie. In 2006 Glenmore was identified as having the highest productivity of capercaillie for any monitored site in Scotland. Golden eagles can be seen over parts of

259-549: A partnership group, comprising representatives of existing reserve management organisations and community land groups, chaired by NatureScot. NatureScot remains responsible for the statutory declaration of national nature reserves. NatureScot is responsible for designating NNRs in Scotland and for overseeing the maintenance and management of each reserve. The majority of NNRs are directly managed by NatureScot; however, some are managed by, or in co-operation with other bodies. The NNR partnership consists of nine bodies: Details on

296-403: A review of NNR policy that took account of the availability of other designations conferring legal protection, such as site of special scientific interest , special protection area and special area of conservation . It was determined that NNR should possess four attributes: Additionally, it was determined that NNRs should be managed for at least one of three purposes: Between 2000 and 2003

333-456: Is briefly explained, " a Chyledyr Wyllt y uab, a llad Nwython a oruc a diot y gallon, a chymhell yssu callon y dat, ac am hynny yd aeth Kyledyr yg gwyllt ." ("and his son Kyledyr the Wild. Gwynn killed Nwython and cut out his heart, and forced Kyledyr to eat his father's heart, and that is how Kyledyr went mad"). Though not named directly, the very name Kyledyr Wyllt is close to the two related notions of

370-491: Is considered an indicator species for that habitat type. Fire appears to increase the natural recruitment of Scots pine seedlings. The charity Trees for Life (Scotland) has been working to conserve the remaining forest, and reforest areas where it has been lost, using fences to prevent deer from eating saplings. This involves the reintroduction of the full range of native flora, including mycorrhizal fungi that assist soil regeneration . In recent years, there has been

407-565: Is situated about 1.5 km east of Loch Morlich, and is surrounded by the park. During the Second World War the area was a training base for Norwegian resistance fighters, who are commemorated by a memorial located near to the visitor centre. A fairy known as the Ly Erg , a portent of death, is said to frequent the area of the forest. According to local legends a small lake in the park, An Lochan Uaine , has its water coloured in green due to

SECTION 10

#1733092753575

444-615: The Black Book of Carmarthen . The forest is also the retreat of another character named Lailoken from the Vita Kentigerni , who also fled into the woods in a fit of madness and who may be the original model for Myrddin Wyllt. William A. Young argues that Brocéliande , the forest which features in Chrétien de Troys ' Arthurian romance, Le Chevalier au lion , may be the forest of Celython. In

481-637: The Natura 2000 network, which covers Special Protection Areas and Special Areas of Conservation . Additionally, some of the NNRs are designated as Ramsar sites . National nature reserves were first created under the National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act 1949 . In 1996 the public body responsible for Scotland's natural heritage , Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH – since renamed NatureScot ), undertook

518-764: The Scottish Government listed 84 sites as Caledonian pinewood in regulations, given below. 57°07′12″N 4°42′36″W  /  57.1200°N 4.7100°W  / 57.1200; -4.7100 National nature reserve (Scotland) The national nature reserves ( NNRs ) of Scotland are areas of land or water designated under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 as containing habitats and species of national importance. National nature reserves can be owned by public, private, community or voluntary organisations but must be managed to conserve their important habitats and species, as well as providing opportunities for

555-456: The fairies , who wash their green clothes in the lake. As a Caledonian Forest, the predominant tree species at Glenmore is Scots pine . Around half of the pines originate as a result of natural processes, whilst the remainder have been planted using seeds of local origin. Broadleaved species such as birch , willow and rowan are also present, and there are areas of juniper scrub and alder . Trees are expanding on to areas of open heath, and

592-559: The temperate coniferous forests began retreating north into the Scottish Highlands , the last remaining climatic region suitable for them in the British Isles (see Climate of Scotland ). The native pinewoods that formed this westernmost outpost of the taiga of post-glacial Europe are estimated to have covered 15,000 km (3,700,000 acres) as a vast wilderness of Scots pine , birch , rowan , aspen , juniper , oak and

629-404: The 17th century, with large scale extraction beginning in 1783. Felling continued into the 20th century, and the area was also used to graze sheep, and as a deer forest . During this period little tree regeneration occurred. The Forestry Commission acquired Glenmore in 1923, and began to restock the wood, using Scots pines and non-native species such as Norway spruce and Sitka spruce . The area

666-404: The 1980s showed that further damage had occurred through ploughing and planting with non-native conifers with less than 12,000 ha of the ancient habitat remaining. A subsequent guide to the ancient pinewoods reviews the conservation story and provides a summary of the management in each site as well as a guide on how to reach all the woods using public transport, walking, and cycling. Much of

703-441: The 35) covering about 180 square kilometres (69 sq mi) or 44,000 acres (18,000 ha). The Scots pines of these remnants are, by definition, directly descended from the first pines to arrive in Scotland following the ice age. These remnants have adapted genetically to different Scottish environments, and as such, are globally unique; their ecological characteristics form an unbroken, 9000-year chain of natural evolution with

740-545: The British Isles: Mammal species present in Caledonian pine forests: Insect species in the Caledonian pine forests: Mammal species extinct in Caledonian pine forests: A review of the native pinewoods of Scotland Steven & Carlisle (1959) highlighted the plight of the remaining 35 ancient pinewood sites, many of which had been damaged by felling, fire and intensive grazing from sheep and deer. A later review in

777-744: The Cairngorms Special Protection Area (SPA). There are also two Special Areas of Conservation (SAC) that overlap with the NNR: the Cairngorms SAC and the River Spey SAC. The NNR is classified as a Category IV protected area by the International Union for Conservation of Nature . 57°10′12″N 3°42′58″W  /  57.170°N 3.716°W  / 57.170; -3.716 Caledonian Forest The Scots pines of

SECTION 20

#1733092753575

814-793: The Caledonian Forest are directly descended from the first pines to arrive in Scotland following the Late Glacial ; arriving about 7000 BC . The forest reached its maximum extent about 5000 BC , after which the Scottish climate became wetter and windier. This changed climate reduced the extent of the forest significantly by 2000 BC . From that date, human actions (including the grazing effects of sheep and deer) reduced it to its current extent. Today, that forest exists as 35 remnants, as authenticated by Steven & Carlisle (1959) (or 84 remnants, including later subjective subdivisions of

851-503: The European Union Habitats Directive . Scientific research continues on the ecology of the Caledonian Forest and its restoration. Populations of the rare groundcover, Linnaea borealis , may be too isolated from one another to produce viable seed. Diversity of fungi has also been affected by the decrease in habitat. The agaric fungus Mycena purpureofusca is commonly found in Caledonian pine woods, and it

888-456: The Middle Welsh story Culhwch and Olwen , the main character Culhwch is the son of a king named Celyddon Wledig, who may or may not be related to the forest in name. Another figure from the same story, Cyledyr Wyllt hints at a close relationship of the forest being a retreat for people who suffered from a special kind of madness or gwyllt (Irish geilt ). In line 994 to 996 of the story, it

925-679: The Old Welsh poem Cad Goddeu ("Battle of the Trees") are intended to be the Caledonian Forest. In related Merlin literature, the figure of Myrddin Wyllt retreated to these woods in his madness after the Battle of Arfderydd in the year 573. He fled from the alleged wrath of the king of Strathclyde, Rhydderch Hael , after the slaying of Gwenddoleu ap Ceidio . This is written in the two Merlinic poems in Middle Welsh Yr Oinau and Yr Afallenau in

962-509: The existing NNRs were reviewed against these criteria. Prior to 2004 there were 73 national nature reserves in Scotland, however a number have since been de-designated. New NNRs have also been designated, such as the National Trust for Scotland 's Glen Coe and Mar Lodge properties, which were both designated NNRs in 2017. Since 2012 governance of the NNR designation in Scotland has been through

999-573: The extent of the Caledonian Forest remnants has changed little since 1600. Following the last glacial period , trees began to recolonise what is now the British Isles over a land bridge which is now beneath the Strait of Dover . Forests of this type were found all over what is now the island of Great Britain for a few thousand years, before the climate began to slowly warm in the Atlantic period , and

1036-592: The forest of Celyddon being where people suffering madness or gwyllt hide. Being a unique ecosystem in the British Isles, the Caledonian Pinewoods are home to some of the islands' rarest wildlife . It is considered to be one of the last remaining wildernesses in the British Isles. Breeding bird species in Caledonian pine forests found breeding nowhere else in the British Isles: Breeding bird species in Caledonian pine forests rare elsewhere in

1073-498: The forest, and ospreys regularly hunt over Loch Morlich. Peregrine falcons and merlins also hunt in the area, and occasionally breed at Glenmore. Dotterel can occasionally be found on the higher parts of the area, above the tree line, although they normally prefer the open habitats of the mountain plateau. The rivers and lochs of the forest provide a home for otters , and are an important spawning area for Atlantic salmon . Extraction of timber from Glenmore dates back to at least

1110-642: The habitats or wildlife they contain. 19 of the reserves NNRs have IUCN Category II (national park) status, including, Glen Affric , Rùm , Abernethy Forest and the Great Trossachs Forest . There are no reserves with this status in England, Wales or Northern Ireland. This is mainly due to Scotland's natural habitats being more intact than in the rest of the UK. Most NNRs in Scotland are also designated as Sites of Special Scientific Interest . Many also form part of

1147-616: The known extent of the Roman occupation suggest that it was north of the River Clyde and west of the River Tay . In the Matter of Britain , the forest is the site of one of King Arthur 's Twelve Battles, according to the Historia Brittonum , in which the battle is called Cat Coit Celidon . Scholars Rachel Bromwich and Marged Haycock suggest that the army of trees animated by sorcerers in

Glenmore Forest Park - Misplaced Pages Continue

1184-449: The public to enjoy and engage with nature. There are currently 43 NNRs in Scotland , which cover 154,250 hectares (1,542.5 km ), or less than 1.5% of the land area of Scotland. They range in size from Corrieshalloch Gorge at 7 ha to Mar Lodge Estate , which covers 29,324 ha. National nature reserve status is an accolade awarded to the best nature reserves in Scotland, and

1221-522: The remaining Caledonian pine forest is fully protected with most of the forest lying within the Cairngorms National Park . The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) and Forestry and Land Scotland also own several areas of pinewood on their reserves. One of the largest remaining areas is Ballochbuie Forest on the Balmoral Estate , which is protected as a Special Area of Conservation under

1258-404: The selected sites provide examples of nationally or internationally important species and habitats. NNRs are intended to showcase Scotland's nature, and as well as being well managed for wildlife they must be managed to provide opportunities for the public to visit and enjoy them. NNRs therefore generally have facilities such as visitor centres and trails to allow visitors to explore and understand

1295-437: The species within them. Paul Lister plans to release Eurasian lynx, brown bear , grey wolf, elk , wild boar and species already present in Scotland into a huge 200 km (49,000-acre) enclosure at his estate, Alladale Wilderness Reserve , although releasing top predators such as wolves and bears has become a difficult proposition with local and national regulations. An initial trial enclosure of 5.5 km (1,400 acres)

1332-593: Was built with elk, wild boar, red deer and roe deer. Bain (2013) lists 38 ancient pinewood sites in Britain which have been identified as the most genuinely native and natural. All of them occur in the Scottish Highlands. The Caledonian Pinewood Inventory breaks these down into 84 smaller sub-units of the main sites. In March 2019, as part of the implementation of the Forestry and Land Management (Scotland) Act 2018 ,

1369-407: Was declared a forest park 1948, and became a national nature reserve in 2007. Forestry and Land Scotland now plan to remove all non-native tree species, and replant areas with Scots pine of local provenance and other native trees. In addition to its status as a national nature reserve and a forest park Glenmore is also designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), and forms part of

#574425