Beinn Eighe and Loch Maree Islands National Nature Reserve

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Overview

Beinn Eighe (pronounced ‘ay’) was Britain’s first National Nature Reserve, set up in 1951, and it was recently merged with the Loch Maree Islands NNR to create the Beinn Eighe and Loch Maree Islands NNR. Situated in the heart of Wester Ross, the mountains, seas and lochs in this part of Scotland are recognised as some of the finest in the world. At the heart of the reserve is the Beinn Eighe ridge, a cluster of rugged peaks, ridges and scree-covered slopes often mistaken for snow, between Loch Maree and Glen Torridon, which rises to Ruadh-stac Mor (3,314ft) at its highest point. The recently merged Loch Maree Islands NNR has more than 60islands which contain a fragment of the original Caledonian pine forest – the nearest thing to natural woodland left in Britain. In the ancient pinewoods, you could spot secretive crossbills, while golden eagles soar among the mountain peaks. Black-throated divers breed herein one of Scotland’s least polluted freshwater lochs.

Location

Reserve Office, Anancaun, KINLOCHEWE, IV22 2PA

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.