{"id":25840,"date":"2021-12-03T13:14:47","date_gmt":"2021-12-03T13:14:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.walkhighlands.co.uk\/news\/?p=25840"},"modified":"2021-12-03T13:26:21","modified_gmt":"2021-12-03T13:26:21","slug":"national-nature-reserves-scotlands-showrooms","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.walkhighlands.co.uk\/news\/national-nature-reserves-scotlands-showrooms\/","title":{"rendered":"National Nature Reserves \u2013 Scotland\u2019s Showrooms"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"Ben<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

I recently found myself stuck between a week\u2019s holiday in Argyll and a week\u2019s holiday in Glen Cannich. Between getting kicked out of one cottage and being able to check in to the next were seven long (and very soggy) hours. Factor in a 3.5hr drive and an hour faffing about in a Fort William supermarket and I\u2019d be left with about 3 hours to kill.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now, if you\u2019re an outdoorsy person then killing three hours on the west coast is unlikely to be a chore or a challenge. You\u2019re spoilt for choice, but I really wanted to continue the theme I\u2019d set for myself during the previous week in Argyll, and go walking in interesting-looking places that I\u2019d spotted from the roadside. Unsurprisingly, there\u2019s no shortage of those. So off I went, driving north, on the lookout for\u2026..something.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I wasn\u2019t really sure what I was after, but I knew I\u2019d know it when I saw it. Every time I passed a sign for a Forest & Land Scotland car park I\u2019d pull in to check it out. None of them were mobbed but it was nonetheless a Saturday so they were all busy with the usual weekend families and dog walkers. And while they all clearly had attractive woodland, for the most part they were coniferous plantations with only a smattering of broadleaves at best.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In other situations I\u2019d be perfectly happy with those things but they weren\u2019t what I was looking for. I was looking for solitude and\u2026\u2026something different. Something special. So on I drove towards Fort William.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

An hour and several aborted forest car parks later I reached a non-descript roundabout at Loch Creran. I was ready to continue straight over towards Fort William but caught sight of a brown tourist sign.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I didn\u2019t even need to think about it. I indicated and turned right in an involuntary reflex, because I already knew this was a winner. I had no idea what \u2018Glasdrum Wood<\/a>\u2019 was or what I would find when I got there but, the letters \u2018N N R\u2019 instantly reassured me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

National. Nature. Reserve.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
On the Mountain Trail at Beinn Eighe<\/a> \u2013 Britain\u2019s first NNR<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Conservation and environmental protection is heavy on the acronyms. We\u2019ve got SSSIs (Sites of Special Scientifc Interest), SPAs (Special Protection Areas), SACs (Special Areas of Conservation), LGSs (Local Geodiversity Sites), LNRs (Local Nature Reserves) and several more besides, and you could be forgiven for not knowing why they\u2019re special or why you\u2019re supposed to care.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You could go to many of our 1400 or so SSSIs and stand there scratching your head, wondering what on earth IS special about them, because it isn\u2019t necessarily apparent on first glance. Sometimes it\u2019s not even apparent after a second, third or fourth glance. I have a SSSI very close to where I stay and if I was to walk up there now, all I\u2019d see is a big brown field full of sheep.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There\u2019s no signage that commands me to care about the important forbs, grasses, sedges and mosses underfoot. No interpretation to make me stroke my chin in quiet contemplation. But because SSSIs tend to be working landscapes the vast majority will be as low key as this one with no facilities, no parking, nothing. They\u2019re important, yes, but their importance usually needs researching before you go, and very possibly a hand lens and a degree of patience and imagination.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The same can\u2019t be said of NNRs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When you arrive at a NNR, It\u2019s usually obvious fairly quickly that it\u2019s something out of the ordinary. That might be because it\u2019s a landscape or an environment you haven\u2019t really seen before\u2026.think Glen Roy and its peculiar parallel roads<\/a>, or the pure otherworldliness of Forsinard Flows<\/a>, which has a sense of space and light unlike anywhere else in the UK.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Or, more commonly, it might be because it\u2019s one of the largest or most intact examples of its type\u2026.in which case it likely still appears unlike anything you\u2019ve seen before. Think Abernethy, with its seemingly endless pine woodland, or Blawhorn Moss, the largest and least disturbed lowland raised bog in the Lothians.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And then of course there are the places where the profusion or diversity of life takes you aback. Those range from the beaky cacophonies of Caerlaverock<\/a>, Loch Leven<\/a> and the Isle of May<\/a>, to the soft green world of Ariundle<\/a> where every single available surface is covered in a thick mossy cushion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A few NNRs impress even before you get near them, stirring the imagination and raising your heart rate on the approach. I\u2019m sure I can\u2019t be the only person who has scanned that distinctive profile on approach to Rum and felt a palpable air of adventure settle around me. Or\u2026..and I\u2019m having to use my imagination for this one as I\u2019ve not yet had the pleasure\u2026the ultimate NNR experience, approaching St Kilda<\/a> in a surging sea. That must be quite something.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Andy Painting, a Mar Lodge Estate ecologist, monitoring natural<\/em> woodland regeneration in Glen Derry.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

NatureScot (formerly SNH \u2013 yep, another acronym) ultimately designate NNRs, and their guidance for new candidate sites tellingly describes them as having a \u2018wow\u2019 factor. For the most part I\u2019ve certainly found that to be accurate. True, you might not necessarily have much of an understanding of the constituent features of an NNR or know why they are important, but they\u2019re the kinds of places that make an instant impression regardless. Even the small ones.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I think we\u2019d all agree that Scotland is a special place, but in a national context around 2% of it is very special. The best of the best. The kinds of places that don\u2019t really look like most of the rest of Scotland. \u2013 large areas of broadleaf woodland, even larger areas of scots pine forest, massive lowland raised bogs, absolutely enormous blanket bogs, vast coastal dune systems, verdant gorges and concentrated wildlife spectacles. The NNR tag is therefore something of a Kitemark for natural heritage: \u2018the best places to see the best of nature\u2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s actually 70 years since the first National Nature Reserve in Scotland (and indeed the UK) was declared. In the post-war flurry of progressive legislation came the National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act 1949, which paved the way for National Nature Reserves to be designated, and among the first candidate sites was Coille na Glas Leitir, the largest remnant pine woodland in Northwest Scotland.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s believed to have been in constant existence for 8000 years, and many of its trees are 400 years old. It\u2019s a pretty special place by anyone\u2019s standards, and so in November 1951 the Beinn Eighe National Nature Reserve was born. Among the first batch to follow were Loch Leven, Loch Lomond, Isle of May, Forvie<\/a>, Caerlaverock, Morton Lochs, Hermaness<\/a>, Noss<\/a>, Rum<\/a> and St Kilda.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The guiding principles and qualifying criteria have understandably changed a bit over 70 years after various reviews, but very generally they have always boiled down to the sites being of national importance, where the primary land use is conservation rather than some other land use such as agriculture or forestry. That aspect in particular sets NNRs well aside from SSSIs, the latter often managed primarily for reasons other than conservation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But those criteria in themselves aren\u2019t sufficient. How the land is managed, and how likely a conservation-minded approach is to endure, are also key. Management for nature therefore has to be stable and sustainable, with a long-term vision that ensures continuity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
One of approximately 23,000 guillemots on the Isle of May NNR<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Management can change for better or worse, and for that reason NNRs have in the past found themselves expanding or shrinking accordingly. Corrie Fee NNR in the Angus Glens is a case in point. It was originally part of Caenlochan NNR, declared in 1961 as one of first such reserves in Scotland, but the deer densities on most of the massif were so high that the very qualities the NNR was brought in to protect, were being degraded. It was therefore de-declared in 2005, leaving only Corrie Fee as a tiny remnant of a much larger reserve, 22 times smaller than what it was. Caenlochan and Canness Glens are still special of course, they\u2019re just no longer considered to be \u2018the best of the best\u2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Because of this, and because of changing guidance and criteria, the number of NNRs seems to fluctuate even more than the number of munros. Today, there are\u2026..I\u2019m fairly certain\u2026..43 in Scotland, the most recent inductees being two properties owned and managed by the National Trust for Scotland \u2013 Glencoe and Mar Lodge Estate. Mar Lodge actually became the UK\u2019s largest NNR, comprising about 8% of the entire Cairngorms National Park. At the other end of the scale is Corrieshalloch<\/a>, at just 7 hectares in size.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

NatureScot owns and manages more than half of the NNRs, while the rest are owned by a mix of government organisations, privately-owned estates and charities. Nature doesn\u2019t respect operational boundaries of course, so there will often be several landowners contributing to the management of an NNR. That can be a advantage though, if pooling resources with neighbours means you\u2019re able to effect change on a much bigger scale than you could do by yourself. The Great Trossachs Forest, declared in 2015, is a great example \u2013 where the RSPB, Forest & Land Scotland and the Woodland Trust have embarked on a joint 200 year plan to restore and enhance habitats on a landscape-scale.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Very obliging highland cattle grazing at Harris, Rum NNR<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Importantly though, the key thing that marks NNRs out from other sites designated for their natural heritage is the visitor experience. Yes, NNRs are designated primarily to protect special natural features, but what the visiting public can see, and how it makes them feel, has become increasingly important in recent years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Perhaps unsurprisingly, people didn\u2019t really feature in the early notions of what National Nature Reserves were for. An NNR badge is potentially problematic in that you want to protect what you have, and hopefully further improve it, but you don\u2019t want to harm it by increasing its profile so much that you damage the very things that make it special. It can be a challenge for land managers to figure out the best, least harmful way of doing that, but it tends to be done by cannily using trails or facilities to shepherd people where you want them to go, to places where they\u2019ll get a taste of the reserve, and steering them away from the bits most susceptible to inadvertent damage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It stands to reason, therefore, that not every potential candidate for NNR status would be suitable for the badge, because not all of our precious nature sites could withstand being turned into visitor attractions. Some are perhaps too small, too susceptible to damage by visitors or too inaccessible to be able to offer a quality visitor experience. But NatureScot\u2019s revised guidelines for candidate NNRs clearly show the direction of travel, saying that candidate sites must:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Be suitable for presentation or demonstration of features in an appropriate way to the public\u2026..and be likely to inspire people to value and enjoy Scotland\u2019s natural environment.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
\u201cWhat you have discovered, if it has a name\u2026.is some Green\u201d.<\/em> Ariundle NNR<\/a><\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

That last sentence is really important. Freeman Tilden, the father of environmental interpretation said way back in 1957:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThrough interpretation, understanding; through understanding, appreciation; through appreciation, protection\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

That is to say, if people aren\u2019t aware, they won\u2019t care. And if you don\u2019t tell people why something is special, if you don\u2019t tell them why they should care, then they won\u2019t take positive action such as volunteering or donating, taking up membership of a conservation charity, signing petitions, writing to their MSP, or even something as simple as telling their friends. Few would deny that people are more likely to do all those things if they can see and experience amazing things, special places, for themselves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

People are therefore key to NNRs, and these days if you\u2019re after an NNR designation, or if you have one already, you\u2019ll be expected to put something in place that a) tells people why it\u2019s special and b) enables them to interact with it on some level. In most cases therefore, you will find at least some provision for visitors that enables people to get into the reserve and see and understand why it\u2019s important. That could range from full-blown visitor centres at places like Glencoe, volunteer workdays at Flanders Moss, or short self-guided walks with light-touch interpretation, such as at Knockan Crag.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At Glasdrum<\/a> the facilities were low key, and I can\u2019t deny I was immediately delighted when I pulled in to find the tiny car park completely empty! The site itself turned out to be a relatively small area of ancient woodland stretching 2km along Loch Creran. Its only trail was a mere 1km in length but I spent two hours on it, relishing the late autumn colour of the oaks, the gnarled trunks and branches, the texture of the canopy, the tumbling burns and waterfalls, and the sense of friendly calm you get from a healthy broadleaf woodland – that sense that all is well. The sun even came out for all of 20 seconds. It was the perfect stopover.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Glasdrum also turned out be my 30th Scottish NNR, although I can\u2019t say I\u2019d ever consciously thought about how many I\u2019d visited till writing this column. But now that I have, I\u2019m seriously pondering how to go about \u2018bagging\u2019 the other 13. They\u2019re spread all over the place, from Cairnsmore of Fleet<\/a> to Glen Nant<\/a> to Staffa and Shetland<\/a>. I\u2019m surprised to find I\u2019ve never stopped off at Corrieshalloch, and at the top of the wishlist is of course St Kilda. I don\u2019t know if I\u2019ll ever make it all the way out there, but here\u2019s hoping.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Europe\u2019s largest blanket blog – the massive open space and<\/em> unique quality of light at Forsinard Flows NNR<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

What\u2019s certain is that I do find myself gravitating more towards our National Nature Reserves these days purely because I want to spend more of my time in dynamic, interesting environments. Places where natural processes are allowed to flourish, where optimism holds sway rather than the uniform, close-cropped, nibbled sogginess that constitutes much of the rest of the country.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Okay maybe that\u2019s a little harsh, but in that sense NNRs truly are the showrooms for an alternative, more environmentally minded Scotland. They offer us a taste of what a restored, greener, less environmentally degraded country could look like. But in order for us to get there we need to be aware, and we need to care. So the next time you\u2019re looking for an outdoorsy day out, why not consider an NNR? And if you like what you see, please, tell your friends!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

My Top Five Showrooms<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Mar Lodge Estate<\/a> <\/strong>\u2013 Having been a seasonal ranger here for two years, I admittedly have a natural bias towards it\u2026.but it\u2019s a seriously uplifting place. Deer densities on this Cairngorms estate have been reduced to a level where eager seedlings and saplings, normally nibbled away as soon as they pop their heads above heather height, are reaching towards the sky with a confidence that lifts the soul. This is ecological restoration on a landscape scale.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ariundle<\/a><\/strong> \u2013 420 times smaller than Mar Lodge, this remnant of the Atlantic rainforest near Strontian is impossibly green. The place drips with moss and lichens, although the oak woodland isn\u2019t quite as natural as it first appears, having been sustainably managed to provide charcoal for iron smelting. I visited on a very soggy autumn day, which is best for moss as it brings out the green. I got sutterly soaked too, but I wouldn\u2019t have had my \u2018rainforest\u2019 experience any other way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Beinn Eighe<\/a><\/strong> \u2013 This is where it all began, but the pine woodland here is a real stunner, especially on soggy days when mist clings to the steep canopy like a tropical jungle. It has the benefit of the UK\u2019s only waymarked mountain trail, an alpine style experience, and a walk here gives you a real sense of climbing up through climatic zones as you pass from loch shore to mountain-top, through the forest. Stunning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Isle of May<\/a><\/strong>. A visit to this wee island in the Forth is usually time-constrained due to boat timetables, but however long you have, it never seems to be enough. That\u2019s hardly surprising when you share the space with several hundred thousand breeding seabirds, including 80,000 puffins. Every square metre seems to be occupied in summer, so any visit is a memorable, if pungent experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Forsinard Flows<\/a><\/strong>. There\u2019s nowhere else like it in the UK. A vast area of blanket bog, peppered with sparkling lochans of all sizes, where even modest wee hills loom above the pancake-flat landscape like giants. In January 2020 I took the lonely train over the bog from Forsinard to Altnabreac, and then walked the 10 miles back to Forsinain on the excellent (but perhaps not so great on your feet) tracks. Perhaps a better one to cycle? Either way, the sense of space could be both uplifting or terrifying, depending on your point of view.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I recently found myself stuck between a week\u2019s holiday in Argyll and a week\u2019s holiday in Glen Cannich. Between getting kicked out of one cottage and being able to check in to the next were seven long (and very soggy) hours. Factor in a 3.5hr drive and an hour faffing about in a Fort William supermarket and I\u2019d be left with about 3 hours to kill. Now, if you\u2019re an outdoorsy person then killing three hours on the west coast is unlikely to be a chore or a challenge. You\u2019re spoilt for choice, but I really wanted to continue the…<\/span> <\/p>\n

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