Glenmore Forest Park facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Glenmore National Nature Reserve
IUCN Category IV (Habitat/Species Management Area)
Glenmore Forest
Glenmore National Nature Reserve Location in Highland
Location	Highland, Scotland
Area	21.1 km2 (8.1 sq mi)
Designation	NatureScot
Established	2007
Owner	Forestry and Land Scotland
Website	Glenmore Forest Park

Glenmore Forest Park is a special place in the Highland region of Scotland. It's part of the ancient Caledonian Forest, located near Aviemore. This amazing forest is looked after by Forestry and Land Scotland.

Glenmore is one of six forest parks in Scotland. It's also found within the huge Cairngorms National Park. The park was created in 1948 and covers about 35.7 square kilometers. A big part of it, 21.1 square kilometers, is a special national nature reserve (NNR). This means it's protected for its wildlife and nature.

The forest surrounds a beautiful lake called Loch Morlich. To the south, you can see the tall Cairngorms mountains. To the north, the park reaches the top of Meall a' Bhuachaille hill. Glenmore is part of the largest area of original Caledonian Forest left in Scotland. It's home to many cool animals like Scottish crossbills, crested tits, capercaillie, narrow-headed ants, red squirrels, and red deer.

You'll find the Sportscotland National Centre Glenmore Lodge near Loch Morlich. It's a great place for outdoor activities. During World War II, this area was used as a training spot for Norwegian resistance fighters. There's a memorial near the visitor center to remember them.

Some local stories say a fairy called the Ly Erg lives in the forest. It's said to be a sign of bad luck.

Amazing Plants and Animals

Glenmore Forest is a Caledonian Forest, which means it's full of Scots pine trees. About half of these pines grew naturally. The other half were planted using seeds from local trees. You can also find other trees like birch, willow, and rowan. There are also areas with juniper bushes and alder trees.

The forest is slowly growing onto open heathland. A natural tree line is forming higher up the slopes. On the forest floor, you can spot special plants. These include one-flowered wintergreen, twinflower, small cranberry, and intermediate wintergreen.

Birdlife in Glenmore

Glenmore Forest is super important for many birds. Two of the most special are the Scottish crossbill and the capercaillie. In 2006, Glenmore was found to be the best place in Scotland for capercaillie to raise their young.

You might see Golden eagles flying over parts of the forest. Ospreys often hunt for fish over Loch Morlich. Peregrine falcons and merlins also hunt here and sometimes nest in the area. Dotterel birds can sometimes be found on the higher parts of the forest, above the trees. They usually prefer open mountain areas.

Water Animals

The rivers and lochs in the forest are home to otters. These waterways are also important places for Atlantic salmon to lay their eggs.

Protecting Glenmore Forest

People have been cutting down trees in Glenmore since at least the 1600s. A lot of trees were cut starting in 1783. This continued into the 1900s. The area was also used for sheep grazing and for hunting deer. During this time, not many new trees grew.

The Forestry Commission took over Glenmore in 1923. They started planting new trees, including Scots pines and other types like Norway spruce and Sitka spruce. In 1948, the area was named a forest park. Then, in 2007, it became a national nature reserve.

Today, Forestry and Land Scotland plans to remove all the trees that aren't native to Scotland. They will plant more Scots pines from local seeds and other native trees. This helps the forest return to its natural state.

Glenmore is protected in many ways. It's a national nature reserve and a forest park. It's also a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). It's part of the Cairngorms Special Protection Area (SPA) for birds. There are also two Special Areas of Conservation (SACs) that overlap with the reserve. These are the Cairngorms SAC and the River Spey SAC. The reserve is listed as a Category IV protected area by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. This means it's managed mainly for its habitats and wildlife.

Images for kids

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  A Scots pine in the park