Glen Affric National Nature Reserve

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Overview

Like much of the Highlands, the Glen Affric NNR was once densely populated with farming crofts, but people were replaced by sheep during the infamous Highland Clearances of the 18th and 19th centuries. Grazing is closely controlled today, and the glen is managed with nature as its primary aim. It is now a magical mixture of native pinewoods, glistening lochs, spectacular waterfalls and haunting moorland, all set within the Glen Affric National Scenic Area. Glen Affric is a long, thin reserve that changes significantly from east to west, giving a range of different habitats. Flowing through the middle of the glen is the tumultuous River Affric, favoured by the elusive otter and dippers, while the lochs are home to both rare red and black-throated divers and the occasional visiting osprey. The lower slopes of the glen are cloaked in ancient pinewood with rare plants like creeping lady’s tresses and lesser twayblade carpeting the woodland floor, while the west end of the glen is dominated by moorland,where golden eagles reign.

Location

Cannich

About the area

Apart from the Orkneys and the Shetlands, Highland is Scotland’s northernmost county. Probably its most famous feature is the mysterious and evocative Loch Ness, allegedly home to an ancient monster that has embedded itself in the world’s modern mythology, and the region’s tourist industry.