Scotland's National Nature Reserves Visitor Guide 2016
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1 Northern Isles Explore your 1 Hermaness National Nature 2 Noss Western Isles Reserves 3 St Kilda National Nature Reserves Highlands and Skye 4 The Flows are some of the best places 5 Knockan Crag for everyone to enjoy the 6 Loch Fleet 7 Corrieshalloch Gorge magic and beauty of 8 Ben Wyvis 9 Beinn Eighe and Scotland’s nature. These Loch Maree Islands Reserves help protect an 10 Glen Affric 11 Craigellachie amazing range of wildlife 12 Abernethy and landscapes, including 13 Insh Marshes 14 Invereshie and Inshriach many rare species and 15 Glenmore habitats of international 16 Creag Meagaidh 17 Rum importance. 18 Glen Roy 19 Ariundle Oakwood Grampian Highlands Rannsaich ur 20 Forvie 21 Muir of Dinnet Tèarmainn Nàdair 22 Glen Tanar Nàiseanta 23 St Cyrus Tayside and Fife ’S iad Tèarmainn Nàdair 24 Corrie Fee 25 Ben Lawers Nàiseanta cuid de na 26 Tentsmuir h-àiteachan as fhèarr airson 27 Loch Leven a h-uile duine tlachd a 28 Isle of May ghabhail ann am West Highlands 29 Glasdrum Wood bòidhchead nàdair na 30 Staffa h-Alba. Cuidichidh na 31 Glen Nant 32 The Great Trossachs Forest Tèarmainn seo gus fiadh- 33 Flanders Moss 34 Moine Mhòr bheatha agus cruthan-tìre 35 Taynish sònraichte a dhìon, a’ 36 Loch Lomond gabhail a-staigh gnèithean Central Belt gann agus àrainnean a tha 37 Blawhorn Moss 38 Clyde Valley Woodlands cudromachd gu h-eadar- South of Scotland nàiseanta. 39 St Abb’s Head 40 Cairnsmore of Fleet Search for ‘Scotland’s National 41 Caerlaverock Nature Reserves’ on Facebook 2 www.nnr-scotland.org.uk National Nature Reserves National Nature Reserves located within National Parks 1 National Nature Reserves 1 Hermaness 2 Noss 2 Northern Isles Hermaness 1 A feast for the senses, the sounds, sights and smells of Hermaness are full of drama. Gannets glide past, searching the waves relentlessly, and then dive into the water at breakneck speeds. Puffins waddle from their clifftop burrows in early summer and, away from the bustle of the cliffs, great skuas and red-throated divers nest in the open moorland. O.S. grid reference: HP612149 Best time to visit: Mid-May to mid-July. Fog is frequent in early summer. Getting there: Eight miles from Baltasound, the B9086 leads to car park. Daily bus service runs between Lerwick and Haroldswick but does not allow sufficient time to enjoy the Reserve and get back in a day. Facilities: Visitor centre at old lighthouse shore station, with summer warden. Leaflet available. Recommended walking route (3-4 hours) over moderate ground. Further information: SNH, Ground Floor, Stewart Building, Alexandra Wharf, Lerwick, Shetland ZE1 0LL. Tel: 01595 693345. 3 Noss 2 A dramatic island with soaring cliffs, Noss is home to an amazing array of nesting seabirds. In spring and summer, gannets, guillemots, fulmars and kittiwakes seem to occupy every available nook and cranny on the cliffs while great skuas nest further inland. A coastal path meanders through colourful patches of flower-filled grassland. O.S. grid reference: HU529410 Best time to visit: Mid-May to mid-July for most breeding seabirds. Seals, otters, flowers and gannets until end of August. Getting there: Hourly car ferry from Lerwick to Bressay (visit www. shetland.gov.uk/ferries) and follow Noss signs for three miles to the car park. Local bike hire is available in Lerwick. Then take the SNH inflatable boat (small charge) for three minute crossing. The SNH boat operates betweenNorthern 10am and 5pmIsles each map day in summer (except Mondays and Thursdays). Facilities: Visitor centre, toilets. Walk around island takes about three hours over moderate ground that can sometimes be very steep. Sturdy footwear and waterproof clothing required. Further information: SNH, Ground Floor, Stewart Building, Alexandra Wharf, Lerwick, Shetland ZE1 0LL. Tel: 01595 693345. Noss Information Line, tel: 0800 107 7818. 4 5 www.nnr-scotland.org.uk 3 St Kilda 6 Western Isles St Kilda 3 With its dramatic landscape of sheer cliffs and sea stacks, St Kilda feels like a place perched on the edge of the world. It is Europe’s most important seabird breeding area and includes one of the world’s largest northern gannet colonies. St Kilda has an enigmatic past and the people who lived here had a unique lifestyle, wholly dependent on the riches of the seas around Britain’s most remote point. O.S. grid reference: NF093995 Best time to visit: May to July for seabirds and best weather. Getting there: Fifty miles west of the Outer Hebrides, only by cruise ships or charter boats from Oban, Miavaig (Lewis), Leverburgh (Harris) and Berneray (North Uist) and Uig, Skye.* Facilities: Seasonal Ranger. Small camp site – booking required. Regular NTS work parties. Booklet and leaflet. Ground very rugged and sea conditions often rough. No dogs please to prevent risk of infection to Soay sheep. Further information: NTS, Balnain House, 40 Huntly Street, Inverness IV3 5HR. Tel: 01463 232034. *Please phone for information for access to islands other than Hirta. 7 National Nature Reserves 4 The Flows National Nature Reserves located 5 Knockan Crag within National Parks 6 Loch Fleet 7 Corrieshalloch Gorge 8 Ben Wyvis 9 Beinn Eighe and Loch Maree Islands 10 Glen Affric 11 Craigellachie 12 Abernethy 13 Insh Marshes 14 Invereshie and Inshriach 15 Glenmore 16 Creag Meagaidh 17 Rum 18 Glen Roy 19 Ariundle Oakwood 8 Highlands and Skye The Flows 4 Set in the remote open landscape of Caithness and Sutherland, The Flows is a breathtaking expanse of bog that blankets the land. Thousands of pools stud the spongy bog to make a perfect home for a myriad of insects, frogs, lizards, red deer and birds normally at home in tundra regions. Listen out for the piping calls of greenshank or the mournful wails of red-throated diver. In summer, look for the small but beautiful plants such as carniverous sundews that are wonderfully adapted to such difficult living conditions. O.S. grid reference: NC891425 Best time to visit: April to July is the best time, when golden plovers, hen harriers and greenshanks come to breed, but there is interest to late October. Getting there:Northern The Flows is Isleson the map A897, twenty-four miles from Helmsdale. From Melvich on the north coast, turn south two miles east of Melvich onto the A897 for fourteen miles. Facilities: Visitor Centre at Forsinard railway station (Open 9am-5pm April to October), two self-guided nature trails including Flows Viewing Tower and bog pools, twice-weekly guided walks (May – August), additional seasonal events. Further information: RSPB Forsinard Flows, Reserve Office, Forsinard, KW13 6YT. Tel: 01641 571225. E-mail: [email protected] www.rspb.org.uk/scotland 9 Knockan Crag 5 Knockan Crag holds the key to an amazing story of colliding continents and scientific intrigue. The low cliff of Knockan exposes rocks that set the scientific world ablaze in the 19th century with the discovery that a slice of old rocks sits on top of much younger ones. The Moine Thrust, as it is known, was created by the force of two continents crashing together many millions of years ago. O.S. grid reference: NC188091 Best time to visit: All year round. Getting there: Thirteen miles north of Ullapool, off the A835 road. The Ullapool to Lochinver bus passes the Reserve entrance. Facilities: Parking, toilets, visitor centre, and trails ranging from easy to strenuous. Further information: SNH, 17 Pulteney Street, Ullapool, Ross-shire IV26 2UP. Tel: 01854 613418. 10 Loch Fleet 6 Linger on the edge of the tidal basin at low tide to watch the intense feeding activity of hungry wading birds. Walk out onto the sand dunes and you can enjoy the carpet of wild flowers that nestles on the dunes against a grey lichen backdrop. Or wander in the woodland and smell the fresh scent of pine needles, whilst searching out rare pinewood plants. O.S. grid reference: NH806957 Best time to visit: Spring/summer for flowers, all year for birds. Getting there: Off the A9 between Dornoch and Golspie (three miles). Limited bus and train services connect with Inverness and Thurso. Facilities: Parking with information panels on both south and north shores. Summer walksNorthern by Highland Isles Council map Ranger Service. Further information: SNH, The Links, Golspie Business Park, Golspie, Sutherland KW10 6UB. Tel: 0300 067 6841. SWT, Harbourside House, 110 Commercial Street, Edinburgh EH6 6NF. Tel: 0131 312 7765. 11 Corrieshalloch Gorge 7 The sheer-sided spectacle of Corrieshalloch Gorge carries the river Droma down a series of thundering falls nearly 100 metres towards Strath More. This extraordinary natural feature is relatively easy to reach from the road and the heart-stopping highlight of any visit is to cross the gorge via the swaying suspension bridge. O.S. grid reference: NH203780 Best time to visit: Open all year. Getting there: Twelve miles south-east of Ullapool. Parking on A832, half a mile after Braemore Junction. Facilities: A path network allows spectacular views into the gorge and leads down to a suspension bridge and beyond to a viewing platform offering magnificent views over the gorge and Falls of Measach. Limited all abilities access. Ranger service activities in the summer. Further information: NTS, Inverewe Garden and Estate, Poolewe, Achnasheen IV22 2LG. Tel: 01445 712952. 12 Ben Wyvis 8 Stand on the summit of Ben Wyvis and you’ll feel like you’re on the roof of the world with the Highlands ranged beneath your feet. The mossy cover on the Ben’s summit hides many secrets, including summer nesting dotterel and the pure white of a winter-clothed ptarmigan. On the slopes of this mighty mountain there’s a unique mix of plants adapted to the harsh conditions.