Discover We are Plantlife Scotland Wild flowers, plants and fungi are the life support for Culag Woods all Scotland’s wildlife and their colour and character light up our landscapes. But without our help, this Wild flower walks Part of the West Coast IPA priceless natural heritage is in danger of being lost. Scotland’s magical Celtic From the spectacular expanse of Munsary Peatlands Rainforest meets the sea Reserve to the corridors of Holyrood, we raise their Perched on the shores of Loch Inver, this wood- profile, celebrate their beauty and protect their future. land walk follows a mix of broad-leaved and co- HRH The Duke of Rothesay is our Patron niferous woodland down to coastal bays. This Atlantic woodland is home to a rich diversity of unique small plants that cover branches, trees and boulders. It is these moss, liverwort and li- www.plantlife.org.uk chen species that make the West Coast IPA one Plantlife Scotland of the best places in Scotland for wild plants. Balallan House, Allan Park, Stirling, FK8 2QG Tel: 01786 478509 Where to start Email: [email protected] Plantlife is a charitable company limited by guarantee, Start from the ‘Woodside’ car park, found at the Company No.3166339. Registered in England and Wales, Charity No.1059559. Registered in Scotland, Charity No. SCO38951. southern end of Lochinver (grid reference NC093215). Plantlife, Brewery House, 36 Milford Street, Salisbury, Wiltshire SP1 2AP Distance Tel: 01722 342730 ©Plantlife November 2017 2-mile circular walk, allow 1–2 hours. ISBN: 978-1-910212-53-0 Cover photograph: Tree lungwort Walk grade (Lobaria pulmonaria) ©Polly Phillpot Printed by Acanthus Press, Somerset This is a moderate circular walk on narrow Design: evansgraphic.co.uk gravel paths with steep sections of rocky steps, which may become muddy in places. Sturdy foot- Plantlife Scotland @PlantlifeScot wear is essential. Plantlife is a charity that depends on the generosity of our supporters. If you’d like to support our work, Refreshments visit www.plantlife.org.uk/uk/support-us Lochinver is the nearest village Thank you for cafes and restaurants. Culag Woods are managed by the Culag Community Woodland Trust (CCWT) and we would like to thank them for their advice and support in producing this guide. WC The trust was formed in 1995 to manage Culag Woods under a 50-year lease from the owners, Assynt Estates and Highland Council. Funding for this leaflet The wild plants The nearest public lavatories was provided by the Heritage Lottery Fund and Scottish Natural Heritage. are in Lochinver village. of Culag Woods A 2-mile circular walk in Celtic Rainforest, one of the best places in Scotland for wild plants Key Discover Walk route N Culag Woods Optional routes Reserve boundary Part of the West Coast IPA Wild plants. P Descriptions 10 A overleaf n Directions n a ’ s View point p J a t 9 1 From ‘Woodside’ car park, head along the path and h through the gate, taking the gravel path on your right. Once at the T-junction, turn left heading along the flat 7 At the bottom of the 7 H I path. Look for foxgloves here in the summer months. staircase is a crossroads B i l l leading to more rough y ’ 2 Continue, passing a boardwalk off to your left, but keep s F+G 8 tracks. However, turn right p a to the path bearing right. The next junction is at the t and ascend the ‘Higgledy h top of the brow. If feeling energetic, take the right-hand D Piggledy’ path. This 3 ‘View point’ path. This path climbs, skirting a rock outcrop. 6 5 gravel path has a burn 4 th K Look at the mosses festooning the boulders here. As the th pa a nt B flowing down its E p oi path continues upwards, the trees open out and the path e View p left-hand side. Look or C Sh flattens. On your right, there is a large exposed rock face. e it for honeysuckle, h 2 Where this is closest to the path, a closer inspection at waist W Are you ath weaving through brave eno School p level will reveal Wilson’s filmy fern among the mosses. ugh undergrowth and ? path A 3 The path climbs again, stone steps taking you to the young birches. 11 stunning viewpoint. On a good day, you will see Suilven. 8 The ‘Higgledy Retrace your steps back down to the path junction, turning Piggledy’ path ends at 1 right, back onto the main path heading downhill. At the a T-junction. Look ahead here bottom, there is a small boardwalk out to the bog on the P to the rock face and the Sutherland left-hand side. Look for bogbean during early summer, but memorial to the Earl of Sutherland who take care as the boardwalk can be slippery in wet weather. planted the wood in 1847. Take the left path downhill. This gradually climbs and opens out where 4 Back at the main path continue, passing the play area uphill into an area of Scots pine, eventually making a mossy boulders on your right also include hard fern. on your right. At the path junction, look at the small, sharp descent with power lines passing overhead. mossy boulder to your right which is home to slender 9 Continue up the hill onto a larger forest track. Do not turn left mouse-tail moss. 11 At the bottom of the hill, look out for the elusive ghillie here. At the top of the hill, go past the gate with good views dhu, who may be found lurking among moss-laden tree down the track towards Lochinver village. Shortly after this, 5 Taking the left-hand path, follow this round the roots. Continue, by turning left and retracing your steps turn onto a small right-hand path flanked by gorse and birch. corner to the right, as it becomes ‘White Shore’ path. back to the car park. Reaching the brow of the hill, stay on this path bearing Can you find whiteangel’s wings fungus growing here? left downhill to the shore. Follow the path down to a 10 The path leads to another car park, with a shelter and pebbly beach with a lovely waterfall behind. Check out sawmill. Turn right, walking along the flat forest track with the foreshore for seaweeds that have come up on the bracken, birch and gorse. Soon you come to the road. tide. Can you find the aptly namedbladderwrack ? Important Plant Areas (IPAs) Here, cross over to the footpath and if time allows, Culag Woods form part of the West Coast IPA, which is internationally 6 Retracing your steps back uphill, take ‘Billy’s’ path on the walk downhill to view the river. Otherwise, turn right important for its lichens and bryophyte communities. This is one of left, at the brow of the hill. This undulating path is rougher and head uphill. Opposite the school, look for a gate on the 47 IPAs in Scotland. IPAs are internationally recognised hotspots for wild plants and lichens. For more information and to discover other under foot. Just before a steep descending staircase, find the right-hand side, taking you back into the wood via IPAs to visit, go to www.plantlife.org.uk/scotland the oak trees to the right of the path by the boulder bank. ‘School’ path. This path has lots of hazel close to the Look at their trunks and find a patchwork of green and grey start. The path eventually turns right and up a stone Reproduced by permission of Ordnance Survey on behalf of HMSO © Crown copyright and lichens, including tree lungwort and green satin lichen. staircase. Continue as the path flattens out, then heads database rights 2017 Ordnance Survey 0100031673 Scale: 1: 10 000 OS VectorMap Local map E Plants of Culag Woods Bladderwrack I Hard fern Fucus vesiculosus Part of the West Coast IPA, this Atlantic Blechnum spicant The air-filled ‘bladders’ of this brown seaweed help This small, leathery fern has two woodland is a good example of Celtic keep the fronds buoyant in the sea, so they can reach types of leaves or fronds. The Rainforest and internationally important for the light. Traditionally, bladderwrack was used by fertile fronds stick up straight wild plants and fungi. It includes: farmers and crofters in coastal areas to and are long and narrow with fertilise the soil and feed livestock spores on the back of them. The in winter, due to it being rich sterile fronds, without spores, arch in nutrients and minerals. It outwards. The fronds are rigid A Foxglove was also used as a source of to the touch, hence the name. Digitalis purpurea salt to preserve cheeses. The Latin Digitalis means ‘finger-like’, so c. 4 x smaller than actual size it is not surprising that popular names for foxglove include ‘fairy fingers’ and ‘fairy F Tree lungwort J Angel’s wings fungus gloves’. The spots on the petals are more Lobaria pulmonaria Pleurocybella porrigens than decoration – they actually help guide It’s easy to see how this fungus got bees into the flower for pollination. Lichens are a combination of a fungus and a photosynthetic partner, normally an its name, with its white, bracket-like alga. This large, ‘leafy’ lichen resembles ‘wings’ and delicate white-to-cream green lungs, hence its common name, gills underneath. It grows on decaying and was used to cure respiratory diseases conifer wood during the autumn B Wilson’s filmy fern in medieval times.