Balnaguard Glen facts for kids
Balnaguard Glen is a special place in Scotland. It's a nature reserve looked after by the Scottish Wildlife Trust. You can find it near the village of Balnaguard in Perthshire. This glen is famous for its large areas of juniper trees, which are some of the biggest in Perthshire!
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What is Balnaguard Glen?
Balnaguard Glen covers a big area, about 55 hectares. That's like 100 football fields! A stream called the Balnaguard Burn flows through it. The stream has carved out a deep, steep valley called a gully. There are even some beautiful waterfalls along the burn.
On one side of the gully, you'll find a birch wood. On the other side, there are many areas filled with juniper trees. An old walking path used to go through the gully. However, parts of it are now unsafe to walk on because of falling rocks and earth.
Plants You Can Find Here
Long ago, Balnaguard Glen had even more trees. Recently, new trees have been planted next to the birch wood. This helps to bring in more types of plants and animals.
The special juniper woodland is mostly on the west side of the reserve. Juniper trees grow very slowly. Because of this, people need to regularly remove fast-growing plants like bracken. If they didn't, the bracken would quickly cover and "swamp" the young juniper trees. Further west, past the juniper trees, you'll find open grassland.
Animals That Live Here
Many different animals live in Balnaguard Glen. If you're lucky, you might spot some of them! Look out for large red deer walking through the trees. You might also see small, quick mountain hare. In the sky, you could spot kestrels, which are birds of prey. And if you're very quiet, you might even catch a glimpse of a pine marten, a shy animal that looks a bit like a weasel.
Visiting Balnaguard Glen
There's a small car park right at the start of the reserve, just outside the village. You can follow a marked trail to explore the glen. Be aware that the path is steep and rough in places. It can also be quite difficult to walk on when the weather is wet. It's important to stay on the marked path. Trying to go into the gully itself is dangerous because the ground is unstable and very prone to landslides.
