The Story of Beinn Eighe and Loch Maree Islands National Nature Reserve

The Story of Beinn Eighe & Loch Maree Islands National Nature Reserve

2nd edition (2015)

For further information on Beinn Eighe and Loch Maree Islands NNR please contact: The Reserve Manager Scottish Natural Heritage Anancaun Kinlochewe by Achnasheen IV22 2PA

Tel: 01463 760301 Email: [email protected]

www.nature.scot/beinn-eighe The Story of Beinn Eighe and Loch Maree Islands National Nature Reserve

The Story of Beinn Eighe & Loch Maree Islands National Nature Reserve

Foreword

Magnificent landscapes of mountain, pine wood, islands and loch greet visitors to the National Nature Reserve (NNR) at Beinn Eighe & Loch Maree Islands in Wester Ross. Rising to more than a thousand metres and harbouring some of Scotland's most iconic wildlife, Beinn Eighe itself was the first NNR established in the UK. Now, with the pristine waters of Loch Maree and its 60 tranquil islands, the reserve is one of the most truly wild places in the whole of Scotland. Scottish Natural Heritage manages the reserve.

Sitting in the Torridon mountains, the reserve is well known among walkers for its seven peaks, and its ridges and corries of white “snow-in-summer” quartzite. In contrast, down on the loch, the islands lie like a scattering of emeralds on the clear, dark surface of the water.

The reserve is home to the largest remnant of ancient Caledonian forest in Wester Ross. Some of the Scots pine trees are nearly 400 years old. Over the past 60 years we have built on this legacy. We have carried out a massive programme of woodland restoration, connecting our woodland with neighbouring restoration projects, to create the largest continuous stretch of native pine wood in the west of the UK.

In addition, the pine woods that cloak the islands are some of the least disturbed woodlands in the whole of Britain, and look much the same today as they have for thousands of years. The one exception is Isle Maree, where broadleaved trees such as oak and holly predominate, and signs of human presence are evident in the ancient ruins found here.

A distinctive mix of plants and animals thrive on the reserve, and its rugged mountain slopes support one of the UK’s best tracts of prostrate juniper and moss heath. Rare lichens, liverworts and mosses flourish, from the mild, damp woodlands up to the highest peaks. Below the tree line, pine marten, Scottish crossbill and northern emerald dragonfly make their home in the ancient pine woods, while otters and black-throated divers, one of our rarest breeding birds, can be seen on Loch Maree.

Beinn Eighe and Loch Maree Islands NNR is one of a suite of National Nature Reserves in Scotland. Scotland’s NNRs are special places for nature, where some of the best examples of Scotland’s wildlife can be found. Every NNR is carefully

The Story of Beinn Eighe and Loch Maree Islands National Nature Reserve managed for both nature and people, giving visitors the opportunity to experience our rich natural heritage. This is especially true at Beinn Eighe and Loch Maree Islands NNR with its newly refurbished Visitor Centre and interactive displays, all- abilities trail, interpretive panels, car parks, picnic sites and opportunities for voluntary work.

The Reserve Story contains background information about the reserve, describing the wildlife interest, its land use history and management since it became a reserve. The Beinn Eighe and Loch Maree Islands NNR Management Plan 2014-2024 covers the future management of the reserve.

The Story of Beinn Eighe and Loch Maree Islands National Nature Reserve

Contents

Foreword ii Maps of Beinn Eighe and Loch Maree Islands NNR v 1 Introduction to Beinn Eighe and Loch Maree Islands NNR 1 2 The Natural Heritage of Beinn Eighe and Loch Maree Islands NNR 5 3 Management of Beinn Eighe and Loch Maree Islands before they became NNRs 16 4 Management of Beinn Eighe & Loch Maree Islands NNR 20 5 Document Properties 36

The Story of Beinn Eighe and Loch Maree Islands National Nature Reserve

Maps of Beinn Eighe and Loch Maree Islands NNR

Location map

The Story of Beinn Eighe and Loch Maree Islands National Nature Reserve

Boundary of Beinn Eighe and Loch Maree Islands NNR

The Story of Beinn Eighe and Loch Maree Islands National Nature Reserve

Map showing key locations at Beinn Eighe and Loch Maree Islands NNR

The Story of Beinn Eighe and Loch Maree Islands National Nature Reserve

1 Introduction to Beinn Eighe and Loch Maree Islands NNR

Beinn Eighe and Loch Maree Islands NNR is close to the village of Kinlochewe, about 80 kilometres (km) west of Inverness. The reserve covers over 5000 hectares (ha), from the north-eastern edge of Loch Maree to Glen Torridon in the south. To the west, the reserve rises to the high tops of the Beinn Eighe ridge and the outlying mountain, Meall a’Ghiubhais.

Beinn Eighe was the first National Nature Reserve to be declared in the UK, in September 1951. It was established originally to protect the largest fragment of ancient Caledonian pine wood in north-west Scotland, the Coille na Glas Leitir (the Wood of the Grey Slope). While the inclusion of the mountains above the wood was simply a condition of the purchase at the time, it turns out that these hills contain some of the UK and Europe’s best examples of western upland habitats, with their lower slopes supporting very large areas of heathland.

In 2014 Beinn Eighe NNR was merged with the neighbouring Loch Maree Islands NNR, partly to facilitate interpretation of the islands from the Visitor Centre. Loch Maree stretches the length of a stunning glen, dominated by two mighty mountains. To the north east the steep, rocky flanks of Slioch cast their shadows over the water, while to the south west Beinn Eighe towers to over 1000 metres (m). The NNR includes over sixty islands in the loch, varying in size from the largest, Eilean Subhainn, at 120ha, to some not much more than a few metres across.

Beinn Eighe is the most inland of the Torridon Mountains, one of the most spectacular ranges in Scotland. The area is a magnet for climbers, walkers and geologists alike. Three very different types of rock are found on the reserve. The underlying rock is ancient grey Lewisian gneiss, while younger pink Torridonian sandstone forms the bulk of the mountains. Striking white Cambrian quartzites tops some of the summits. Glaciers have sculpted these rocks during successive ice ages and this, together with wind, rain and frost, has all helped to shape the scenery we see today. Some of Scotland’s oldest fossils - tiny creatures and worm burrows - can also be found within these ancient rocks.

The climate around Beinn Eighe is oceanic - generally mild and wet with more than two metres of rainfall annually. In fact, it is more likely to be wet than not, as it rains here on two out of every three days! Not surprisingly then, Coille na Glas Leitir is classed as a temperate rainforest and is one of the best places in Britain for moisture-loving mosses and liverworts.

Above the tree line, the open ground upland habitats on the reserve include extensive areas of bare rock, scree, scattered bog and alpine and sub-alpine heaths, together with grassland, smaller areas of snow beds, and ledges with tall herbaceous plants. Some crags have a wide range of lime-loving plants including rarities such as Highland saxifrage. The middle slopes are a mosaic of dwarf heaths, with large areas of dry and wet heath, interspersed with blanket bog.

At Coille na Glas Leitir, the ancient pine wood extends to the shores of Loch Maree. Dominated by Scots pine, these woodlands also contain a mixture of birch, rowan and holly with occasional oak. Elsewhere on the reserve, the pioneering work of

The Story of Beinn Eighe and Loch Maree Islands National Nature Reserve woodland restoration during the first 50 years of the reserve is evident, with younger trees and natural regeneration extending the woodland habitat. This tremendous variety of habitats results in a rich diversity of plant and animal life from a rare liverwort called northern prongwort, to the elusive otter.

The islands support pristine Caledonian pine woodland. This woodland is dominated by Scots pine, interspersed with a mosaic of small areas of bog woodland, blanket bog and wet heath. The exception is Isle Maree, where oaks, holly and rowan make up the majority of the woodland, and plants like wood sorrel and wood rush carpet the ground. The loch itself has the largest surface area of water in the North West Highlands, and its water is some of the least polluted in the UK.

The special qualities of Loch Maree Islands provide ideal breeding habitat for internationally important numbers of black-throated divers and otter. Other rare species, including pine marten, white-tailed sea eagle and many species of dragonfly and beetle also find a home on the islands and contribute to the tremendous diversity found here.

Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) owns most of the mountain part of the reserve, and with our predecessors has managed Beinn Eighe NNR for over 60 years. Gairloch and Conon Estates own most of the islands and SNH manage them through a lease. Forestry Commission Scotland (FCS) owns the largest of the islands, Eilean Ruairidh Mor, and SNH manages this part of the reserve through a Nature reserve Agreement.

Looking after, and improving, the natural heritage interest of the reserve has always been paramount to our management here. Our visitors are also important, and we have been providing facilities and attracting visitors since the 1970s. Today, the reserve offers a comprehensive array of high quality visitor facilities. There are car parks, picnic areas, interpretation, all-abilities paths, and several circular trails, as well as the more challenging summit access routes. The completely refurbished Visitor Centre opened in April 2015, hosting a fascinating set of interactive displays introducing all aspects of the reserve. There are no formal visitor facilities on the islands, so people who are able to land there experience the woodlands much as they would have appeared hundreds of years ago. However, for visitors who cannot get out to the islands, there are spectacular views from the FCS Slattadale car park, where there are also picnic facilities and toilets.

The reserve holds three Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) - Loch Maree SSSI, Beinn Eighe SSSI and part of Torridon Forest SSSI, and forms part of the Loch Maree Complex Special Area of Conservation (SAC). This means it is a European site of international significance, with the Caledonian pine wood, the rich mosaic of upland habitats and the otter population all forming part of the qualifying interests of the SAC designation. Loch Maree is also a Special Protection Area (SPA) and Ramsar site, and hosts the single most important breeding population of black-throated diver in Britain. Isle Maree is a Scheduled Ancient Monument.

Designated as a Biosphere reserve in 1976 as part of the UNESCO “Man and the Biosphere” Programme, Beinn Eighe has also held a Council of Europe Diploma

The Story of Beinn Eighe and Loch Maree Islands National Nature Reserve

since 1983. The reserve lies within the Wester Ross National Scenic Area (NSA) and contains two Geological Conservation Review (GCR) sites.

Table 1 Designations and qualifying features for Beinn Eighe & Loch Maree Islands NNR

Designation

Clear-water lakes or lochs with aquatic vegetation and poor to 

moderate nutrient levels   Dry heath   Alpine and sub-alpine heaths   (includes juniper heath) Montane acid grassland   (includes moss heath) Acidic scree   Plants in crevices on acid rocks   Western acidic oak woodland 1  Caledonian Forest *    Wet heathland with cross-   leaved heath Tall herb communities   Blanket bogs *  Depressions on peat  substrates Plants in crevices on base-rich   rocks Bog woodlands *  Alder woodland on floodplains 1  Upland assemblage  Species Otter2  Invertebrates  Vascular plant assemblage  (higher plants)  Bryophyte assemblage (mosses, lichens and  liverworts)

The Story of Beinn Eighe and Loch Maree Islands National Nature Reserve

Designation

Special of Area Conservation Special Protection Area (SPA) RAMSAR Site of Special Scientific Interest Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) Loch Loch Loch Loch Beinn Maree Maree Maree Maree Eighe Complex Black-throated diver    Beetles  Dragonfly assemblage  Earth Science Cambrian stratigraphy  Moine structural and  metamorphic geology Quaternary of Scotland 

* denotes priority habitat. 1 habitats that occur within the SAC but not within the NNR. 2 otters are also an European Protected Species (EPS).

The Story of Beinn Eighe and Loch Maree Islands National Nature Reserve

2 The Natural Heritage of Beinn Eighe and Loch Maree Islands NNR

Earth science

The towering mountains of Beinn Eighe hold many clues to Scotland’s past, from times when it was covered by ancient tropical seas to the glaciers of the last Ice Age. The oldest rocks of Beinn Eighe are the Lewisian gneiss, which date back to almost three billion years ago. Some 800 million years ago powerful rivers flowed across the landscape of these ancient rocks, accumulating a thickness of sands, many kilometres in depth. These sands are now the Torridon sandstones, which form the dominant rock type of the area.

Later, around 540 million years ago, as the area was flooded by warm tropical seas pure white sands were laid down. The white sands are now visible as quartzite rock, which forms many of the summits of Beinn Eighe and scatters pale screes down its slopes. During summer, this often gives the appearance of snow on the mountain.

Along with the sand, muddy and lime-rich layers containing the remains of animals that lived in these balmy waters were also laid down. As a result, the reserve is also home to some of the oldest fossil animal remains in north-west Scotland. Finds are scarce, and occur in the Fucoid beds, which are a made of sandstone, that can be seen from the Mountain Trail.

The reserve also bears witness to the immense Earth forces that joined Scotland and England together some 425 million years ago. Massive continental collisions between the landmasses containing Scotland, England and Scandinavia buckled and broke the rocks around Beinn Eighe. These collisions pushed huge layers of older rock over younger rock layers along a large geological fault. This fault is known as the Kinlochewe Thrust. At Meall a’ Ghiubhais, in the northern part of the reserve, the older Torridonian sandstone can clearly be seen lying on top of the younger quartzite rock where the Kinlochewe Thrust cuts through the hill between the two rock types.

More recently, during the last 2.6 million years, large ice sheets and smaller local glaciers have repeatedly sculpted the landscape of Beinn Eighe. Loch Maree itself sits in a deep glacial trench surrounded by these high mountain peaks. The islands form a chain created by small peaks of a Torridonian sandstone ridge running through the loch. There are 66 islands officially identified, although the number actually rises and falls with the water level of the loch. The island shores often rise in low cliffs from the loch, though there are also many sheltered coves with shallow bays and sandy beaches.

Since the ice retreated, rivers have cut some impressive gorges, soils have developed and vegetation has recolonised the area. The most intriguing arrival is the Scots pine, which is more commonly associated with the Eastern Highlands. Around Beinn Eighe, Scots pine appears in the pollen record much earlier than anywhere else in Scotland and is genetically different to Scottish and European continental trees. The trees show similarities to Scots pine growing in the south of France and in Spain. These southern Continental woods may provide a clue to how Scots pine colonised Scotland after the last ice age. It is thought that Scots pine may have

The Story of Beinn Eighe and Loch Maree Islands National Nature Reserve moved back from two distinct sources. As the ice sheets remained in northern Europe but started to free western Scotland Scots pine seed moved north from Spain and France into north-western Scotland. Then later, as the ice sheets retreated further in northern Europe, more easterly parts of Scotland were colonised from these more northerly areas.

Soils on the reserve are largely nutrient-poor, with more fertile soils linked to the nutrient-rich fossil-bearing mudstones. Pollen found in cores taken from the sediments in the loch, and in lochans on the islands, give an insight into the vegetation history of this area. Most interestingly, it provides a detailed picture of how pine woodland declined in the area as a result of climate changes in the Flandrian period, over 4000 years ago. This pollen record is of national importance.

Cross-section through Meall a’Ghiubhais – showing older Torridon sandstone (orange) lying on top of the younger quartzite and similar age rock (blue) separated by the Kinlochewe Thrust (KT/thick black lines).

Habitats

The woodland

The ancient Caledonian woodland at Coille na Glas Leitir, on Loch Maree Islands, and in three isolated woodlands in gorges elsewhere on the reserve, are believed to have been present continuously throughout the last 8000 years. In the woodlands on the mainland Scots pine dominates, with a mixture of birch, rowan and alder, with the occasional holly. Altogether, the pine woodland on the reserve covers 416ha, over 2% of the total for Scotland. Of this approximately 120ha is planted woodland, and 10ha has naturally regenerated within No. 2 enclosure. There is also around 10ha of natural regeneration within the ancient woodland.

Coille na Glas Leitir is a temperate rainforest adapted to the cool, wet climate of north-west Scotland. Temperate rainforest of any sort is a rare habitat across the world, and is restricted to coastal areas with high rainfall such as Norway and the west coast of Canada. In Scotland, these woodlands differ from the Scots pine forests found elsewhere in the Highlands, which often grow on drier ground with less humid climatic conditions.

Woodlands on the reserve rise from the islands of Loch Maree, at only 12m above sea level, to over 300m altitude in some places. Parts of the woodlands are open with small pockets of bog with stunted trees around the edges. Bog woodland also

The Story of Beinn Eighe and Loch Maree Islands National Nature Reserve occurs on the islands, particularly Eilean Subhainn, where gnarled and stunted pine and birch eke out a living in the nutrient-poor peat. Many of the trees are scarcely taller than a person, yet seem to survive in balance with the other plants more commonly associated with this type of habitat, without taking over. This bog woodland is relatively common in Scandinavia and parts of Eastern Europe, but rare in the UK.

On the islands the pine woods have a large amount of juniper, a UK Biodiversity Action Plan (UK BAP) species. This mixture is unusual elsewhere in Scotland, with juniper more usually found in dry, heath areas. The uncommon rock whitebeam can also be found in odd places.

Across the woodland, there are notable variations in the age and density of the trees, largely due to subtle differences in growing conditions and past use of the woodlands by people. The oldest trees are nearly 400 years old and are thought to have recolonised after a fire. The evidence for this is a layer of charcoal in the peat among the trees. Dead trees are common, both standing and fallen, and they provide important habitat for many plants and animals.

The woodland of Isle Maree, one of the smaller islands close to the northern shore of the loch, stands out from the rest. Here, broadleaved trees, mostly oak, holly, and chestnut, dominate. The oaks are likely to have come from acorns spread from the oak woodland on the northern shores of the loch. The chestnuts, larch and other non-native species would have been planted by visitors to the island and are linked to the cultural heritage of Isle Maree.

Ancient woodland at Beinn Eighe

The Story of Beinn Eighe and Loch Maree Islands National Nature Reserve

Map showing existing woodland at Beinn Eighe

Loch Maree

Loch Maree is one of the most pristine freshwater bodies in the UK. It is described as ‘oligotrophic to mesotrophic’, which means nutrient levels are low and the water quality is therefore high, with little water pollution. This type of habitat is relatively

The Story of Beinn Eighe and Loch Maree Islands National Nature Reserve abundant in the more mountainous areas of Europe. There are other examples in the north and west of the UK, but it occurs only rarely in the south.

The water quality of Loch Maree is one of the main reasons that the reserve is an ideal breeding site for black-throated divers, which are very sensitive to pollution. The loch also provides a haven for fish, such as trout, salmon and Arctic char. While few plants grow in this nutrient-poor system, there are some specialists, such as water lobelia, that have found a niche in the sheltered sandy bays around the island shores. Eilean Subhainn, the largest of the islands, has five small lochans, which also provide pristine fresh water habitat. In effect there are lochans within a loch.

Upland open ground

About half of the reserve consists of upland open ground. Habitats found here include extensive dry, wet, alpine and sub-alpine heaths and important moss heaths. There are also rock ledges, screes, montane grasslands and blanket bog, all contributing to the reserve’s national and international importance.

The dry heaths include some of the best examples of the moss and lichen-rich heaths found in the more humid conditions here in the north-west Highlands. Further up the mountain, they change in character. Beinn Eighe has outstanding examples of several types of alpine heath, including forms rich in oceanic mosses and liverworts. These include the largest area of dwarf juniper heath in the UK and rare species of liverworts, such as the northern prongwort. This type of heath is only found in the north-west of Scotland and occasionally in Ireland.

The higher areas also include a form of moss heath, which is particularly rich in plant species due to the lime-rich rocks on which it grows.

Much of the open ground at Beinn Eighe and scattered amongst the woodland of the islands is blanket bog and wet heath. Both of these habitats are internationally important, with the UK and Ireland holding almost all of Europe’s blanket bog, and a significant proportion of its wet heath. The transition from blanket bog and wet heath, through bog woodland to pine wood, demonstrates the natural succession of habitat change both on the islands and the wetter areas of the mainland reserve.

Snow beds occur in areas where snow persists after the general snow cover has disappeared. These beds have developed their own special types of vegetation. The plants that grow here include grasses, ferns and mosses that can tolerate being buried under snow for long periods, and the damp conditions as the snow melts. Beinn Eighe has a wider range of these communities than most other mountains, and has interesting gradations from montane grasslands into the snow bed areas. The summit plant communities support many montane rarities including the only recently (1991) recorded British population of the Arctic kidney lichen. The crags of the upper areas also support a wide range of lime-loving herbaceous plants, including many nationally scarce species, such as Highland saxifrage.

The Story of Beinn Eighe and Loch Maree Islands National Nature Reserve

Flora and fauna

Over 680 different species of plants have been found at Beinn Eighe and Loch Maree Islands NNR. These are grouped into at least 78 different types of vegetation across the reserve.

Higher plants

Beinn Eighe is the most botanically distinguished of all the acidic mountains in the north-west Highlands. Of the 250 higher plants recorded on the reserve, tufted saxifrage and brook saxifrage are Red Data Book (RDB) species, and 23 species are nationally scarce. There are a number of UK Biodiversity Action Plan (UKBAP) species that occur on the reserve including dwarf juniper, marsh clubmoss (not a moss at all) and brown beak-sedge. Likewise, the reserve is an important location for many of the species that occur in the Wester Ross Local Biodiversity Action Plan (LBAP). Species such as melancholy thistle, frog orchid, early marsh orchid, bog orchid, lesser twayblade, mountain azalea, small white orchid and globe flower all thrive here.

Loch Maree Islands share this exceptionally rich flowering plant community. Within the pine wood here, as Creeping ladies tresses on Beinn Eighe, creeping ladies tresses’ striking, tall white flower spikes can be spotted in late summer. This species is found almost exclusively in Scottish pine woods, and is the only evergreen orchid in the UK. Other nationally scarce species include the six-stamened waterwort, found in the lochans of Eilean Subhainn. The silty loch shores of the islands are home to quillwort, water lobelia and bulbous rush. Less common are plants such as marsh clubmoss, royal fern and bog hair grass.

Lower plants and fungi

Beinn Eighe and Loch Maree Islands NNR has the greatest variety of oceanic mosses and liverworts recorded anywhere on a single site in Britain. Surveys carried out in 1998 and 2003 recorded a total of 161 moss species and 95 liverworts including six RDB and 56 nationally scarce species – one of the highest totals from any protected site in Scotland.

Not surprisingly, the reserve is home to some very rare mosses. The rusty bow-moss can be found in the woodland, clinging to steep and shaded rock faces. This moss

The Story of Beinn Eighe and Loch Maree Islands National Nature Reserve was only discovered in Britain in the 1970’s, and has only been found in the UK at Beinn Eighe and Knoydart, though it does grow as far afield as China.

Up on the plateau, northern prongwort, a 20centimetre (cm) tall, bright orange, leafy liverwort flourishes. Beinn Eighe holds the only population of this plant in Britain but, more significantly, this represents three-quarters of the world population. The remainder grows on three sites in Norway. Other unusual liverworts found on the reserve include the fantastically named chain pincerwort, bog pincerwort, spiny threadwort, fingered cowlwort and brown flapwort.

Another Beinn Eighe speciality is a tiny, dark green moss called Daltonia splachnoides (it has no common name), this is normally found in tropical and sub- tropical latitudes. On the reserve, it is at its most northerly location in the entire world. There are 15 other scarce mosses found here, including black tufted moss, dry rock moss, gravel grimmia, Holt’s mouse-tail moss and Austin’s bog moss.

Of the 411 lichen species on the reserve, 89 are either nationally rare or scarce. Over half of the lichen species grow on the bark of trees, particularly on broad-leaved species such as birch and rowan. Above the woodland, an entirely different range of lichens flourishes. The montane heaths on the tops of Ruadh-stac Mòr and Ruadh-stac Beag are particularly rich in lichens, including four RDB species. The most significant of these is the large, conspicuous, yellowish-green arctic kidney lichen. Beinn Eighe is the only known location for this species in the whole of the UK. Some of the rarer lichens are also Dicranodontium uncinatum – in a found on old fenceposts and, where this wooded ravine occurs, the fenceposts are being left in situ.

There are also 450 species of fungus recorded on the reserve and again, more rarities such as green webcap, sunset webcap, red edge bonnet and pink bonnet, which are all RDB species.

Invertebrates

Beinn Eighe and Loch Maree Islands NNR has an impressive assemblage of invertebrates associated with the variety of habitats present on the reserve. The mountainous section of the reserve boasts the highest number of RDB and nationally scarce invertebrates (23 and 77 respectively) of all Scottish upland sites. Overall, the invertebrate community is of outstanding national importance, with over 1000 different types of invertebrate recorded from the reserve.

The Story of Beinn Eighe and Loch Maree Islands National Nature Reserve

The mosaic of woods, bogs, heaths and open water on and around the islands also offers a wide range of habitats for invertebrates. There is an internationally important assemblage of dragonflies which thrive in the sheltered bays and lochans. Twelve species are found here including two nationally scarce species, the azure hawker and white faced darter, and the northern emerald, a RDB species.

Five nationally scarce species of beetles are also found on the islands, including Stenus carbonarius, a rove beetle for which this is the most northerly record in the UK. The RDB ground beetle, Bembidion virens, has also been recorded here along with a RDB fly called Palloptera usta, which lives in decaying wood.

Of the 240 species of butterflies and moths found here, four are RDB species. In 2013 we recorded argent and sable moth, a UKBAP species. In 2009, Bob Heckford, an amateur entomologist rediscovered the micromoth, Plutella haasi on the Beinn Eighe ridge. The reserve is one of seven known localities in Europe for this species, with five in Norway and the other in Sweden. It also hosts 180 species of flies and 130 species of beetles.

Mammals

All the characteristic Highland mammals have been recorded at Beinn Eighe and Loch Maree Islands NNR, including red and roe deer, pine marten and mountain hare. Pine martens are widespread, and signs of them are easy to find, though you will be lucky to spot one of these secretive creatures.

The reserve supports an internationally important population of otters. They breed along the shores of Loch Maree, and there are signs of them around upland burns and lochans as high as 400m up Beinn Eighe.

Two native species of deer can be seen on the reserve. Red deer range from the summit plateau to the islands of Loch Maree. Roe deer are also found throughout the reserve. Deer play important roles in the ecology of woodland and upland habitats.

Pipistrelle bats are common on the reserve and have breeding colonies in several buildings. Daubenton’s bats are also seen but, so far, we don’t know where they breed.

A survey carried out in 2011 found that the reserve has a healthy population of water voles, some living at an altitude of 400m.

Many other mammal species live within the reserve, including foxes, field mice, bank voles, field voles, hedgehogs, stoats, moles, and common and pygmy shrews. In 2014, one of our remote cameras photographed a badger was also photographed at a deer carcass at an altitude of 400m. Surprisingly, given the amount of Scots pine, there are no red squirrels.

The Story of Beinn Eighe and Loch Maree Islands National Nature Reserve

Birds

Black-throated divers

Loch Maree is home to the largest number of breeding pairs of black-throated divers in the UK. These shy birds are more often heard than seen, their long, mournful call frequently drifting over the loch during the spring and summer months. Black- throated divers only come to the reserve to breed, spending the winter months at sea.

The first birds to return to Loch Maree each year usually arrive in late March/April, pairing up and then nesting from May onwards. By the end of September, most of the birds have left again.

There are about 200 breeding pairs of black-throated divers in the UK and most of these are confined to the north-west Highlands and Western Isles of Black-throated diver Scotland. The UK population of these beautiful birds is at the edge of its natural range, with less than 1% of the whole European population breeding in the UK.

Loch Maree itself supports over 6% of the UK breeding population. In 1994, Loch Maree boasted 10 diver territories, and up to eight breeding pairs. In recent years a number of factors have contributed to a drop in this number. In recent years less than 5 breeding pairs have been found each year. The key reason for this decline has been found to be nest predation, although flooding and disturbance can also be contributing factors.

Eagles

A pair of white-tailed eagles regularly breeds within the reserve. They stayed in the area after the successful reintroduction programme that was carried out in the Wester Ross area in the early 90s. The original pair of birds were born in 1993 (female) and 1994 (male). They first nested White-tailed eagle chick

The Story of Beinn Eighe and Loch Maree Islands National Nature Reserve in 1998 and on their first attempt successfully reared a chick. The pair bred continually until 2012 and fledged 15 chicks. In turn the 15 chicks have brought a further 16 young sea eagles into the west of Scotland. Sadly the nest failed in 2013 for no apparent reason at the time, but it was noted in 2014 that the male of this pair had changed to a bird born in either 2009 or 2010. They bred successfully in 2014 and fledged one chick. A pair has been on the reserve each year since but breeding success has varied from year to year

Golden eagle can be seen regularly soaring above the highest peaks and breed on the reserve.

Other birds

Approximately 115 different bird species have been recorded on the reserve, and 80 breed here. This includes 11 UKBAP and 10 LBAP species including, ring ouzel, golden plover and skylark.

In the woodlands, crossbills crack open pinecones and drop them to the woodland floor below. The woodlands are also one of the few places in the UK where brambling has bred.

On the islands redwings breed. They are a nationally scarce breeding species and most commonly known as winter visitors to the UK. In the past greylag geese, also more usually winter visitors to Scotland, were known to breed here, although none has done so since the 1970s. The loch is also the only known breeding site in the UK for the great northern diver, which bred here in 1970.

In the late winter and early spring goldeneye, neat black and white diving ducks with a striking yellow eye, bob around the loch in small rafts, before moving on to breed elsewhere.

Fish

The clear waters of the loch are home to a population of Arctic char, one of the UK’s rarest fish. Loch Maree’s char may even be a distinct race of this fish, which prefers these cold northern waters in which to breed. Brown trout also breed here, while salmon and sea trout pass through the loch on their way to their breeding streams.

Summary

The mountain, pine woods, and islands of Beinn Eighe and Loch Maree Islands NNR together represent some of the wildest and most pristine landscapes in the whole of the UK. The ancient Caledonian pine woods at Coille na Glas Leitir, and on Loch Maree Islands, have flourished here for thousands of years. This temperate rainforest, with its humid climate, is an ideal habitat for many globally important mosses and liverworts.

The range of woodland habitats, with ample deadwood and open, wet areas, also provides a varied mix of plant communities, which in turn, attract a huge range of

The Story of Beinn Eighe and Loch Maree Islands National Nature Reserve invertebrates, and the birds and mammals that feed on them. The upland open ground habitats add yet another dimension to the reserve. The complexity of habitats, some more akin to sub-arctic and arctic environments, supports rarities that are found nowhere else in the UK. In addition, the pristine waters of the loch make them an ideal breeding place for black-throated divers, and for the many other plants and animals that find shelter here.

From the otters on its shores to the golden eagles soaring high above the summit peaks, Beinn Eighe and Loch Maree Islands NNR is a true haven for Highland wildlife.

Historical and Cultural Heritage

In among this wilderness is Isle Maree, where man has come to find sanctuary and healing for centuries, and where the oaks, holly and chestnuts, many brought by those who came here, echo this connection with the outside world.

While most of the reserve is relatively untouched by man, the history of Isle Maree, is long and sometimes tragic. The remains of what is thought to be the cell of St Mealrubha, an early Christian missionary for whom the loch is named, could date back as far as the 8th century. The ruins of this tiny dwelling can still be seen among the shady oaks.

In the centre of Isle Maree there is a graveyard surrounded by a low dyke, containing about 60 graves. They include a pair of Celtic-style incised crosses lying side by side. They are said to be the gravestones of Viking lovers, who both committed suicide after a Romeo and Juliet-like misunderstanding, though recent studies suggest they are probably too recent to be the originals.

The vestiges of a well and the ‘Wishing Tree’ can also be seen on the island. The water from the well was believed to cure madness, and people left offerings of money wedged into the trunk of the tree (the ‘Wishing Tree’) for the services of the well. These remains are of such significance that Isle Maree is a Scheduled Ancient Monument (SAM).

Close up of the wishing tree

The Story of Beinn Eighe and Loch Maree Islands National Nature Reserve

3 Management of Beinn Eighe and Loch Maree Islands before they became NNRs

History of Beinn Eighe & Loch Maree Islands

8000 years Scots pine colonises the Beinn Eighe area, including Loch Maree ago Islands. 6000 years The earliest evidence of settlements in the area come from a burial ago cist found in 1898, and believed to date back to the Bronze Age. Contained within this cist are a Neolithic stone ball, a cup and numerous other artefacts. c700AD St. Maelrubha, sometimes called the Apostle of Gairloch, lives in retreat on Isle Maree. 800AD Vikings use the woodlands for small-scale boat-building endeavours. Loch Maree is still accessible from the sea at the lochs west end. Late A Norse Viking prince, Olaf, and his bride, are said to have been 800sAD buried here beneath a pair of Celtic crosses after a misunderstanding led to them both committing suicide. 1300 The Scots defeat the Vikings and the MacLeods and the Mackenzie’s of Kintail claim the area. After many battles, it is the Mackenzie’s that are victorious. 1656 First written reference to the ‘holy’ well on Isle Maree. 17th century Evidence of a charcoal layer in the peat soil suggests Coille na Glas Leitir experienced a major fire. 1743 The Mackenzie’s of Coul buy the area from the Lord of Kintail. 1772 Loch Maree is mentioned by Thomas Pennant in his Tour of Scotland. 1830’s Creation of the Kinlochewe Deer Forest and interest in developing a sporting estate. c1850 The ravine woods of Allt a’Chùirn and Allt an Doire Dharaich are cleared. 1862 The land is resold to the Mackenzie’s of Gairloch. 1870 Arrival of railway at Achnasheen. 1877 Isle Maree is visited by Queen Victoria, who places a coin in the wishing tree. 1880s Botanists start to take an interest in the area, including G C Druce. 1886 Gairloch and Guide to Loch Maree is written by J H Dixon, a comprehensive guide to the natural and cultural heritage of the loch and its islands. 1919 Coille na Glas Leitir is sold from the Kinlochewe Deer Forest. 1921 Osgood MacKenzie writes A Hundred Years in the Highlands, including descriptions of the islands and their wildlife at that time. 1939 Coille na Glas Leitir and its bog is described by Prof Sir Arthur Tansley in The British Isles and their Vegetation. 1949 Coille na Glas Leitir pine wood is recommended as both a National Nature Reserve, and as a National Park reserve within a proposed National Park centred on Loch Maree. 1951 A Lancaster bomber crashes on Beinn Eighe, prompting the formation of the modern RAF Mountain Rescue Teams. 1977 Loch Maree Islands NNR is declared.

The Story of Beinn Eighe and Loch Maree Islands National Nature Reserve

Land use history

Archaeological studies of pollen and seeds indicate that man has been present in the Beinn Eighe area for some 6000 years. The earliest evidence of settlement in the area consists of various finds dating to the Bronze Age, 2750 to 4000 years ago. The village of Kinlochewe has probably been inhabited since this time. It is thought that, from the earliest times, agricultural use of Beinn Eighe and its lower slopes was for pasturing of domestic stock, mainly black cattle and a few sheep and goats. Viking settlers will have also farmed the area and used the timber from the woodlands to make boats.

The woodlands around Loch Maree however probably remained relatively undisturbed. In 1600, they were first described by the mapmaker, Timothy Pont as:

‘compassed about with many fair and tall woods as any in all the west of Scotland, in some parts with Holly, in some places with fair and beautiful firs1 of 60, 70, 80 feet of good and serviceable timber for masts and raes2, in other places are great plenty of excellent great oaks, where may be sawn out planks of 4 sometimes 5 feet broad. All their bounds is compassed and hemmed in with many hills but these beautiful to look on, their skirts being all adorned with wood even to the brink of the loch for the most part.’

All this timber proved useful when, in 1607, Sir George Hay established some of the earliest ironworks in Scotland at Letterewe on the northern side of Loch Maree. The furnaces were fired with charcoal, and the annual consumption of each furnace was equivalent to nearly 120ha of woodland. It isn’t clear whether they used timber from Coille na Glas Leitir, but the disappearance of trees from round about may have increased use of the pine wood for other purposes, such as domestic fires.

The early 19th century saw increasing pressure on the woodlands. Large numbers of sheep were introduced, and muirburn was practised to encourage the growth of young heather for sporting interests, including and the creation of the Kinlochewe Deer Forest. The practice of letting deer forest for the duration of the sporting season appears to have become widespread between1830-35.

The increased grazing had significant effects on the native woodland where regeneration was already restricted by the harsh climate and poor soils. Most of the lower slopes of the hill were preserved for deer alone and Coille na Glas Leitir provided winter shelter for stags. Ancient ravine woodlands were also cleared at this time, with the timber possibly being used locally, such as in the construction of the hunting lodge on Coulin estate.

The arrival of the railway at Achnasheen in 1870 signalled an important new land use for the area – tourism. The Achnasheen, Kinlochewe and Loch Maree Hotels were opened for business, and the old military road south of the loch became the main route towards the coast. Tourists began to frequent the area as the word

1 Scots pine. 2 Yard arms.

The Story of Beinn Eighe and Loch Maree Islands National Nature Reserve spread about the beauty of Loch Maree. A steamer ran summer excursions down the loch and the Beinn Eighe woodlands were a major attraction of the area. Such was the fame of the area that Queen Victoria visited in 1877, staying at the Loch Maree Hotel for seven nights. The hotel also offered fishing boats for hire, and for many years Loch Maree had a reputation as one of the best fishing lochs in the country, with up to 15 boats out on the water each day trying for the prime salmon, brown and sea trout found here. Sadly the number of fish in the loch has dropped markedly, and now only two or three fishing boats venture out.

The great Victorian interest in natural history meant that the area began to be studied. Records of plants from Beinn Eighe date from the 1880s when the amateur botanist, G C Druce, visited Kinlochewe and Beinn Eighe in 1881, ’87 and ’89. Later, in the 1930s, Coille na Glas Leitir was visited by Sir Arthur Tansley, who was Professor of Botany at Oxford University. He described the woodland in his influential book The British Isles and their Vegetation (1939) and again later, in his book Britain’s Green Mantle (1949). Tansley later chaired the government committee that set up the Nature Conservancy, the organisation that would later declare Beinn Eighe as Britain’s first National Nature Reserve.

Ironically, the most significant impact on Coille na Glas Leitir, came during the Second World War, between the publication of these two books. Though the pine wood was still in private hands, the Ministry of Supply paid £4,200 for timber from Coille na Glas Leitir to be used as ammunition boxes and pit props for mines. The Pioneer Corps felled trees, with instructions to remove two-thirds of the pine wood. All the larger trees from two relatively accessible areas near the road were felled and an official report later describes the woodlands as “devastated”.

But happily people did not make so much use of the islands’ resources because of their inaccessibility. A small amount of peat cutting may have been done on some of the larger islands, and there is some evidence that Eilean Ruaridh Mor was grazed briefly in the past. On Eilean Suibhainn there are signs of the ground being burnt years ago, but we have no way of knowing if this was done deliberately to prepare the ground for use, or whether this was a natural fire.

Despite being relatively untouched, there are some signs of man’s presence on a few of the other islands. On Eilean Subhainn there are the traces of a dwelling said to have been used by the old chiefs of the MacKenzies in the 17th century – as well as bothies where Osgood MacKenzie says illicit stills were kept, away from the prying eyes of the exciseman. Eilean Ruaridh Mor, named after the chief of the MacLeods in the 15th century, was also used for this purpose in the early 19th century, and there is a house on Eilean Ruaridh Beag dating back to the 16th century.

Summary

While it is difficult to be precise about the land-use history of the reserve, it is clear that the woods in and around Loch Maree were regarded as impressive as early as the early 17th century. A significant section of Coille na Glas Leitir and the pine woods of Loch Maree Islands have survived, while much of the woodland around was cleared during the Second World War. The history of the upland is probably

The Story of Beinn Eighe and Loch Maree Islands National Nature Reserve even less clear. Much will have been grazed by stock and deer, especially at the height of the Kinlochewe Deer Forest.

Perhaps the most significant historical event was the coming of the railway to Achnasheen. This brought not only tourists bent on the simple pleasures of the landscape, but also botanists intent on discovering the area's true wealth. Sir Arthur Tansley highlighted Coille na Glas Leitir in his books, and it was famous enough by 1949 to be included in a list of potential Scottish National Nature Reserves.

The Story of Beinn Eighe and Loch Maree Islands National Nature Reserve

4 Management of Beinn Eighe & Loch Maree Islands NNR

Key events in the history of Beinn Eighe and Loch Maree Islands since they became NNRs are as follows:

1951 The Nature Conservancy buys Coille na Glas Leitir from Mrs Grieg of the Grudie estate, along with large areas of adjoining upland (4320ha total) for £4000.

Beinn Eighe is declared as the UK’s very first National Nature Reserve in September of that year. 1953 Anancaun Farm and its buildings are purchased by the Nature Conservancy. 1954 A 44ha enclosure is set up in Coille na Glas Leitir, and a series of experiments on tree establishment is begun. 1955 Loch Maree Islands is first proposed for NNR status by Mr M E D Poore and Dr D N McVean. 1957 The first Beinn Eighe reserve Management Plan is published. 1962 An additional 23ha of Scots pine woodland is added to the Beinn Eighe reserve along the loch side. 1965 First residential volunteers stay at Anancaun

1966 Scotland’s first nature trail is created along the shore of Loch Maree. 1969 Gairloch Conservation Unit (GCU) is set up, and the first Deer Management Group in Scotland is established. 1970 HRH Princess Margaret opens the Beinn Eighe Mountain Trail, the UK’s first self-guided trail. 1971 The tree nursery is abandoned, having been run down over the past three years. 1973 The Beinn Eighe NNR expands by 577ha as a result of a Nature reserve Agreement (NRA) with the National Trust for Scotland (NTS).

A Nature reserve Agreement (NRA) is concluded for Loch Maree Islands with Mrs M C MacKenzie. 1974 The Beinn Eighe Visitor Centre opens in the old crofters cottage at Aultroy.

Beinn Eighe is notified as an SSSI. 1976 The Beinn Eighe reserve is designated as a UNESCO Biosphere reserve. 1977 In addition to the woodland habitats, the upland habitats on the Beinn Eighe reserve are recognised as being of national importance by a Nature Conservation Review: The Selection of Biological Sites of National Importance to Nature Conservation in Britain.

An NRA is concluded with the Forestry Commission for Eilean Ruaridh Mor.

Loch Maree Islands is declared a NNR.

The Story of Beinn Eighe and Loch Maree Islands National Nature Reserve

1978 The reserve is included within the Wester Ross National Scenic Area. 1979 Isle Maree is listed as a Scheduled Ancient Monument (SAM). 1980 New research on the genetics of Scots pine in Scotland shows that Wester Ross pines are the most distinctive. This raises concerns about the plantings at Beinn Eighe NNR, and planting is restricted to broadleaf trees for the time being. Removal of non-local trees begins soon after. 1983 The reserve is awarded a European Diploma of Protected Areas by the Council of Europe (renewed 1988, 1993, 1998, and 2003) in recognition of its European importance. 1987 A ring fence is completed around 1100ha of ground to protect ancient gorge woodland and areas of newly planted native trees.

The tree nursery at Anancaun is re-opened to raise Scots pine from local stock for planting on the reserve.

Major refurbishment is completed on the Mountain Trail. 1988 Three separate areas of the reserve are recognised for their geological importance by The Geological Conservation Review. 1992 The reserve’s European importance is further recognised by its inclusion within the Loch Maree Complex SAC.

Removal of trees of non-local origin completed.

Loch Maree is notified as an SSSI.

A study of upright juniper on Loch Maree Islands is written by D McLeod. 1993 Loch Maree is classified as an SPA for its black-throated divers. 1994 Loch Maree is listed as a Ramsar site. 1995 The fourth reserve Management Plan is published.

A Code of Conduct for Fishermen is produced by SNH.

A ten year management plan for Loch Maree Islands is produced. 1998 Local community representatives are invited to join Beinn Eighe Advisory Group. 1999 The first Beinn Eighe NNR Open Day is held.

The re-structuring of Enclosure 2 begins with the clear felling of non- native Sitka spruce and lodgepole pine. 2001 The reserve celebrates its 50th anniversary. Celebrations include the publication of Beinn Eighe – the Mountain Above the Wood. 2002 The Visitor Centre reopens after major refurbishment and the building of three all-ability trails. Visitor numbers peak to 17,000. 2003 The landscape of the ancient woodland is improved by removal of overhead electricity lines and poles. 2004 The Visitor Centre receives two prestigious awards from the UK Association of Heritage Interpreters.

The Story of Beinn Eighe and Loch Maree Islands National Nature Reserve

2005 A report on the accessibility of Loch Maree Islands is produced to comply with the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA). 2006 reserve threshold signs were replaced

2007 A three-year study of the causes of black-throated diver breeding failure on Loch Maree is begun by Lorna Brown.

A full-colour information leaflet about the islands is produced.

First sea eagles breed on Loch Maree Islands.

First sea eagle fledglings are ringed. 2km of all abilities path is created 2008 European Diploma is renewed

BBC Natural History Unit produce an hour-long film about Beinn Eighe and Loch Maree Islands NNR 2009 A new reserve Management Plan is produced

A biomass heating system is installed

Mountain and Woodland Trail leaflets are replaced with a new style leaflet 2010 First Thurso student placement provided offering nine months work experience on reserve management. 2011 The reserve celebrates its 60th anniversary

The Habitat Management Plan is completed

A new deer larder is constructed and is shared with Forestry Commission Scotland. Planting of No 2 Enclosure is completed providing an additional 128ha of new woodland.

The Visitor Centre receives a Green Tourism Gold Award and is receiving over 10, 000 visitors per year.

2012 The wild deer on Beinn Eighe - their abundance and impacts on key habitats report is published

A Vegetation Survey is completed.

The Report on lichen interest on No 9 Enclosure fence posts is completed. 2014 The Visitor Centre is refurbished and the formal re-opening held in 2015.

The Story of Beinn Eighe and Loch Maree Islands National Nature Reserve

Management of the Natural Heritage

Since establishing the reserve, our focus for management at Beinn Eighe has been on the natural regeneration of the ancient woodland at Coille na Glas Leitir, and the restoration of woodland on other parts of the reserve. Other issues have gained in importance, however. The deer need to be managed, otherwise, when numbers are too high, they would prevent woodland regeneration and damage newly planted areas. Methods and emphasis have changed over the years. New scientific discoveries have been made about the distinctiveness of local Scots pine. Recognition of the importance of the upland open ground habitats has also influenced our approach to management of the natural heritage on the reserve. At Loch Maree Islands much of our management has concentrated on protecting and enhancing nesting habitat for black-throated divers during the breeding season. Artificial islands were installed on the loch between 1988 and 1992 to improve breeding success of divers by reducing the risk of nests flooding.

Woodland management

There was little experience of establishing new native pine woods in the early 1950s, so our reserve staff had to learn from scratch. We set up a tree nursery, and tried a whole range of pioneering techniques for establishing trees on Beinn Eighe, including various methods of cultivation, fertiliser treatments and planting. Initially, we tried to keep disturbance of the ground to a minimum. We hand sowed and planted trees in natural groups according to the soil conditions. This produced a mosaic of mixed tree species and open ground. But planting in this way was painstakingly slow, and was only modestly successful.

With increasing pressure to see results, we changed our management methods, and started to plant using more conventional forestry techniques. We also planted mainly Scots pine, a major shift from the original idea of creating natural woodland, which essentially means a succession starting with broadleaved trees through to a climax pine woodland community.

We also recognised that high numbers of deer were preventing trees growing from seed within the reserve. The ancient woodland was not regenerating, and deer would quickly browse any newly sown or planted trees. We started to erect deer fences as a standard practice to keep deer out of areas of the reserve. Over the years, we have erected many enclosures and, in 1988, we erected the Ring Fence. The Ring Fence encloses about 1200ha of ground and helps link up a series of smaller woodland enclosures around the east side of the reserve. Appendix 1 provides a brief summary of the fencing and planting history of the Beinn Eighe enclosures.

Between 1968 and 1971, we started to get planting stock from other sources, rather than our own tree nursery. Concerns were raised about not using seed from local trees, and these were justified in 1980 when research by the Forestry Commission showed that Wester Ross has a distinctive race of Scots pine. This revelation resulted in us re-opening the tree nursery to concentrate on raising locally sourced Scots pine for the reserve. We also began to remove trees from the reserve where

The Story of Beinn Eighe and Loch Maree Islands National Nature Reserve there were concerns about their origins. Since the genetic research into Scots pine, we have discovered that the dwarf juniper on Beinn Eighe is also distinctive.

Volunteers removing redundant fencing

More recently, we have made big strides in techniques for raising and planting, particularly of broadleaf trees, which did not survive well in the past. We now raise seedlings in polytunnels, vastly increasing their germination and growth rates. We use fibre pots and soil similar to that within the reserve, which means that trees suffer much less shock when they are planted – so they survive and grow much better.

Over the reserve's first 50 years, we planted almost 500,000 trees. A further 170,000 trees have been planted since mostly around compartment 2 in Glen Torridon and on land to the south west of it. At the turn of the millennium, our planting rate stood at around 15,000 trees per year. This is fewer than under the old, controversial ploughing methods, but is achieving something more like a natural woodland. We have also provided plants to the National Trust for Scotland, Torridon and Coulin Estate for planting at other locations within the Loch Maree area. The tree nursery has also proved invaluable since the threat of pine red-band needle blight and consequent controls on transporting pine stock have emerged. Having a tree nursery where only locally sourced seed is used has meant that we have been able to continue with new planting on the reserve, without the risk of spreading the disease.

The woodlands on the islands are particularly special because there has been little influence from people over the years. Our aim is to keep them this way, through minimum intervention wherever possible. We have concentrated on protecting what is there - monitoring the species that rely on these woodlands, and trying to stop

The Story of Beinn Eighe and Loch Maree Islands National Nature Reserve non-native and invasive species from damaging the habitats. A number of species, including rhododendron, western red cedar, lodgepole pine, and to a lesser extent Sitka spruce, need control. In the 1980s we began clearing the woods of these non- native invaders to stop them crowding out the seedling pines and the other native plants that grow on the islands. A group of volunteers now maintains this work on an annual basis.

To protect the genetic diversity of the pines here we collect seed every year to ensure that in the event of a catastrophe such as a major fire we would be able to restore the woodland with trees of local provenance.

An important aspect of woodland management is monitoring the extent, composition and structure of the woodlands. We do this in a number of ways including monitoring of permanent transects, regeneration transects and deer transects. For the first time, in 2010, the native woodland plantations in enclosures 9, 10 and 11 were included as part of the native pine wood feature on the reserve – a real testimony to the decades of woodland Volunteers collecting pine seeds restoration work Beinn Eighe and Loch Maree Islands NNR is renowned for.

Deer management

In the 1950s, an estate with a good deer population was considered a healthy estate. Left with the legacy of a sporting estate and its high deer population, our main focus in the early days was preventing deer grazing damage on newly planted trees by erecting fences. It wasn’t until much later that attitudes changed and we began to start focusing on reducing deer numbers. We also recognised that, as more fences were erected, and the area available to deer reduced, there was a requirement to cull displaced deer. Red deer however move about a great deal, especially stags during the rutting season, and frequently travel from estate to estate. So, in 1967, the Gairloch Conservation Unit was established to make better counts of deer numbers in the whole area, and improve communication between the various estates.

Today, deer numbers are down to manageable levels. The only remaining deer fencing is the Ring Fence and enclosures 3, 6 and 16 are under review. We cull approximately 135 deer each year. We concentrate our efforts in two main high priority zones which include the recently planted areas and the ancient woodland areas. The hinds are shot from 1st October until end of March. Stags are not shot on the open hill or during the rut but are culled when encountered within the high priority zones. The deer management is undertaken using Deer Authorisations which permit SNH to cull deer out of season and night shooting. This increase in management of the deer population has produced increased pulses of regeneration and released saplings from browsing pressure, and we estimate that an additional 25 -30 ha of

The Story of Beinn Eighe and Loch Maree Islands National Nature Reserve woodland has been able to get away. Deer are, however, important to the woodland development as their grazing assists with the creation of a more natural woodland.

Black-throated divers

Loch Maree is the most important site in the UK for breeding black-throated divers. In 1994, there were 8-10 breeding territories on the loch, the largest number in the country. However, nesting close to the water’s edge means flooding can easily destroy nests. To try to avoid this happening and enhance the breeding success of divers on the reserve, we, together with the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB), built six breeding rafts and positioned them within six of the 10 breeding territories between 1988 and 1992. Though anchored, the rafts float so that if water levels rise the nests won’t be flooded. We maintain the rafts each year to ensure the vegetation doesn’t become too overgrown. We are delighted that the birds have used four of the six rafts, as this has reduced the incidence of nest flooding on the loch. Over the years 26 chicks have been fledged from the rafts, a sign of their success.

We have monitored the divers every year since 1986. We began by checking the nests weekly from April to mid-September, when the last chicks fledged. However we now only check the nests from a distance to confirm a breeding attempt. The chicks are counted in July once they take to the water. This work has revealed that despite the rafts the breeding success of the black-throated divers has dropped since the mid 1980s. In 2007 the number was down to five breeding pairs, with only two of the five pairs successfully raising three chicks. This decline in breeding success is being recorded across the country.

In 2006 we commissioned a pilot study to find out why the birds are having breeding difficulties here. The study used a remote camera set up at the birds’ nests to determine what was going wrong. The results suggest that rather than flooding, it is predation by pine marten, and possibly disturbance by other species, that are the main causes of the losses. A detailed three-year study followed to confirm this, which makes management recommendations to protect these vulnerable birds. For example we provide canoeists with information on areas to avoid, helping minimise disturbance during the breeding season.

We have also made attempts to encourage goldeneye, another rare bird, to breed on the islands. We erected goldeneye boxes on some of the islands in 1990 to encourage these winter visitors to stay and breed here. Unfortunately these boxes did not meet with any success, and the birds still disappear from the loch every April to breed elsewhere.

Archaeological, Historical and Cultural Heritage

Because Isle Maree is a Scheduled Ancient Monument we make sure that the management of the natural heritage doesn’t interfere with the historical heritage of this unusual site. We work closely with Historic Scotland to draw up guidelines for managing the island. These include ensuring that any trees that could be blown down onto the graveyard, dyke or other ruins are removed; clearing any new saplings growing within the site; controlling invading bracken; and pruning any

The Story of Beinn Eighe and Loch Maree Islands National Nature Reserve branches that overhang the two crosses. We also clear away any build-up of leaves on the graves, and monitor wear by taking fixed position photographs of the graves every year.

Monitoring

It is important for us to know the effect of deer grazing on both the woodland and the upland open ground areas. In 1957 we erected a small enclosure (No. 3) in an area of closely grazed grassland, 430m up on Meall a’ Ghiuthais, where there is a wide range of plants. With deer kept out of the area, it has changed enormously into a lush community of tall herbaceous plants. We keep a close eye on this enclosure, and compare photographs of the vegetation with others taken on neighbouring unfenced areas of grassland.

As part of our Site Condition Monitoring (SCM) programme, we monitor the condition of all the designated features at Beinn Eighe and Loch Maree Islands. Monitoring has shown that most habitats and species are thriving on the reserve. Dry heath and sub-alpine heaths have however been suffering some grazing damage, highlighting the need for us to carry out some corrective management. We have increased the deer cull in these areas to reduce impacts. And as we have mentioned we have found the reserve to be in unfavourable condition for black throated divers, a situation that we are trying to address.

Research and demonstration

Beinn Eighe NNR has always been a centre for research and considered an ‘outdoor laboratory’. Donald McVean’s studies of how trees could be re-established on the reserve are well known among professional conservationists, and had a fundamental influence on our management of the reserve. At the same time, in the 1950s and 60s, our Field Station at Anancaun became an important centre for scientists studying many aspects of the north-west Highlands, including pine marten and golden eagles. The Beinn Eighe warden (Dick Balharry) assisted two scientists, Ratcliffe and Lockie, with their study on golden eagles and how they bred more successfully, after a chemical called Dieldrin was banned from sheep dip.

There was a steady increase in research in the 1980s and 90s, as we encouraged more students to carry out projects on the reserve. Many of these improved our understanding of the wildlife of the reserve through surveys of mosses, liverworts and lichens, and rare and upland species such as dwarf juniper.

The reserve was the focal point for detailed study of pine martens in the early 1990’s. This showed that their main food, at least in this area, consists of field voles and, if they can’t find voles, they scavenge from deer carcases. The study also revealed that they avoid open ground, and how the territories of the males are limited by the length of boundary they can defend against other males. Geographical comparisons also suggested that pine martens at Beinn Eighe needed larger home ranges to provide sufficient food than in the Central Highlands, indicating a need for larger areas of mature pine woods in the west.

The Story of Beinn Eighe and Loch Maree Islands National Nature Reserve

The reserve hosted 10 research/survey projects between 2009 and 2015, including projects on moths, butterflies, lichens, climatology and our tree transects. In 2011, Oliver Moore, a PhD student used the reserve as a field site for assessing the impact of deer management on bryophyte and lichen ecology. The aim of the project was to determine whether different numbers of red deer have an impact on certain lower plant communities, making use of enclosures, different culling regimes and naturally deer-free habitats. He also looked at the lichen interest on the fence posts of enclosure 9 before we removed the deer fencing. The fence posts had been in since 1968, so had become a niche for lichen including the nationally scarce Mycoblastus affinis which was found on three posts. These posts and some others have been left standing in the ground as a result of this work.

We also undertake long-term monitoring that contributes to our understanding of the locality. We set up a weather station soon after the reserve was established, which has been operated continuously since. We also set up a moth trap, which has now been in operation on the reserve for more than 20 years. The trap is part of a network established in 1968 by the Rothamsted Insect Survey, which is one of the longest-running and geographically extensive insect datasets in the world. The data we collect at Beinn Eighe contributes to our understanding of how Britain’s animals are affected by problems such as climate change, and reports such as Butterfly Conservation’s The State of Britain’s Larger Moths.

On the cultural front, a huge effort has been put into discovering and translating the Gaelic place-names of Beinn Eighe and the Loch Maree Islands. This research by Roy Wentworth resulted in 240 names and alternative name-forms, many collected from native Gaelic speakers. The study massively increased the 80 names recorded by the Ordnance Survey, and gives many clues to past land use. There has also been some research into the history of the islands, including an archaeological survey of Isle Maree by Janet Hooper, of the North of Scotland Archaeological Society, in 2002.

Research benefits not only the reserve itself but, more importantly, contributes to our understanding of the wider world. We encourage all academic and research institutions to consider Beinn Eighe and Loch Maree Islands NNR as a possible study site for a wide range of issues and interests.

Management for People

Visitors

Visitors are welcome at Beinn Eighe & Loch Maree Islands NNR, and much of our management effort goes into providing facilities, information and, of course, a warm welcome. Over 50,000 people come to the Beinn Eighe section of the reserve each year and, not surprisingly, the majority of visitors come for the walking and the wildlife. A large proportion of visitors come from outside Scotland, with about 80% of visitors on holiday in the area.

Loch Maree Islands receive few visitors – a situation that has helped protect the habitats and species there. There is no way of getting to the islands other than by boat, and as the only jetty is at Loch Maree Hotel this really means either by

The Story of Beinn Eighe and Loch Maree Islands National Nature Reserve organised trip or by canoe or kayak. We have no way of knowing exactly how many people venture out onto the notoriously changeable waters of the loch to land on the islands, but estimates put the number at less than 200 visitors a year.

Visitor Centre

The old croft house at Aultroy houses the Visitor Centre. There are a wide range of interactive displays and activities here to introduce the reserve. An average of 11,000 people visits the centre each year. In addition to visitors to the Visitor Centre and picnic areas, many walkers come to Beinn Eighe. From counters that we had on various paths we were able to estimate that there were over 20,000 trips round the reserve trails during 2003, and over 18,000 in 2004.

In 2011 a ‘Visitor Management Report’ for the reserve reviewed the visitor facilities and highlighted areas for improvement, redevelopment and potential new initiatives.

The report suggested the refurbishment of the Visitor Centre and trails. In 2013 we produced a plan for the redevelopment of the Visitor Centre and we have been implementing the proposals since then. Phase 1 of the refurbishments started in 2013 and included all the outdoor works around the Visitor Centre and trails, such as replacing the orientation signage, way-marking (including renaming some of the trails), and interpretation along the trails. It also included creating an interpretation panel at the car park promoting the wider Wester Ross area as a region for wildlife viewing. This was completed in spring 2014.

Phase 2 concentrated on the Visitor Centre itself. In autumn 2014, the Visitor Centre closed early to allow for the removal of the old exhibits and full refurbishment which included:

 New graphic and interactive interpretation;  Installation of live wildlife camera feeds and screens for viewing video footage  taken on the reserve;  Enlarging the window to allow better viewing of the bird feeder area; and  New wildlife viewing hide.

The Visitor Centre reopened in April 2015 and tells the story of the reserve through amazing photography, information panels and a great 3D model. We provide up to date information on what is about in the local area. We also share images and stories about places on the reserve visitors might not reach, bringing the more remote and unusual parts and species on the reserve to people. When the centre is closed visitors can still access the trails and wildlife hide.

The centre is promoted as the ‘Gateway to Wester Ross’. We hope to encourage visitors to the centre to explore other natural and cultural heritage sites in the wider Wester Ross area.

The Story of Beinn Eighe and Loch Maree Islands National Nature Reserve

The interior of the visitor centre

We manage the Visitor Centre with the environment in mind, and have attained the Silver Standard under the Green Tourism Business Scheme, an environmental accolade awarded by Visit Scotland.

Trails and car parks

The Visitor Centre also forms the start of the circular Buzzard and Pine Cone trails through some of our Scots pine woodland. These are short, level, hard-surfaced paths suitable for everyone, and they feature wildlife puzzles for children and sculptures in wood and stone. From the pine cone trail, the path climbs uphill, onto the more undulating Buzzard Trail that winds through young woodland and moorland, with views over Kinlochewe and to the hills beyond.

Three car parks serve the reserve, as well as two other principal access points (on foot only). The main car park is on the A832 at Aultroy, just outside Kinlochewe, and serves the Visitor Centre and its adjoining trails. There is provision for caravan and coach parking here. Further along the A832 there is the Trails car park on the edge of Loch Maree and in the heart of the ancient Caledonian pine wood of Coille na Glas Leitir. Here there are picnic areas, information panels, and leaflet dispensers. Two self-guided trails also start and finish here.

The Story of Beinn Eighe and Loch Maree Islands National Nature Reserve

The Woodland Trail provides a 1.5km path through this atmospheric hillside along an old timber extraction route up into the pine wood, with spectacular views over Loch Maree and across to Slioch. The Mountain Trail (Britain’s first ever self- guided trail, established in 1972) is a more challenging, circular route of 6.6km which climbs to a height of 550m to another spectacular viewpoint high above the pine wood. Both these trails have frequent resting places. In 2007 2000m of all-abilities paths were installed which link the reserve with the village and other Maintaining trails parts of the site. In 2012 we upgrading 500m of the Mountain Trail, and also created a new short all-abilities Lochside path from the Trails car park. This now forms an attractive additional 120m of trail with picnic tables along the route for visitors to stop and enjoy the view.

There are three hill paths off the A896 road through Glen Torridon, which provide routes to the mountainous parts of the reserve. From the National Trust for Scotland (NTS) car park a path heads north, into Coire Dubh Mòr. Further east, another path leads steeply into Coire an Laoigh, and closer to Kinlochewe a path follows the wooded gorge of the Allt a’Chuirn. The summit can also be accessed via the Pony Path, from the Visitor Centre. These mountain access paths were all upgraded to a high standard in the late 1990s under a programme of work led by the Footpath Trust.

Loch Maree Islands

Since the introduction of the Land Reform Act in 2003 there has been an increase in the number of canoeists using the loch, some of whom land on Loch Maree Islands to explore, or occasionally camp. We work closely with The Scottish Canoe Association (SCA) to promote responsible access to the islands, and to provide information on how to avoid disturbing the divers, and where best to land. The SCA also has a webpage devoted to access guidance, encouraging people to contact our office at Anancaun before going onto the loch.

The other main group of loch users is the anglers. Their boats mainly come from Loch Maree Hotel, and rarely land on the islands. In 1995 we contributed to the production of an information leaflet for anglers. The leaflet provides a fact file on black-throated divers, what to be aware of, and how to be “diver friendly”. We also continue to work with the hotel to ensure that anglers going out in boats have up-to- date information on which areas to avoid to prevent the divers being disturbed.

The hotel has explored other ways of attracting people to Loch Maree, including boat tours of the loch, which it offers on demand. Approximately 200 people took these

The Story of Beinn Eighe and Loch Maree Islands National Nature Reserve trips in 2005. In the past the owners have also worked with the RSPB, as part of the ‘Aren’t Birds Brilliant Initiative’, taking people out to see some of the loch’s birdlife.

In recent years other organised groups have been taken out onto the loch in canoes and kayaks by adventure activity companies. This kind of activity is likely to increase as the popularity of outdoor pursuits in general, and canoeing in particular, seems to be growing.

We occasionally take small groups of people out to the islands, and we have run a number of open days on there over the years, mostly for local people. There is also an annual open day for the Wester Ross Fisheries Trust, which visits the islands as part of a fish population monitoring programme.

Guided walks and Open Days

While most visitors to the reserve use the wealth of information available from the Visitor Centre and information points to find their way round, occasional organised guided walks are run. One activity that proves popular is photographic deer-stalking expeditions, where people can experience the wildlife of the reserve at close quarters and learn about the management directly from reserve staff.

Since 2000, we have run several Open Day events, which are our opportunity to put the work of the reserve on show. In recent years we have organised these in conjunction with the Feis Ross, and Scotland’s Natural Larder, with an average of 140 people attending each year. Many people attend guided walks, some of which we do together with the Highland Council Feis Ross open day Ranger.

Education

Direct hands-on involvement with schools, the local community and volunteers is a major part of the work of the reserve. .

Most of our educational work is with local schools with regular visits from Gairloch Gaelic medium school, Lochcarron Gaelic medium school, Gairloch, Poolewe and Kinlochewe primary schools and Gairloch High school. In the last 3 years approximately 130 school pupils per annum have participated in outdoor learning activities on the reserve.

The Story of Beinn Eighe and Loch Maree Islands National Nature Reserve

Over the past eight years, we have supported four Thurso student placements, each being with us on average for nine months and developing skills such as deer management, footpath maintenance/repairs, tree nursery work, survey work and policy maintenance. We are also exploring the possibilities of hosting a rural skills placement in future years.

Throughout the year Beinn Eighe provides a home and a focused programme of opportunities for volunteers. From 2014-18 an average 50 volunteers a year contributed 2960 days of work. Most of our volunteers are medium-long term volunteers, some of whom come and stay at Beinn Eighe for a number of weeks and sometimes months gaining experience in reserve management – path maintenance, surveying and habitat management.

The islands have an ongoing connection with a number of colleges. The Cranedale Centre in North Yorkshire includes a study of Loch Maree Islands in its curriculum, and visits the reserve as part of its annual student expedition to the Highlands.

While the majority of these study visits are related to practical conservation, other groups come to the reserve especially to study the wildlife. For example, the Scottish Dragonfly Society runs a field trip here each year, and a field course on mosses and liverworts comes here too. The information collected by these and similar field groups helps add to our knowledge of the reserve and how best to manage it.

Local community

There have always been close links between the NNR and the community at Kinlochewe. We are always keen for the local community to be as involved as much as possible in the management of the reserve. Formal inputs to reserve management at Beinn Eighe come through the Beinn Eighe Advisory Group.

Local people also work on the reserve, and help us with the running of Open Days. SNH have hosted a modern apprenticeship in 2013 with the ‘Trust for Conservation Volunteers’ work apprenticeship on community engagement. The postholder worked with people in the local community to manage invasive rhododendrons in their gardens.

We employ five local contractors to help out at the Visitor Centre, and in 2013, as part of Year of Natural Scotland, we worked in partnership with a local artist to run an Art Workshop.

Publications

SNH has produced a range of publications about Beinn Eighe & Loch Maree Islands NNR, from simple leaflets to complete books. Beinn Eighe: Britain’s First National Nature Reserve, shows stunning photographs of the reserve and Beinn Eighe: The Mountain above the Wood details the first 50 years of management. The text of our reserve leaflet - Beinn Eighe: “First Among Equals” can be downloaded from the NNR website and is available in Spanish, French, German, Italian, Gaelic and English, as well as in large print.

The Story of Beinn Eighe and Loch Maree Islands National Nature Reserve

Keeping the reserve in the public eye is an essential part of our work, if we are to maximise its benefits for everyone. We have a dedicated page on SNH's NNR website, and we find that many local websites either link to ours, or mention the reserve. The local service station displays a stock of reserve leaflets and trail guides. We advertise the reserve and Visitor Centre four or five times a year in local newspapers and by doing interviews on local radio to promote the reserve and specific events.

In providing information and facilities at the reserve, we are trying to meet, as far as possible, the needs of our visitors and the public in general. We keep up-to-date on those needs by including Beinn Eighe and Loch Maree Islands NNR in our national NNR Visitor Survey, which not only reveals who visits our reserves, but also what they expect to find and how much they enjoy their visit. We continuously monitor numbers of visitors and cars by using counters on trails and at car park entrances. This information helps us plan maintenance and other management work.

Property Management

While the Beinn Eighe section of the NNR is owned by SNH, 577ha on the western side belongs to the NTS and has been managed under a Nature reserve Agreement since 1973. SNH also owns land on the eastern side of the A832, which is outside the reserve itself. In 1973 we made a Nature reserve Agreement with the owner of most of Loch Maree Islands. We reached a further agreement with the Forestry Commission in 1977, opening the way to the islands finally being declared an NNR in the same year. The rest of the islands are under a 99-year lease from the owners, the Gairloch and Conon Estates. We manage all the land at Loch Maree Islands NNR. The two NNRs were combined to be managed jointly in 2014.

Two utility companies have wayleaves across the reserve to maintain their property. Scottish and Southern Energy maintain power lines in Glen Torridon, while Scottish Water operates a water treatment works on the reserve.

We own a number of buildings at Beinn Eighe, both on and off the reserve, all associated with running the reserve and serving the needs of visitors. On the reserve itself, the principal building is the Visitor Centre, described in detail above.

Off the reserve, across the A832, we have a complex of buildings around the reserve Office at Anancaun. This is where our placement students and volunteers stay - the hostel sleeps 14 and has a laboratory alongside. Other buildings within this complex include a house (previously the reserve Manager’s house), a workshop and machinery sheds, and a deer larder. Also at Anancaun is our tree nursery, re- established in 1987 to raise trees from local stock for planting on the reserve.

In 2011, we completed the new deer larder at the back of the office. We share this facility with Forestry Commission Scotland. Also to improve our deer management operations we installed an incinerator to deal with deer carcass waste. Kennels were also built to house dogs which we use for undertaking our deer management operations.

The Story of Beinn Eighe and Loch Maree Islands National Nature Reserve

SNH / FCS Deer larder

In 2011, a new biomass heating system was installed to provide heating for the office and field station and double glazing was installed in all the windows. We also installed new diesel holding tanks which allow for bulk purchase of vehicle diesel (both red and white) and so reducing mileage and making the vehicle operation more efficient.

Some of the other ground adjacent to the reserve is let for grazing, and another part is a simple campsite with toilets and cold running water. No charge is made for camping here, and the site is unmanned.

We own and maintain on boat which staff use to gain access to the islands, and to monitor the black-throated diver rafts. There is also an SNH boat shed near to the Loch Maree Hotel.

In addition to the maintenance of our buildings, we make a considerable commitment to looking after those visitor facilities mentioned earlier, including the car parks, trails, picnic areas, and information points. Quarterly inspections are carried out by reserve staff to ensure that all facilities remain safe and are in good condition. Our aim here is, as always, to ensure that everyone has as enjoyable, and safe, a visit to the reserve as possible.

Summary

We have expended a huge amount of management effort at Beinn Eighe & Loch Maree Islands since they became NNRs. This has not only benefited the wildlife, but helps us inspire people to value these special places, so it is important that we share these insights with visitors. Our aim is to make sure that Beinn Eighe and Loch Maree retain their natural character and rich biodiversity, while continuing to expand the woodland and welcoming people.

The Story of Beinn Eighe and Loch Maree Islands National Nature Reserve

5 Document Properties

References

Balharry, D. (1993). Factors affecting the distribution and population density of pine martens (Martes martes L.) in Scotland. Unpublished PhD thesis, University of Aberdeen.

Dixon, J. H. (1886) Gairloch and Guide to Loch Maree. FSA Scot.

Forster, Andy, edited by Gifford, Tim. Loch Maree Islands NNR – Ten Year Management Plan. SNH

Hooper, Janet (2002). Isle Maree, Ross and Cromarty – An Archaeological Study.

Johnston, J.L. & Balharry D. (2001). Beinn Eighe: The Mountain Above The Wood. Birlinn, Edinburgh.

Mackenzie, O. (1921). A Hundred Years in the Highlands.

Macleod, David. (1992) Upright juniper of the Loch Maree Islands.

McVean, D.N. and Durno, S.E. (1959). Forest History of Beinn Eighe Nature reserve. New Phytologist 58: 79-82.

NFO Transport and Tourism (2006). National Nature Reserve baseline visitor survey. Scottish Natural Heritage Commissioned Report No. 146 (ROAME No. F02AA632).

The reserve Plan Review for Beinn Eighe NNR 2009 - 2015

Wentworth, Roy G. (1998). Place-names of Loch Maree NNR.

Photographs and maps

John MacPherson/SNH, Laurie Campbell, Peter Duncan, Dave Gennie and Lorne Gill.

Maps by SNH GIS team

Web links

Basic information on the reserve, and links to www.nature.scot/beinn-eighe the reserve leaflets. The Kinlochewe community website, with local http://www.kinlochewe.net/ and historical information. Timothy Pont’s maps of Scotland (c1600) and http://www.nls.uk/pont/ writings. Beinn Eighe feature page on Undiscovered http://www.undiscoveredscotland.co.u Scotland k/torridon/beinneighe/index.html

The Story of Beinn Eighe and Loch Maree Islands National Nature Reserve

Acknowledgments

The first edition (2008) of the Story of Beinn Eighe NNR was written by Terry Rowell (contractor) and Emma Philip (Managed Sites Officer) and approved by Kirstin Scott (Area Manager – West Highland).

We would like to thank the following SNH staff for their original contribution to the Story: Kenny Nelson (Area Officer – Kinlochewe), Eoghain Maclean (reserve Manager), David Miller (Managed Sites Officer) and Vanessa Kirkbride (Policy and Advice Officer – Earth Sciences).

This second edition of The Story of Beinn Eighe and Loch Maree Islands NNR has been edited by Sue Walker (contractor) with contributions from Peter Duncan (Operations Officer – South Highland reserves), Eoghain Maclean (reserve Manager) and Emma Philip (Operations Officer – NNRs), and approved by Chris Donald (Operations Manager – South Highland).